Adversity and Hope in Internment Camp

It was something she had wanted to do for years. So, when the Japanese American National Museum approached Saachiko Magwili to write about the Japanese American experience during World War II, it was a dream come true.

An accomplished performer and writer, Magwili had always wanted to write about her childhood experiences at Heart Mountain, Wyo., a Japanese American internment camp where she spent two years imprisoned with her mother and sister during the war.

Magwili--with the help of her husband, Dom, who is an actor, writer and director--began work earlier this year on the project. Building on the concept of celebrating Christmas in a camp, the pair set out to create a performance piece that not only presented an important historical perspective, but also provided a sense of reconciliation.

“Strange things come out in the writing,” Saachiko Magwili said. “The camp material resonates certain things for me. It isn’t just about myself as an adult but also what my feelings were as a child and what I experienced even though I didn’t understand a lot.”

The performance, “A Jivebomber’s Christmas,” is set in a desert camp. A young woman’s brother goes off to join the United States’ armed forces. His earnest sister promises to do what she can to keep up the spirits of the family and other internees during the upcoming holidays. She faces resistance until she meets a slick, zoot-suited internee, nicknamed “the Jivebomber,” who suggests having a holiday dance.

Using a combination of songs, dances and dialogue, the cast of five delivers a powerful message about life during this painful era in American history.

“Japanese Americans were essentially fighting on two fronts--bigotry at home and fascism abroad,” said Dom Magwili, who studied at the American Conservancy Theater in San Francisco and is directing the performance. “The story tries to bridge the gap between the choices people made on both sides (while) trying to do their best through it all.”

The program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “America’s Concentration Camps: Remembering the Japanese American Experience,” which is being held at the Japanese American National Museum in Downtown Los Angeles.

“This (subject) has been a source of deep division in our community because it was a patriotic war,” said Darrell Kunitomi, a Los Angeles resident who performs in the production and whose parents were also imprisoned at Heart Mountain. “Our show and the exhibit tries to provide some healing perspective.”

Performances will be held Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 10 and 11 at 4 p.m. Japanese American National Museum, 369 E. 1st St., Los Angeles. Reservations required. Tickets are $4. Information: (213) 625-0414.