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Snow Falling on Cedars
Community & Educational Outreach, 2015
Local Historical Background
The exclusion began on Bainbridge Island on
March 30, 1942, when 227 men, women
and children — two–thirds of them
American citizens — were removed from
their homes by U.S. Army soldiers and sent
to relocation camps in the California desert.
While their departure was mourned by
many of their neighbors, not all welcomed
their return after the war. The exclusion and
its aftermath thus form a crucial part of the
Island’s history as well as a reminder of the
ongoing need for diversity, justice, and
vigilant protection of our civil and
constitutional rights.
Photo: “Kitamoto family with soldier” from the Seattle Post
Intelligencer collection at the Museum of History and
Industry. Courtesy of the Bainbridge Island Historical Society.
Please join us for SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS March 13 – 29 at Bainbridge Performing Arts
Kate Carruthers directs the
hauntingly lyrical saga
adapted from David
Guterson’s acclaimed story of
mystery, love, and identity.
Set in 1954 in a Puget Sound
community divided among
fishermen and farmers,
whites and Japanese, SNOW
FALLING ON CEDARS is at
once a courtroom drama, a
mystery, a love story and, in
flashbacks, a social history
freighted with the angry
residue of World War II and
the exclusion of Japanese
Americans.
Carruthers says, “If we don’t repeat these stories, we forget. The theatre is where stories are meant to be shared, and
the best theatre grows out of the experiences of the originating community.”
Pictured: Port Blakely in 1890 with Hall Brothers Shipyard in the foreground and the Blakely Mill in the background. Photo: E. Lincoln.
Courtesy of the Bainbridge Island Historical Society.
Snow Falling on Cedars
Community & Educational Outreach, 2015
Join us for an openhearted conversation surrounding exclusion, intolerance, history, and community.
Please take this calendar, make time for the events, reflect, and join the community conversation!
Beginning February 14
Bainbridge Public Library
1270 Madison Ave. N.
ONLINE: www.krl.org
FREE
February 21 & 22
Saturday & Sunday @ 7:30 p.m.
Bainbridge Public Library
1270 Madison Ave. N. FREE
February 27
Friday @ 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Bainbridge Public Library
1270 Madison Ave. N. FREE
March 6
Friday @ 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Bainbridge Performing Arts
200 Madison Ave. N.
FREE
March 6 – 31
Gallery hours are 12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday – Friday + one hour prior to
each performance.
Bainbridge Performing Arts
200 Madison Ave. N.
FREE
March 10
Tuesday @ 7:00 p.m.
Bainbridge Public Library
1270 Madison Ave. N.
FREE
March 13 – 29
See times at right.
Bainbridge Performing Arts
200 Madison Ave. N.
TICKETED
$27/$22/$19
Open Archives: Bainbridge Review Online (1941 – 1946)
The Bainbridge branch of Kitsap Regional Library and the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum are proud
to announce the launch of the Bainbridge Review online for the years 1941-1946. Community members
and researchers can now search the Review for specific words, names, or topics – or read through the
papers as they appeared in the 1940s, complete with advertisements, classified ads, and other items of
interest from the period. View the open archives at www.krl.org/kitsap-history.
Dear Editor: Letters to the Bainbridge Review
Island Theatre presents a dramatic reading of selected letters to the Bainbridge Review from the 1920’s
through the 1970’s to illustrate the role of a local paper in community life.
Japanese American Exclusion Film Talks
The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community (BIJAC) presents three short films - Red Pines,
The Woman Behind the Symbol, and Visible Target – relating to the Japanese American
exclusion experience on Bainbridge Island, followed by discussions facilitated by BIJAC members.
First Friday Art Walk at the BPA Gallery: “Ansel Adams – A
Portrait of Manzanar”
The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum installs its award-winning exhibit, “Ansel Adams: A Portrait of
Manzanar,” in the BPA lobby during the March run of SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS. Join us for a special
reception in the BPA Gallery March 6 for the exhibit opening and a stimulating evening of history, art,
food, and friends.
BPA Gallery: “Ansel Adams – A Portrait of Manzanar”
The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum’s award­winning exhibit of photos taken by Ansel Adams
during a 1943 visit to a “War Relocation Center” are on display in the BPA Gallery throughout March.
