Geography: Americas > Northern America > Canada
Year: 2015
Produced by: Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Creative Team: Tetsuro Shigematsu
Director&Original Concept | Playright & Performer : Tetsuro Shigematsu
Director&Original Concept Dramaturgy: Richard Wolfe
Synopsis: Empire of the Son is Tetsuro Shigematsu’s autobiographical solo play exploring his emotionally distant father’s life—from post-WWII Japan and Hiroshima to 1960s London and Canada. Through family recordings, photos, and inventive multimedia, Shigematsu uncovers how his father showed love in unspoken ways. As he reflects on fatherhood, grief, and legacy, he learns what it means to become a better dad himself. Blending humor and tenderness, the play is a poignant meditation on family, memory, and the enduring ties between parent and child.