artsed4all Community, Drama / Theatre, Media Arts, Music

Brenda Wong Aoki’s “Soul of the City”

Co-presented by First Voice and the Presidio Theatre, Soul of The City by Brenda Wong Aoki, premieres with two performances at the Presidio Theatre on Saturday, September 30 at 4:00 pm and Sunday, October 1 at 4:00 pm.

Reserve tickets at the Presidio Theatre Box Office www.presidiotheatre.org

Commissioned by The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), this multi-disciplinary work received one of the prestigious 2018 Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions awards for theater, musical theater, and spoken word.

In December of 2018, Upon receiving the Hewlett 50 award, Brenda noted, “The seismic shifts taking place in Japantown and Chinatown compel us to not only capture people and places before they are gone and forgotten, but to support our communities while they are under attack from gentrification, even as we make a work of art.”

Who would have predicted that the City’s performing artists would soon need to deal with a global pandemic?

Brenda Wong Aoki as The Storyteller, and devorah major as MOTHER. Photo by Mark Shigenaga.

A Journey to the Heart of San Francisco

“Soul of The City” is a new work by the nation’s first Asian American storyteller, Brenda Wong Aoki. Told through storytelling, multimedia, live music and dance, “Soul of The City” is a performance ritual for us all. Brenda tells true stories from the nation’s first Chinatown and Japantown based on her family’s 132-year history against the backdrop of today.

Soul of the City – In Creation (June 22, 2023 Lab Time at the Presidio Theatre). Photo by Terry Lorant.

“Soul of the City” is an allegorical story about the city of San Francisco and in particular, Brenda’s life spent living here. It is rooted in API history and looks at the soul of our beloved San Francisco, the birthplace of Asian America, through the sharing of personal stories and lineage. It also serves as a rallying call for the true citizens of the city to overcome all the doom and gloom and come together as a unified community to push back hatred of any group of people and to revive the soul of the city.

Based on many autobiographical stories of her mixed ethnic family tree, she follows how they all come to San Francisco and become a major part of the history of the City and follows her own path here as a performer, teacher, social activist and a proud long time San Franciscan. With the premise of a storyteller who feels she has no more stories to tell and being attacked for her Asian heritage, she hovers between life and death. With the appearance of the Mother (played by esteemed SF poet laureate devorah major) the storyteller is taken on a journey of self-discovery and decision.

The piece will be a moving and inspiring mix of spoken word, poetry, musical styles (featuring seven musicians representing jazz, taiko, koto, African percussion) and movement (drawing upon Asian theatre forms one will see influences such as Kabuki and Noh) and ultimately will hopefully have the audience reenergized and bring the soul of the City back to a newly vibrant state.

Prior to entering the theatre there will be events happening in the plaza outside where audience members will have the opportunity to write their own wishes and prayers to hang on the Tree of Life (a special ikebana installation) as well as be blessed and offer prayers for peace and in honor of the Ancestors.

Soul of The City Creative Team

Written by Brenda Wong Aoki. Directed by David Furumoto with musical direction by Masaru Koga. Original music by Mark Izu, Masaru Koga, and Derek Nakamoto. Multimedia by Andi Wong and Olivia Ting. Costumes by Lydia Tanji. Performers include Brenda Wong Aoki, Caroline Cabading, Masaru Koga, devorah major, Shoko Hikage, Jimi Nakagawa, and Kenneth Nash.

For more about the artists: https://www.firstvoice.org/soul

Soul of The City: A Healing Ritual

Music Director Mas Koga shares a special moment – Healing Ritual music by Mark Izu (sho) and Kenneth Nash (percussion). Music rehearsal, September 15, 2023.

Before the performance in the courtyard, the audience is invited to add their prayers, thoughts and wishes on the Soul of The City sacred tree. At the conclusion of the performance, we will return to the garden for refreshments, renewed, recharged and inspired to carry on.

Sacred Tree, photo by Mark Shigenaga

Be sure to pick up a copy of Mark Izu’s brand new CD, “Songs for J-Town,” at the show!

artsed4all Arts Education, Community, Dance, Film, Philanthropy, Photography, Technology

Angel Island Insight #6: Mark Shigenaga

ANGEL ISLAND IN SIGHT 2021 is a visual storytelling project focused on Angel Island — a collective portrait of Angel Island drawn from a multitude of views — near and far, past and present. Del Sol Performing Arts Organization’s ANGEL ISLAND INSIGHT explores the history of the Angel Island Immigration Station by offering a suite of virtual and in-person programs that examines the musicality of the disappearing Hoisan-wa dialect by The Last Hoisan Poets and The Del Sol Quartet. public engagement with Del Sol Quartet & Huang Ruo’s Angel Island – Oratorio for Voices and Strings.

Although photography had always been a casual interest of mine, it wasn’t until 2008, when capturing the energy and joyful expressions of the dancers at the Berkeley Obon, did I realize my passion for this activity. It is through this continued pursuit of photography that I have connected to many local ethnic communities, deepened an interest in my Japanese American heritage, and engaged many culturally active artists, activists, and historians.  While my photographic style continues to evolve, I’m most inspired by images that portray the vibrancy and soul of our collective communities, whether through the sharing of various art forms, celebrations, or remembrances.

MARK SHIGENAGA, Community Photographer

Photo: Mark Shigenaga. Filming day on Angel Island with Claudia Katanayagi for A Bitter Legacy, 2012.
Mark Shigenaga

In 2014, I helped photo document the 1st Nikkei Angel Island Pilgrimage, an event sponsored by the Nichi Bei Foundation, with AIISF, the National Japanese American Historical Society, California Genealogical Society, and the California Park Services as partners.  It was during this pilgrimage that I met Grant Din.  A chance discussion subsequently led to an exploration of my grandfather Kakuro and great uncle Shigeo’s history on this island, who were shipped from Hawaii to California and destined to become interned at various Department of Justice camps a few months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Grant’s access to the National Archives and Records Administration led to a wealth of new insights to the journeys of the Shigenaga brothers, and are, today, cherished by our family. 

— Mark Shigenaga, May 18, 2021.

  • Mark Shigenaga. Mah Jong Set. Filming day on Angel Island with Claudia Katanayagi for A Bitter Legacy, 2012. 
  • Mark Shigenaga. Taiko Drummers. 2nd Nikkei Angel Island Pilgrimage. October 13, 2015.
  • Mark Shigenaga. 4th Nikkei Angel island Pilgrimage. November 5, 2018.
  • Mark Shigenaga. 4th Nikkei Angel island Pilgrimage. November 5, 2018.
  • Mark Shigenaga. 4th Nikkei Angel island Pilgrimage. November 5, 2018.
  • Mark Shigenaga. 2nd Nikkei Angel Island Pilgrimage. October 13, 2015.

This project was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit http://www.calhum.org

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website do not necessarily represent those of California Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

ANGEL ISLAND: IN SIGHT 2021 at the Angel Island Immigration Station is made possible with support from North East Medical Services (NEMS). https://www.nems.org/