The exhibit displays an ensemble of visual representations from the World War II era, including local
images and artifacts from the Historical Museum, with selected items on loan from the collections of
Frank Kitamoto, Mary Woodward, and David Guterson. Open 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. every day, the
Historical Museum’s own extensive collection of historical materials from before, during, and after World
War II is readily available to the public.
“Our Japanese to Enemy Aliens:
Incarceration and the Role of the Local Press”
Glenda Pearson, head of Microform and Newspaper Collections for UW libraries, presents a slide talk
on how Seattle area newspapers covered the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the exclusion. The blatant
racism that fueled the call for removal of West Coast Japanese pioneers and their children is evident in
NW papers, large and small, before and during the war. One exception is The Bainbridge Island Review
whose young publishers spoke out early in opposition to Executive Order 9066 and continued throughout
the war. A greater percentage returned to Bainbridge Island than any other community. Glenda's insights
into how the media used words to persuade in 1942 are fresh and relevant today.
Public Performances of SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS
Against the backdrop of an America torn by World War II, cultures and communities clash when a
Japanese American islander is accused of murder. This hauntingly lyrical saga—adapted from David
Guterson’s acclaimed story of mystery, love, and identity—deftly shifts from courtroom to strawberry
fields to bloody battlefront, digging for hard truths buried in a forgotten history. Fridays & Saturdays @
7:30 p.m. + Sundays @ 3:00 p.m. | Pay-What-You-Can Preview: Thursday, March 12 @ 7:30 p.m. |
Opening Night Reception: Friday, March 13 @ 6:30 p.m. Join us for post-show panel discussions following
each matinee. Info: 206.842.8569 or www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org
March 15, 22, 29
Sundays after the matinee
Bainbridge Performing Arts
200 Madison Ave. N.
FREE
March 22
Post-Show Discussions SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS
Stick around for a post-performance “talk back” with cast members and Bainbridge Islanders who lived
through World War II and Japanese American Exclusion. Discussions, in a Q&A format, will be facilitated
by EduCulture’s Only What We Can Carry Project, and will feature esteemed local guests such as Kay
Sakai Nakao, Mary Woodward, and Lilly Kitamoto Kodama.
Author David Guterson: Looking Back, Warily, But with Affection
Sun. @ 1 pm
Bainbridge Performing Arts
200 Madison Ave. N.
FREE
March 26
Thurs. Morning & Afternoon, TBA
Bainbridge Performing Arts
200 Madison Ave. N.
FREE
March 26
As an adjunct to BPA’s March presentation of SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, Bainbridge Performing Arts is
very pleased to welcome David Guterson for a special pre-show presentation March 22. Twenty years
after the first publication of Snow Falling on Cedars, its author reflects back on the influences, ideals, and
ambitions that led to its writing and what the book means to him now. Followed by audience Q&A.
School Outreach Performances of SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS
Author David Guterson readily admits to drawing from Bainbridge Island’s wooded and rain drenched
landscape, its history, and some authentic Bainbridge characters in crafting his novel. BPA’s production of
SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS will therefore make a valuable contribution towards educating its community
about its important history and its artistic vitality. Two daytime performances for students.
In Defense of Our Neighbors: The Walt & Milly Woodward Story
Thurs. 7:30 p.m.
FREE
Eagle Harbor Books welcomes Bainbridge native Mary Woodward to read from her book…a dual profile
in courage of her parents, Milly and Walt. Their newspaper, the Bainbridge Island Review, opposed the
forced removal and incarceration of 120,000 Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The
six-day notice of removal was posted March 24, 1942. Mary will focus on the preparation that the
Islanders made to leave their homes.
March 30
Exclusion Commemoration
Eagle Harbor Book Co.
157 Winslow Way E.
Mon. 9 am – 1 pm
Bainbridge Island Japanese
American Memorial
Pritchard Park,
4192 Eagle Harbor Drive NE
FREE
April 9
Inspired by the unique legacy of a community that welcomed its Japanese American friends and
neighbors home after World War II, visitors gather for a commemorative event at the memorial, where
they may walk in the footsteps of those who were exiled, share in reflection, and, if so inspired, offer
service in the form of maintenance or improvements to the National Historic Site. This year’s event
includes both a special appearance by Congressman Derek Kilmer and the revealing of a new sculpture
specially designed for the memorial at 11:00 a.m.
Film Screening: Snow Falling on Cedars
Thurs. 7:00 p.m.
