Hold These Truths

See it if you'd enjoy a riveting lesson abt Japanese internment thru the eyes of the young man who fought the order all the way to the US Sup Court.

Don't see it if you dislike solo shows. But Joel adroitly embodies many characters. Hirabayashi, an American hero, fought for his Constitutional rights.

Also I found HTT deeply moving in these tumultuous times. Hirabayashi's fight against government tyranny, even against impossible odds and at great personal sacrifice, is a stirring reminder that all Americans are responsible for their Constitution's preservation.... Read more Read less

See it if Powerful writing and acting. Scary how quickly the nation can be overcome by fear and racism, and discard the principles of its founding.

Don't see it if You don't want to immerse yourself in historical injustice. You already know what happened and don't want to see it brought to life.

See it if you want to be fully engaged in theater thru a mesmerizing performance & meaningful script. Joel is stunningly talented. Just great.

Don't see it if Not interested in history or a thoughtful look at values/ideals. This is a smart, moving, touching play that makes u think. Not heavyhanded.

Also Joel's performance is nuanced, skillful, artful and 100% engaging. Even if the script had not also been well-crafted, and the lighting and sound beautiful and effective, I would have been completely wrapped up in watching him play multiple characters without a hint of showiness.

Saw this in the Black Box Theater at the Sheen Center in early December, 2017.... Read more Read less

See it if You value brilliant acting and writing. You believe in the constitution. You want to see how racial hysteria fails us

Don't see it if You voted for Trump. You think a wall is a good idea. You thin the constitution is just a piece of paper

See it if You are interested in history and want to learn something about a hero who fought against injustice.

Don't see it if You want to believe that everything is fine in America and always has been.

See it if You want to see Joel de la Fuente deliver a tour de force performance in this compelling story.

Don't see it if You aren't interested in history of in seeing a story that makes you question your faith in the Constitution.

Also Saw this regionally with the same actor from the off-Broadway production. Joel de la Fuente was a masterful story teller and so compelling in this role.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy being swept away by a stellar performance telling a specific, yet broadly relevant story. Too relevant today.

Don't see it if You don’t like one-man shows, or you don’t like your theater to have a political core.

Also Gorgeous piece that provokes laughs at the absurdism and tears from the grace of the language and performance. A paean for today that will leave you finding some sense of optimism in our dark times.... Read more Read less

See it if You like 1 man shows in an intimate settings about Japanes:/American history that’s relevant today

Don't see it if You don’t want to feel depressed about our country’s politics

See it if you reside in the United States.

Don't see it if you are medically incapable of sitting still for 90 minutes.

See it if you want to learn more about the history of the Japanese internment camps and those who fought against them.

Don't see it if you don't enjoy one man shows or historical dramas

See it if you like stories based on real events; want to hear the story of an exceptional man that held onto his principles despite the consequences.

Don't see it if you don't like one man shows; not interested in historical events; find it too upsetting to hear about the disgraceful internment of 1940's

Also This show was profoundly moving. The script by Jeanne Sakata was excellent as was the telling of the story by Joel De La Fuente who played many different characters.

The theme is sadly resonant with what is going on today in our society - building a false sense of fear towards anyone with any ties to another country.

The audience could not stop clapping at the end - nor could I.

I saw this at the Sheen Center in NYC in Dec 2017.... Read more Read less

See it if Enjoy charming intelligent thoughtful and thought provoking performance. Particularly relevant now.

Don't see it if Do not like one man shows

See it if you'd like to see a loving, empathetic portrayal of a man who stood up for his beliefs against racism. Excellent performance and direction.

Don't see it if you're looking for something unique, or need more than one voice. Great execution, but nothing stood out to me as breaking new ground.

See it if you like to learn more history provided by an exceptional performer. He voices many believable characters and takes you into his world.

Don't see it if you do not want to think or consider that our American government has wronged others unjustly.

See it if you really want to see Joel De La Fuente be an amazing actor, you want serious theatre that requires a lot of thinking and reflecting

Don't see it if you want production value, you want something easy to digest, you want something slower paced

See it if You want to see a one man show which conveys a part of American history dealing with Japanese internment thru actor's expert depictions.

Don't see it if If you want to see an "Allegiance" type of production. This was bare bones play that used wonderful acting and characterizations.

See it if you want to learn about one man's struggle to make the US recognize his constitutional rights during the WWII internment of Japanese

Don't see it if You don't like being entertained while learning something interesting. This is a terrific show and a strong performance. Go see it.

See it if You love a story--an extraordinary, relevant, profound, beautiful story--well told with all the characters played out before you.

Don't see it if You don't like 1-person shows, you don't like plays that are storytelling, you don't believe in equality and justice.

Also Brilliantly acted and directed, stunningly lit and sound effects are almost all beautiful and supportive of the moods and feelings.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy beautifully produced, thought-provoking plays about historical events that still have relevance today

Don't see it if you prefer grander productions to more intimate, serious performances

See it if If you like great acting and staging where creativity is used fabulously to present a very serious subject that is very relevant today.

Don't see it if MUST SEE!

See it if you are interested in what happened to the Japanese Americans & the likelihood this action may be repeated here soon

Don't see it if you don't like solo shows requiring you to think, you're looking for something with a lot of sets.

See it if You are interested in history, humor and justice.

Don't see it if You don't like one-person shows, even though this seems like multiple people due to the fine acting.

See it if You want to learn about an ordinary American who did an extraordinary thing.

Don't see it if You don't like one-person shows where the actor plays many different characters.

See it if you are interested in American history, the constitution, or one-person shows.

Don't see it if you don't like one-person shows or history.

See it if you are interested in a thought-provoking reflection on the principles that this country is so proud of, but so often failed to uphold

Don't see it if you want light-hearted entertainment that does not touch anything deep