BWW Reviews: SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS - A Powerful Look at Discrimination

How prescient was Center Stage to present a play dealing with a Japanese tragedy in the midst of a contemporary Japanese tragedy.  When the powers that be last spring selected Snow Falling on Cedars to the2010-11 season, they had no idea that during the run of the play there would be the tragic earthquake and tsunami.  Center Stage in the lobby of the Pearlstone Theatre suggest donations be made to the American Red Cross, a nice touch.

Now to the play. I recall the film starring Ethan Hawke mainly because of the issues raised stemming from the best-selling novel by David Guterson.  These issues are rarely taught in schools and I venture to say if you asked the question to the "man on the street" whether our country had ever had concentration camps during World War II, the response would be a resounding no.

But the facts are otherwise and I compliment Center Stage for attempting to bring this sad history to light.

For reasons which appear simply economical, the play is running ONLY four weeks, which is a shame.  Director David Schweizer has done a masterful job in presenting this complex and compelling play which features a superb ensemble.  As in Our Town, the entire cast remains on the stage the entire evening either performing  on stage or sitting on the side as observers.

For the first time I can remember, Center Stage is using a revolving stage as in Les Miserables.  Set Designer Allen Moyer, who has an extensive Broadway background, should be complimented on one set that depicts a courtroom, a fishing boat, various homes and gardens, a Japanese internment camp and even a scene from World War II.  There is incredible lighting by Christopher Akerlind.

David Burdick, costume designs, got a rare opportunity to describe his complex use of clothing and hats to achieve dressing 39 different characters on the first page of the program.

The story takes place in 1952 in a fishing village in the Pacific northwest,  Eisenhower is President and the country still has not totally recovered from the grief of World War II. The area survives on fish and fruit which is picked by Japanese immigrants.

There's a death that happens on a fishing boat, an investigation, a Japanese fisherman is charged with murder (the superb Kenneth Lee), there are love stories, there are tense court-room scenes reminiscent of the old "Perry Mason" television series. There is even a Paul Drake character, a newspaper reporter (the wonderful Timothy Sekk) who aids in reaching the truth. One can't help think about capital punishment during the murder trial.

Center Stage has assembled an outstanding cast of actors. Wait until you see Danny Gavigan's role as the fisherman who dies on his boat. I'll never forget his brilliant portrayal of a dead body. There's Kristin Griffith playing the evil Etta Heine. Compliments to Laura Kai Chen, Anjanette Hall, Neal  Hemphill, Glenn Kubota, Michael McKenzie, Owen Scott, Bernard Burak Sheredy, and Ching Vales-Aran.

Do not miss the wonderful exhibition in the lobby of the theater entitled "Images of Art from Japanese Internment Camps". Thanks to the Smithsonian's American Art Museum you'll see excerpts from its recent exhibit "The Art of Gaman: Arts and Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps, 1942-1946."

For tickets, call 410-332-0033 or visit www.centerstage.org. The shows ends its run Sunday, April 3, 2011.

For comments, write to cgshubow@broadwayworld.com.

Photo Credit: Richard Anderson

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