$10 at the door
The Multicultural Advisory Council (MAC) to the Bainbridge Island School District is showing the film
Snow Falling on Cedars for adults, rated PG-13. MAC is doing a legacy project for Frank Kitamoto and has
grants for teachers so they can go to conferences, or get books, relating to multicultural education.
Thursday, April 9th at the BIMA auditorium, 7:00 PM. Tickets, $10, may be purchased online at
www.eventbrite.com/event/16291582562. Proceeds from the showing will be used to fund multicultural
education programs in our schools and to launch the Frank Kitamoto Legacy Project. Light food and
beverages may be purchased at the BIMA Bistro prior to the showing.
April 25
StoryShare Featuring David Schulz
Bainbridge Island Museum of
Art, Auditorium
550 Winslow Way E.
TICKETED
Sat. @ 9 am
Waterfront Community Center
370 Brien Drive
FREE
August 13
Time TBA
Bainbridge Performing Arts
200 Madison Ave. N.
TICKETED
Price TBA.
Join us for a presentation on cultural mythology and the collective memory in this riveting “summary
conversation” to the SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS community activities. David Schulz has presented
research globally on issues of rhetoric, public memory, and social movements. He is a professor and Chair
of Communication at Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, Washington. The Exclusion Tag Project will be
on display. The emphasis will be on lessons learned and how we, as a community, move thoughtfully
forward from here.
Seattle Opera World Premiere PREVIEW:
An American Dream by Jack Perla
Inspired by true stories from our region’s history, An American Dream is set during World War II and
explores the lives of two Puget Sound women: a Japanese American facing internment and a German
Jewish immigrant preoccupied with those she left behind. Moderated audience discussions bookend the
opera.
Learn more online:
http://www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org/collections/snow-falling-outreach
Snow Falling on Cedars
Community & Educational Outreach, 2015
OUR SUPPORTERS / COLLABORATORS
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
StoryBooth
& SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS
Bainbridge Island Japanese
American Community
Bainbridge Island Japanese
American Exclusion Memorial
Visit the Waterfront Community Center’s newly
installed phone booth where visitors have an
opportunity to become part of history. Phone
booth occupants will receive questions provided
through visual prompts. As part of BPA’s
community and educational outreach for SNOW
FALLING ON CEDARS, topics will include
intolerance, exclusion, and community.
Participants will then have the chance to record
their answers and reflections, becoming part of
an ongoing conversation. Audio clips will be
archived at the Bainbridge Island Historical
Museum.
WWII Era Press Coverage
Compare & Contrast
Explore the Bainbridge Review’s searchable
“Open Archives” online at www.krl.org and
attend “Our Japanese to Enemy Aliens:
Incarceration and the Role of the Local Press”
on March 10. Then compare and contrast local
vs. regional news coverage as it pertains to the
Japanese American exclusion experience.
The Exclusion Tag Project
Friends of Minidoka
Our generous sponsor for SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS is The Maggi Rogers Fund. SNOW FALLING
ON CEDARS is supported in part by a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission and the
National Endowment for the Arts. BPA's outreach programs for SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS are
supported in part by a grant from Humanities Washington, a state-wide non-profit organization
supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the State of Washington, and
contributions from individuals and foundations. Additional supporters / collaborators include
Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Council, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, Bainbridge
Island Japanese American Community, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial
Association, Bainbridge Island School District, Bainbridge Island Waterfront Park Community
Center, Eagle Harbor Book Co., EduCulture and the Only What We Can Carry program, Friends of
Minidoka, Island Theatre, IslandWood and the National Geographic Education Foundation,
Kitsap Regional Library, National Park Service, and the Seattle Opera.
As part of the community conversation
surrounding Bainbridge Performing Arts’
production of SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS,
you’re invited to share how the experience of
exclusion relates to your own life by recording
your answers on tags that are very similar to
those that were issued to Japanese Americans
during the Japanese American exclusion
experience.
Completed tags with your recorded comments
will be displayed in the BPA lobby throughout
the run of the performance of SNOW FALLING ON
CEDARS. They will subsequently be archived at
the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum as the
“2015 Exclusion Tag Community Project.”
Exclusion Commemoration
A special commemoration will be held at the
Bainbridge Island Japanese American Memorial
on March 30 to observe the anniversary of the
first day of the Japanese American exclusion
experience. The 75th anniversary is in 2017.