BRONZEVILLE at Manzanar - 2011

I was really excited about this project for the Robey Theatre Company in Los Angeles. Along the way, I learned a lot about the historical events involved in the play. It was completed last week, but I wanted to wait until after the first performance to post it, so the audience could see it first.

The project included a new cover, donor acknowledgment, table of contents, a timeline and minor text updates to a Discovery Guide for the play Bronzeville. Quick turnaround was a must, as special performances were scheduled for May 19-23 at the Manzanar National Historic site.

I quickly realized that integrating the timelines -- Japanese American internment, African Americans moving to L.A. during the Great Migration and inhabiting Little Tokyo, the LA-Owens Valley water wars -- was vital. The overlapping histories are more informative than when they were seperate.

We went through several drafts, completing the project in less than a week. Thanks to everyone at Robey for being such a joy to work with!

Screenshots (click for larger images):

The outside cover spread (L-R: back cover, front cover)
The sepia photos at the top and bottom are from my personal
collection, taken on a visit to Manzanar a few years ago.
The BRONZEVILLE title image (R, center) was supplied by the Robey Theatre Company.

The inside cover spread (L-R: inside front cover, inside back cover)
The image on the right is also one of mine and includes donor acknowledgments
Note: the image on the left is NOT mine, but supplied by The Robey Theatre Company

Timeline: front page

Timeline: inside spread (1940s, the setting for the play)

Timeline: back page