Artist:
Alton Chung
PROGRAM; A MIX OF STORIES
Alton Chung can take you on a trip to far off Asia with stops in Japan, Korea, China, and India. You will explore these diverse lands through their folktales, stories, and legends. Or would you prefer some true ghost stories from around the world? Japanese ghosts, local ghosts or perhaps ghosts from Tennessee. Alton has two full length programs based on true oral histories of the Japanese-American soldiers of World War II. They are powerful, moving tales.
SHIVERS IN THE NIGHT: Spooky Stories to Chill and Thrill
In Japan they tell ghost stories to get a little shiver during the hot and humid summer nights. Why keep such thrills for only Halloween? Professional storyteller, Alton Takiyama-Chung has a passion for the spooky and has a large collection of tales from the mysterious and funny for little ones, to the spooky and scary for grown ups, to the strange, terrifying, and true stories for skeptical teens. Each performance is customized for the client and audience. Stories range from campfire tales to true first hand accounts of haunting in the Pacific Northwest, Hawai‘i, and other parts of the world. Come along on a ghostly journey into the bizarre, the unknown, and the unexpected. Your tour guide will make sure that you all get back safely…for the most part.
A JOURNEY THROUGH THE FAR EAST: Folktales from Asia
Travel to far off lands and see the world through the stories of the people who live there. Experience other cultures from the inside out. Join professional storyteller, Alton Takiyama-Chung as he guides you through the folktales of places like Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Singapore, and Indonesia. Meet characters like the mischievous Tanuki from Japan, the powerful and foolish Tiger from Korea and China, the clever Mouse Deer of Indonesia and Malaysia, and the Great Dragon King of the Eastern Sea. Each performance is customized for the client, audience, and the cultures to be highlighted. Stories range from the simple and participatory for the little ones, to the longer and more complex for the older children, to the teaching stories and adventure tales for teens and grown ups. Come along on a multi-cultural sojourn through lands and cultures distant and yet familiar.
BACK WHEN I WAS SMALL KID: STORIES FROM THE PLANTATION DAYS
Plantations were part of Hawai‘i from the 1850s through the 1990s and just about everyone who lives in Hawai‘i has had their lives touched by Plantation Life. Working with Hawai‘i’s Plantation Village in Waipahu and the Okinawan Genealogical Society, Alton has gathered oral histories from folks who grew up in the Plantation Camps before, during, and after WWII. He breathes life into these stories and invites the listener to take a stroll into yesteryear to experience what life was like for kids growing up in the Plantation Camps, to a time when trains ran across the island, and when the sweetest pineapple was that which was picked that morning and liberated that afternoon. These stories are appropriate for older elementary, teens, and grown-ups.
MO’OLELO: HAWAIIAN LEGENDS AND TALES OF GROWING UP IN HAWAI‘I
Listen to ancient Hawaiian legends brought to life and retold with reverence and passion. Hear true stories of growing up in the Islands, of local customs, and superstitions. Hear tales about aumakua (guardian spirits), menehune (faerie folk of the islands), heiaus (ancient Hawaiian temples), and kahunas (ancient Hawaiian priests). Feel the fire Pele’s (the goddess of the volcano) rage as she chases the ali’i (chiefs) who would dare cheat her in a holua sled race. Cheer the cleverness of Punia as he battles wits with the great mano (shark), Kaialeale, the King of Kohala Bay. Stories are appropriate for elementary, teens, and grown-ups. Taste the flavor of the Sandwich Isles, smell the Plumeria blossoms, and dance in the Mists of Manoa. Experience what is it is like to live in Paradise through the eyes of “one local boy.” Shows run between 45 minutes – 1 hour.
GANBARE: THE JAPANESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE OF WWII
Explore what it was like for the Issei and the Nisei (first and second generation Japanese-Americans) in Hawai‘i and in the Continental US during WWII. These stories offer a glimpse into aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the Internment Camps, and the creation of the all Japanese-American 100th Battalion and 442 Regimental Combat Team. The 442 RCT is the most highly decorated unit in the history of the US Military. From saving the Lost Battalion to the Liberation of Dachau to stories of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) in the War in the Pacific, we explore the concepts of honor, sacrifice, and looking like the enemy. Stories are appropriate for older elementary, teens, and grown-ups. Shows run between 45 minutes – 1 hour.
LIFE IS THE TREASURE: OKINAWAN MEMORIES OF WWII
Once upon a time, a storyteller was invited into the Okinawan Community in Hawai‘i to gather their oral histories and tell their stories back to them. The result is an award winning collection of stories about what happened in Hawai‘i and Okinawa before, during, and after the Battle of Okinawa, the last great battle of WWII. Hear the tragic story of the Himeyuri, the teenage Okinawan student nurses, who tended to the wounded Japanese soldiers throughout the three month long battle. Five days before the end of the Battle, they were kicked out of the caves and abandoned. Hear how the people of Hawai‘i sent pigs to Okinawa after the end of the War to help restore the heart of the culture and diet of the Okinawan people. Stories are appropriate for teens and grown-ups. Shows run between 45 minutes – 1 hour.
BIOGRAPHY
Japanese and Korean storyteller Alton Takiyama-Chung, grew up with the stories, superstitions, and the magic of the Hawaiian Islands. This gives him a unique perspective when telling cultural tales and personal stories of growing up in Hawai‘i, stories of WWII Japanese-Americans, Asian folktales, and ancient Hawaiian legends. He was awarded the National Storytelling Network’s (NSN’s) J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Award. He has been a Featured Teller at the Timpanogas Storytelling Festival in Utah, the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee, and at International Storytelling Festivals in the Cayman Islands, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India. He has also been the Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, TN. His DVD, LIFE IS THE TREASURE: Okinawan Memories of WWII and CDs, TALES FROM THE LANAI and COMING TO GOLD MOUNTAIN have all won Storytelling World Honors. He is also the former Chairman of the Board of Directors for NSN.
