Zachary Drake in “Dust Storm.”

Photo by Christopher Irion

HAYWARD — “Dust Storm: Art and Survival in a Time of Paranoia” comes to CSU East Bay (formerly CSU Hayward) on Thursday, April 10, from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.

The performance will be in the 500-seat University Theatre on the northeast side of the Hayward campus, 25800 Carlos Bee Blvd. Admission is free.

The story of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II will incorporate the art of the late UC Berkeley art professor Chiura Obata and a solo performance by actor Zachary Drake.

“This will be a riveting, historically flawless performance about a fictional Japanese American teenager’s odyssey during the internment era,” said Colleen Fong, professor of ethnic studies and event organizer. “It will propel us into a discussion about the contemporary meanings and importance of civil liberties, nationality, citizenship, borders, difference, and more.”

She chose this type of presentation because it demonstrates the complexities of the internment experience from the point of view of an individual who is of traditional college age and captures the fears and aspirations of life, all with historical accuracy.

“It also fits into multiple aspects of university curriculum: oral communication, critical thinking, the performing arts and humanities, history and social science, cross-cultural groups as well as our mission, values and vision,” Fong said.

The Ethnic Studies Department is sponsoring the program, with assistance from the colleges of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, and Education and Allied Studies; the departments of History, Political Science and Theatre and Dance; the Ethnic Studies Academic Society; the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association,; and the Hayward Area Historical Society.

Drake, a resident of Albany, has extensive performance experience, especially in the areas of Asian American theater. Recently, he narrated the “Gold Rush” episode of the History Channel’s Emmy Award-winning “10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America.” He holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science and psychology from Yale, and is a computer game producer for Emotiv Systems, a San Francisco start-up.

While admission is free, reservations are requested for groups of 10 or more. Call (510) 885-3181.

Parking is available in pay lots for $3.50 per day. Machines take quarters and dollar bills.

CSUEB welcomes persons with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. Call the Ethnic Studies Department, (510) 885-3181, well in advance if accommodation is needed.

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