The Story of Crow Boy

Created by Masanari Kawahara, Sandy Spieler, Steven Epp and Momoko Tanno with Steve Ackerman, Shanté Zenith, Laura Harada, George Meyer, and Daniel Benoit

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre

THE STORY OF CROW BOY explores the intriguing life story of Taro and Mitsu Yashima who wrestled with human brutality, racial discrimination, and the ravages of WWII to build work of social conscience, compassionate insight, poetic visual form, and ultimately – of joy. Their work reminds us what it means to be human, and offers understanding into the complexities of cultural survival. This production draws on Taro Yashima’s searing graphic autobiographical and luminous fictional books including the Caldecott Honor Award-winning CROW BOY (1956) about a young boy who learns to sing the “voices of crows” in defiance of his years of being bullied.

With thanks to Momo Yashima for permissions, and for sharing insights of her parent’s legacy and her own work.

Performed in 2016 at in the Heart of the Beast Theatre, 2017 for the Puppeteers of America Conference, 2018 on tour in St Cloud MN and Faribault MN