Showing results by narrator "Kurt Kanazawa" in All Categories

Kohei Fujiwara has never seen a big ryū in real life. Those dragons all disappeared from Japan after World War II, and 20 years later, they've become the stuff of legend. Their smaller cousins, who can fit in your palm, are all that remain. And Kohei loves his ryū, Yuharu, but...Kohei has a memory of the big ryū. He knows that's impossible, but still, it's there, in his mind. In it, he can see his grandpa—Ojiisan—gazing up at the big ryū with what looks to Kohei like total and absolute wonder.

Tokyo, 1938. An amateur quartet, led by the compassionate Yu, gathers to practice. Suddenly, their rehearsal is brutally interrupted by military police. In the ensuing skirmish, Yu’s violin is smashed while his son, Rei, witnesses his father’s arrest. He will never see him again. Salvaging his father’s instrument, Rei escapes thanks to a mysterious lieutenant. Paris, 2003. Raised in France, Rei–now Jacques–has dedicated his life to the broken violin’s repair: studying music, becoming an apprentice, and, eventually, a luthier.

Peter Nguyen has achieved everything he ever wanted. So, why isn’t he happier? He goes to his high school reunion to show up all the people who didn’t give the time of day to the skinny, nerdy boy he’d been. But then, he runs into his old friend Britt.

In this dramatic and pause-resisting narrative history of Japanese Americans before, during, and after their World War II incarceration, Susan H. Kamei weaves the voices of more than 130 individuals who lived through this tragic episode, most of them as young adults.

Ken Narasaki's adaptation of the novel by Japanese American author John Okada is set during the aftermath of the US government's incarceration of 120,000 people of Japanese descent during World War II and the resettlement of Japanese Americans to the West Coast. In the play, Ichiro returns to Seattle, where he struggles to transition into post-war life.

Jihae Park’s icy heiress facade is quickly melting - all because of Colin Song. A fling with the sexy film producer could jeopardize her one shot at achieving her own success, as well as the movie they’re making together. But resistance to her searing attraction, and to Colin’s breathtaking bedroom skills, proves futile - even as Colin’s ulterior motives threaten to destroy their chance at a picture-perfect ending....

Aspiring fashion designer Adelaide Song wants to prove she’s more than just a pampered heiress. All she needs is a little courage - and the help of deliciously sexy Michael Reynolds, her childhood crush and her brother’s best friend. But when her secret crush turns into an illicit liaison, Adelaide realizes mixing business with pleasure spells trouble for all her plans....

A sheet of ice sits in the desert of New Mexico. A mad eco-terrorist plants a bomb in order to save humankind. A beleaguered film crew tries to get in one last shot before losing the light. Storytelling and science collide with hilarious and devastating consequences.

Before Guglielmo Marconi came along, there was no practical way to transmit telegraphic messages without wires. But when he harnessed the power of radio waves to send signals over long distances, what had once seemed impossible became a world-changing reality. In this original L.A. Theatre Works commission, we’ll get a firsthand, intimate view of the precocious Italian inventor, and what he had to overcome in his quest to revolutionize the way we communicate.

In a world gone wrong, heroes and villains are not always easy to distinguish and every individual has the ability to contribute something powerful. In this stunning collection of original and rediscovered stories of tragedy and hope, the stars are a diverse group of students, street kids, good girls, kidnappers, and child laborers pitted against their environments, their governments, differing cultures, and sometimes one another as they seek answers in their dystopian worlds.

When a mysterious customer tells Adam great things await him in the attic of his uncle’s bakery, he brushes off the exchange. It’s 1999 in New York City—and Adam has already met his fair share of oddballs and eccentrics. But days later, in the attic, Adam makes a discovery that quickly sets him off on a whirlwind adventure. And Adam soon suspects he may not be the only one aware of his extraordinary secret when a tall man with long eyebrows and a thin mustache appears to be following his every move. …

When a new kid comes to stay with his grandmother at the house next door, Shermy’s plans for a quiet, relaxing summer are completely upended. That’s because Shake is nothing like Shermy. And Shermy is nothing like Shake. Shermy likes to read quietly in the shade of a tree. He knows the proper way to do a puzzle. He collects treasures in the pouch he wears around his neck, and the books on his shelves are alphabetized by author. Shake likes to play street hockey or space explorers. He gobbles up rocket ice pops and Toaster Tarts.

From the creator of Gibberish, a friendship story about different ways to think and create. It begins with two boys who together dream of sailing across the wide sea. As they grow and both become boat makers, their differences grow bigger and bigger. Van has a wild and fresh imagination, with tons of great ideas; but he has trouble with quality control. Minh is meticulous and strives for perfection; but he has trouble finishing even one boat! Only when the two friends reunite can they form a perfect team and reach their hearts’ desires.

Shermy is excited to start second grade. He has styled his hair with gel. He is making friends with the kids who play soccer at recess. And he’s being a good helper to his new teacher, Mr. Craig, who often loses track of things. When his out-of-town friend, Shake, shows up, things seem to be going even better! That is, until Shermy realizes that Shake is stealing the spotlight. But Shake’s mom and stepdad are looking to buy a house in Shermy’s neighborhood, which means these two long-distance friends will now be no-distance friends.

Growing up, Wat Misaka wasn’t the tallest kid on the basketball court, but he was fast and he loved the game! In his Japanese American basketball league, Wat dribbled with speed and shared the ball as much as he scored. Encouraged by his father to always do his best, Wat applied this mindset to every challenge in his life. As Wat spent more time on the court, his passion for the game grew. He played in college at the University of Utah during WWII, a time when many Japanese Americans were stripped of their freedoms and incarcerated by the US government.

80-something Dan Yamada has been rendered speechless after a stroke, and as he lies in bed, he vividly recalls his life, from his days in the World War 2-era internment camps, to serving in the US Army, to his one true love. At his bedside in the present, his adult children fight over his care and legacy, all while Dan tries to communicate his poignant final wish.