The Ephemera Trilogy

See it if you enjoy performance art that creates great visual images. The storytelling is engaging, but slow, repetitive, and sometimes muddled.

Don't see it if you are frustrated by muddy narration. The voiceover can be hard to decipher. And the autobio story, weaving 2 tales, is hard to follow.

Also Some of the images are breathtaking, worth attending for them. And the horrors of Japanese internment are important reminders that we must never make the same xenophobic mistakes again.... Read more Read less

See it if you enjoy unique theatrical forms like storytelling & performance art. Act 1 is charming while Act 2 is fascinating. Sit in the front row!

Don't see it if you prefer well made plays. The stories have characters, plots and themes but are not presented in the traditional way.

See it if Are open to new theater experiences, have interest in cultural themes and artistic expression, have some knowledge of history. Creative.

Don't see it if Don't enjoy memory pieces, memoir, experimental theater or dreamy story. Don't like documentaries, no interest in history, want fast-paced.

Also I enjoyed this, but I'm a sucker for creative storytelling. Sitting in the first row of this tiny theater enhanced my experience immeasurably - it was a pleasure to watch Kimi Maeda gracefully move around the stage, very focused and serene, and watch her considerable artistry unfold. Sitting close up allows you to appreciate more fully her talents as an artist, particularly with the sand painting if you can see the floor in front of her. I feel, however, that this show is still a work in progress, and would greatly benefit by a stronger directorial hand. The audio needed more attention - there was a fair amount that was hard to understand and sounded muffled. The first act with two different techniques was a little sloppy in places, and the storytelling itself could have been a bit more compelling. There were certainly moments of grace and beauty, and some of it soared. All in all, if you appreciate artistic expression, you'll be glad you went.... Read more Read less

See it if You really want to see something different. You want to see an artist share her history through video, sand art and shadow art.

Don't see it if You need something fast paced. You don't like a performance that incorporates video. You are not interested in anything history.

Also This was truly a different kind of performance. It was art in motion. Very impressive. A little slow paced (this is not meant to be a negative) because of the history but I enjoyed it because it was very informative. Very impressed with the shadowing and the drawings in the sand. Very artistic.... Read more Read less

See it if You're interested in various methods of "puppetry" or telling stories through video, shadows, and more.

Don't see it if You like things with more action, this show is mainly autobiography and can be slow.

See it if you're interested in very cool shadow puppetry, sand art, or learning about Japanese internment camps. Very relevant to ideas today.

Don't see it if you don't like one woman shows, shadow puppets, or sand art.

See it if A simple presentation of delightful & intense stories gets to your soul - if you enjoyed Allegience you will find this just as absorbing

Don't see it if You prefer staging and interaction among performers or dislike storytelling or performance art which is the only way i can categorize this

See it if you want to be amazed by live animation. Truly amazing technique and mastery of her media.

Don't see it if you don't like shadow puppets.

See it if you want a thought-provoking, meditative, unconventional one-woman show about immigrant identity, family, and historic injustice.

Don't see it if you don't like multimedia, experimental shows. Don't expect a spectacle or an abundance of energy and movement.

See it if you saw Manual Cinema's Ada/Ava and liked it; the second part of the show uses a very different approach and works even better, imho

Don't see it if it's really worth seeing,

Also Excellent and inventive shadow puppetry; if you saw Manual Cinema's Ada/Ava a while back, this is very much in the same vein. The technique in the first half is top notch but the storyline was a tad conventional for my taste. The second half is a combination of video, documentary footage and sand painting, dealing with Japanese internment camps; it felt much more powerful and inventive to me.... Read more Read less

See it if You enjoy alternative theater forms (shadow puppetry, sand drawing, documentary); raw creativity, personal histories, identity exploration

Don't see it if You're looking for acting, on-stage interaction, traditional story lines

See it if You like a different kind of theatre. This involved silouhettes and sand drawings.

Don't see it if You don't like one-woman shows. This was her story and it was well done.

See it if enjoy one-person story telling, done with light, puppets, and sand. Artistically and skillfully performed.

Don't see it if you have to sit in an intimate theatre and you dont' like Japanese sensibility.

See it if You enjoy unique theatrical experiences or appreciate the design aspects of theater. Kimi's use of shadows, sand, etc is mesmerizing!

Don't see it if You need a linear plot, characters, or only enjoy a traditional theatrical experience.

See it if You have doubts about solo shows. The engrossing staging and storytelling will pull you in.

Don't see it if I can't think of a reason. It was great.

See it if creative, different, powerful.

Don't see it if at times it was difficult to follow

See it if You like history, avant garde performance art, nuanced ways of storytelling

Don't see it if You dislike one person shows or linear storylines

See it if You are interested in personal history of Asian Americans in world ll era and like performance art.

Don't see it if You don't like historical performances that reflect contemporary issues.

See it if You want to see a combination of theatre and performance art that tells a personal and cultural story.

Don't see it if You don't like performance art. You prefer more traditional storytelling & staging.

See it if To see something outside of the box, fresh, different and mesmerizing. Such a unique piece of work, great for all ages.

Don't see it if You expect song and dance, can't think outside the box, expect the grandeur of Broadway or you don't support local talent.

See it if you like slow, but creative performance art pieces using unusual media; like a challenging presentation that demands concentration

Don't see it if you have a short attention span; have no interest in historical events; only want light, fluffy, easy to follow entertainment

Also This is not a play, it is performance art.

See it if Kimi Maeda uses movements, film, sand drawing, and magical realism to create a portrayal of her life. She transports us faraway and long ago

Don't see it if you don't appreciate visual arts

See it if you love personal stories, especially of female empowerment, culture, art, and Japanese internment camps. You love quiet puppetry art.

Don't see it if you can't be patient with single-voiced narration. You need a thread to move with plot, rather than feelings and thoughts.

See it if If you enjoy performance art: shadow puppetry and sand drawing, the art itself is simply amazing!

Don't see it if If you don't like slow narrative, you don't care about Japanese-American experiences in the last century.

See it if you're interested in innovative story-telling technique and exploration of Japanese American culture and history.

Don't see it if the show is more of a performance art than a play, with shadow puppetry and sand drawing.