'Okinawa' expands theatergoers' cultural conceptions
Jon Shirota's play echoes the trials that Asian Americans face while adapting to a culture that once betrayed them.
Clare Sayas
Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Lifestyle
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Kama, the protagonist, is an Asian American teaching English in Okinawa, a Japanese city that has hosted American military bases since the end of World War II.
"Voices" explores the humorous, strange and often painful interaction between the Asian and American cultures through English students' personal stories regarding their own experiences with American servicemen.
Every bilingual member of the eight-person cast delivers his or her own monologue, all of which echo vastly distinct accounts of the controversial occupation.
A pervasive sense of distrust expressed through three generations, between the American GIs and the patriotic Okinawan characters resonates throughout the play.
Kama's great-aunt, Obaa-san (Amy Hill); the young principal at the English school, Keiko (Sachiko Hayashi) and the five students provide layered voices to Shirota's sensitive script.
Taking care to criticize American foreign policy with a blend of respect and wit, Shirota also informs his audience about the unique Okinawan culture and its strong sense of independence from Japan.
The audience joins Kama as he learns about his Okinawan culture, and watches as he strives to be "100 percent" by spending time with Obaa-san at the family's sugarcane farm.
Hill and Kim's chemistry make the audience wish for such a delightful relationship between aunt and nephew.
A theater veteran, Hill gives a performance that is warm and endearing, while Kim takes the stage with a subtle and thoughtful approach to portraying the relatable American character of Kama.
Kim's personal story is remarkable in its own right, as a professional actor who is hard of hearing, Kim plays Kama with charisma and a quiet strength.
"Voices" includes a minor love story involving the fiercely independent, incredibly intelligent principal Keiko, who disagrees with Kama's friendly approach to teaching English.
Although she starts off criticizing Kama, by the end of the play, Keiko becomes part of Kama's personal journey to finding an effective teaching method and his inner Okinawan self.
The strong ensemble brings a sense of unity to the short production. The focus on the students' monologues remains the strongest part of "Voices." The adorable Hitoshi (Atsushi Hirata) and Harue's (Teruko Kataoka) presentation of their satirical perception of American couples, Takeshi's (Taishi Mizuno) background of living with an American general and his wife and Yasunoba's (Kotaro Watanabe) comical anecdote about his barbershop customers keep the audience involved in an unfamiliar world.
It is the sorrowful narrative of Namiye (Mari Ueda), however, that haunts the audience the most. Namiye, the shyest student, is last to present her monologue - a difficult, heart wrenching account of being raped by a drunken Marine.
"Voices" presents these crimes against young girls as the primary reason against American presence in Okinawa, shedding light on an issue unseen by the American citizens.
Though mostly lighthearted, "Voices" stands as an important play, revealing that the scars of a war the current generation thinks are gone are still showing. While Namiye's monologue has its excessively melodramatic moments, the drama calls for recognition of a population unfairly distant from the minds of the collective American memory.
Seeing a mixed-race main character is a fresh, modern and necessary evolution in traditional theater, beckoning a diverse population to embrace the two races.
"Voices" may not change lives, but it educates people with a dose of entertainment. Shirota's strong point of view considers the modern world and its various problems. The line between whites and Asians, unlike that between other ethnic groups, does not see its way into school curricula and the public eye.
Productions such as "Voices" hold a relevant place in expanding the minds of theatergoers and beyond.
- "Voices From Okinawa" runs through March 9 at the David Henry Hwang Theater, 120 North Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles. Student tickets are $30.
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