Written and performed by Tetsuro Shigematsu, 1 Hour Photo is the story of Mas Yamamoto, a man whose life was swept up by the major currents of the 20^th century. From growing up in a fishing village on the banks of the Fraser River, to being confined at a Japanese Canadian internment camp during World War II, to helping build the Distant Early Warning Line in the Canadian Arctic during the height of the Cold War, 1 Hour Photo is a moving portrait saturated with the most vivid colours of our times.

"Wrestling with questions of life and death, 1 Hour Photo is most heartfelt in its exploration of Yamamoto’s life. Ultimately, we are all a little better off for his willingness to share it through Shigematsu." — Mark Robins, Vancouver Presents

About Tetsuro Shigematsu

Described by the Georgia Straight as “one of the city's best artists,” Tetsuro Shigematsu is a former writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, in 2004, he became the first person-of-colour to host a daily national radio program in Canada, where he wrote and produced over 50 pieces of radio drama. His solo-work, Empire of the Son, has played in 18 cities to over 20,000 people, and was described by Colin Thomas as, “one of the best shows ever to come out of Vancouver. Ever.”  1 Hour Photo was a finalist for the 2019 Governor General's Award for Drama.

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About Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT) occupies a unique role within the ecology of Canadian theatre. It is one of only two professional companies in Canada whose mandate focuses on Asian Canadian theatre artists, and one of the only diversely mandated companies committed to creating new Canadian work.

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre was originally founded in 2001 as a community theatre group led by Joyce Lam. Joyce saw that Vancouver’s stages didn’t reflect the REAL Vancouver, with its dynamic, diverse, and ever growing Asian Canadian community. VACT, became an incubator of some of the best Asian Canadian talent in the country.

Over the next 12 years, VACT collaborated with over 500 Asian Canadian theatre artists, and produced over 40 shows. In 2013, Donna Yamamoto was appointed as Artistic Director and began VACT’s rapid transformation from a community theatre to one of the most exciting diversity-mandated professional theatre companies in Canada.

She wanted the company to become not just professional, but world class, one that nurtured the incredible talent of the many Asian Canadian artists who needed more professional opportunities and support. Which is why we do what we do—the development and premiering of new Asian Canadian dramatic works.

Facebook: @Vactheatre

Instagram: @vancouverasiancanadiantheatre

Twitter: @vactheatre