LINCOLN PARK — Set your phasers to be stunned, Trekkies: George Takei is coming to Lakeview to tell his own tale of Japanese-American incarceration during World War II in conjunction with the Alphawood Gallery exhibit "Then They Came for Me."
The Alphawood announced Monday that it would play host to "An Evening With George Takei" at the Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport Ave., on Sept. 7. Tickets for the 7 p.m. event will be $15, with more than two-thirds of that pledged to the Japanese American Service Committee, which joined the gallery in creating its first original exhibit.
Takei, of course, is most famous for playing Sulu on the original "Star Trek" TV series in the '60s, although he went on to be a spokesman for gay rights and other social issues.
"Then They Came for Me" uses photos commissioned by the U.S. government and taken by renowned photographers Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams, among others, to tell the tale of how Japanese-Americans were rounded up on the West Coast in the months immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor and held in internment camps for almost the duration of World War II.
Takei was incarcerated as a child with his family, and will tell his story as part of the evening's events.
"George Takei is a role model who speaks to the very audiences we hope to reach with 'Then They Came for Me,'” said Jim McDonough, executive director of the Alphawood Foundation. “His personal story of his incarceration and his lifelong commitment to social justice and LGBT rights make him a powerful messenger. We know that he will inspire our Chicago audience and remind us all how important it is to never forget the injustice of the incarceration of Americans simply because of their race."
The Alphawood issued a news release saying that Takei will tell his tale "with an uncanny eloquence and signature wit," involving "a childhood spent with his family wrongfully imprisoned in a Japanese American incarceration camp during WWII; his rise to celebrity as a sci-fi icon; his remarkable journey as social media mega-power; and his passionate fight for LGBTQ rights and marriage equality in America—empowering others to beat the odds and make a difference."
The exhibit opened in late June at the free Alphawood Gallery, at 2401 N. Halsted St., and runs through Nov. 19.
