Harlem Canary/Tokyo Crow

by Andrew Saito

Harlem Canary / Tokyo Crow is a comedic exploration a little-known Japanese propaganda program during WWII, “Negro Propaganda Operations,” in which captured African American Prisoners of War recorded radio plays that contrasted the supposed joys they experienced living in Japan with the horrors of racism in the US. These recordings were intended for broadcast in Black communities in the US, to foment civil...

Harlem Canary / Tokyo Crow is a comedic exploration a little-known Japanese propaganda program during WWII, “Negro Propaganda Operations,” in which captured African American Prisoners of War recorded radio plays that contrasted the supposed joys they experienced living in Japan with the horrors of racism in the US. These recordings were intended for broadcast in Black communities in the US, to foment civil unrest.

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Harlem Canary/Tokyo Crow

Character Information

2 Asian male actors
2 Black male actors

Actors can be cisgender, transgender, or non-binary
  • Chauncey Bliss
    20ish
    African American/Black
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Bizmark Whittico
    40
    African American/Black
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Yasuichi Hikida
    53
    Asian -- Japanese
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary
  • Kazumaro Uno
    30
    Asian
    Male
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Man,
      Non-binary

Development History

  • Workshop, PlayPenn, 2025
  • Workshop, Berkeley Repertory Theater - The Ground Floor, 2024
  • Workshop, Playwrights Foundation, 2023
  • Workshop, Montalvo Arts Center, 2023
  • Workshop, Asian Arts Initiative, 2023
  • Workshop, Montalvo Arts Center, 2022
  • Workshop, Montalvo Arts Center, 2021