Thank You for Supporting Defining Courage in Chicago
On September 20, the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC) was proud to partner with Story Boldly, the Japanese American National Museum, and Outside Theater to bring Defining Courage to Chicago for its only Midwest performance.
The performance brought together live music, a choir, historic footage, and storytelling to share the experiences of the Nisei soldiers who served in the U.S. military during World War II while their families were incarcerated in American concentration camps. Through firsthand accounts and historical narratives, the performance explored the courage, sacrifice, and difficult choices faced by these soldiers and their families.
Hosted by David Ono and Tamlyn Tomita, the evening featured a live choir and musicians alongside archival footage and personal stories, creating an immersive presentation of this important chapter in American history.
The Chicago performance also provided an opportunity to recognize two Nisei veterans from our own community, Enoch Kanaya and Mas Menda. JASC was honored to recognize their service and sacrifice and to help share their stories with the audience.
We are grateful to everyone who attended and helped bring Defining Courage to Chicago, and to our partners who made this special Midwest presentation possible.
What is Defining Courage?
Defining Courage began as a traveling stage production created by David Ono, an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist and former anchor of ABC7 Eyewitness News. On September 20, 2026, Chicago hosted the production’s first and only Midwest presentation as part of its national tour.
The immersive performance tells the story of the Nisei soldiers of World War II through real-time storytelling, historic footage, eyewitness interviews, and an original score performed live. It explores the legacy of Japanese American military service and the extraordinary circumstances faced by soldiers whose families were simultaneously incarcerated by the country they served.
The production has been presented to audiences at venues including the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Los Angeles and the Hawaiʻi Theatre in Honolulu. In 2023, the performance was presented at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater in Washington, D.C., in honor of Veterans Day. The production has also supported charitable efforts, including Maui wildfire relief.
The story continues through the documentary Our America: Defining Courage, which brings the stories of the Nisei soldiers and the stage production to a wider audience. Recorded at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, California, the documentary combines the performance’s historical storytelling, archival imagery, live music, and personal accounts.
Learn more about this powerful project by visiting Story Boldly’s website and ABC7 Chicago’s Our Story: Defining Courage
