HOLD THESE TRUTHS
by Jeanne Sakata

Directed by Seema Sueko

OCTOBER 19-NOVEMBER 7, 2021
at the Wells Theatre

presented in rep with Ken Ludwig’s
DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE

In 1941, American placed its own citizens in internment camps. Hold These Truths tells the true story of American Gordon Hirabayashi, the son of Japanese immigrants who fought against an unjust court order to uphold the American values of freedom and justice for all. Ultimately a story of hope and patriotism, Hirabayashi’s strength and wisdom will leave you moved by the American spirit. Hold These Truths has played to sold out performances across the country as we’re thrilled to have it grace the Wells Theatre stage this Fall.

“Surprisingly humorous and openhearted… luminous moments of youthful joy arise too.”
Misha Berson, The Seattle Times, 2015

DIRECTED BY SEEMA SUEKO
SET DESIGNER ALAN E. MURAOKA
COSTUME DESIGNER JENI SCHAEFER
LIGHTING DESIGNER LYNNE M. HARTMAN
SOUND DESIGNER ANDRE PLUESS
STAGE MANAGER Adrienne wells*

starring greg Watanabe

* Member of Actor’s Equity Association

SEEMA SUEKO (Director) directs stage, digital, consensus organizing, and R&D projects for theaters, think tanks and community organizations. Previous positions include Deputy Artistic Director of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Associate Artistic Director of Pasadena Playhouse, and Co-Founder and Executive Artistic Director of Mo`olelo Performing Arts Company. She recently co-created and directed Germantown Plays Pericles, an original, large-scale, outdoor artistic fair and performance with the community of Germantown, Philadelphia. During the 2020 global pandemic she created the Arena Stage Theater Artists Marketplace, a socially-distant way to connect artists with audiences and generate income for artists. Coming up, Seema has been commissioned by Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis to create an artistic piece inspired by interviews with 100 people across the U.S. starting with the prompt “imagine a U.S. without racism.” Seema earned her M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago. She serves on the boards of Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and the SDC Foundation. You may find more info at www.seemasueko.com.

GREG WATANABE (Gordon Hirabayashi) made his Broadway debut in Allegiance and was recently seen in Lauren Yee's Cambodian Rock Band at Victory Gardens, The City Theatre Pittsburgh, Merrimack Repertory Theatre. He has performed in the world premiere productions of The Ballad Of Yachiyo (Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Public Theater-New York), The Summer Moon (A Contemporary Theater, South Coast Repertory Theatre), The Happy Ones (South Coast Rep, L.A. Drama Critics Circle nomination for Best Featured Performance) and Extraordinary Chambers (The Geffen Playhouse, Ovation nomination for Best Featured Actor). Other appearances include Golden Child (Signature Theatre), Hold These Truths (Perseverance Theater, New Century Theater), Yellow Face (Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, San Diego Theater Critics Circle nomination for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play).