STORYTELLING, WORKSHOPS, ARTS & CRAFTS HIGHLIGHT TARGET FREE FAMILY DAY SEPT. 13

The Japanese American National Museum continues with its popular series, Target Free Family Day, with "A Whale of A Tale" on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring storytelling and family improvisational workshops along with hands-on arts and crafts at the National Museum in Little Tokyo. The event is open to the public and free, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Target.

At 1 and 3 p.m., East West Players, the oldest Asian Pacific American theater group in the country, will provide drop-in family improv workshops. At 2 p.m., We Tell Stories, a multi-ethnic group of artists, will perform, "A Feast from the East", which will include folk tales from Asia and the Middle East.

The arts and craft activities include the opportunity to create a kamishibai. Kamishibai, literally "paper drama", is a form of storytelling that originated in Japanese Buddhist temples in the 12th century. Storytellers would often travel from village to village and use their kamishibai as the focal point of their stories, sometimes using the back of their bicycles to mount their portable theater.

Other fun activities will include the chance to design and create a sock puppet and make origami

East West Players, located at the Union Center for the Arts (formerly the original Union Church), was founded in 1965. East West Players today continues to produce works and educational programs that give voice to the Asian Pacific American experience. For more information go to: www.eastwestplayers.org/

We Tell Stories seeks to educate, nurture, and strengthen communities by reconnecting young audiences with the ancient powers of storytelling and theatre. For more information go to: http://www.wetellstories.org/

Upcoming Target Free Family Days are scheduled for November 8 (Brilliant Beats--Drumming) and December 13 (Artfully Yours--Art).