8th
I’m back.
After several years of inactivity on my old website, I have decided to build a new one. In the mean time, this will serve as a temporary home for my blog, bio and a few photos. Here is a current BIO -
PHILIP KAN GOTANDA June/2008/ Berkeley, Bio
Over the last three decades, playwright Philip Kan Gotanda has been a major influence in the broadening of our definition of theater in America. Through his plays and advocacy, he has been instrumental in bringing stories of Asians in the United States to American Theater as well as to Europe and Asia. The creator of one of the largest bodies of Asian American-themed work, Mr. Gotanda has pushed to expand the scope of Asian American storytelling to include its intersection with other communities: African American, Arab and Muslim American, and others.
Mr. Gotanda is known for experimenting with a range of aesthetic styles and a willingness to collaborate with variety of forms ranging from dance to symphonic, jazz to spoken word, new theater to film. Mr. Gotanda wrote the text and directed the production of Maestro Kent Nagano’s MANZANAR: AN AMERICAN STORY, an original symphonic work with narration. His newest work, AFTER THE WAR, recently premiered at the American Conservatory Theatre. ATW chronicles San Francisco’s Japantown in the late 40’s when Japanese Americans returning from the Internment Camps encountered a flourishing African American jazz scene. A Japanese translation of his play, SISTERS MATSUMOTO, opened in Tokyo with the Mingei Geikidan Company. His play, BALLAD OF YACHIYO, was presented at the Gate Theater in London in co-production with the National Theater.
Mr. Gotanda is a respected independent filmmaker; his works are seen in film festivals around the world. His most recent film, LIFE TASTES GOOD, was presented at the Sundance Film Festival and can be seen on the Independent Film Channel. It is available on DVD through Epoch Films. Along with executive producers, Dale Minami and Diane Takei, he is currently developing his newest film with their production company, Joe Ozu Films.
Mr. Gotanda holds a law degree from Hastings College of Law and studied pottery in Japan with the late Hiroshi Seto. He is a recipient of a Guggenheim, TCG-Pew, Rockefeller, Pen, Lila Wallace as well as other honors and awards. Mr. Gotanda was recently selected as a delegate of the Japanese American Leadership Delegation to Japan as part of a Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs sponsored cultural exchange. His newest collection of plays, NO MORE CHERRY BLOSSOMS, is published by the University of Washington Press. He resides in Berkeley, California, with his actress-producer wife, Diane Takei . www.philipkangotanda.com, www.lifetastesgoodmovie.com.
