This fast-paced, Victorian-era production of Shakespeare's As You Like It pays homage to early Black silent films in celebration of the DIA's special exhibition Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898 – 1971. Using projection and footage from the era, Shakespeare in Detroit (SiD) and director Lynch Travis tell the story of Rosalind and Orlando, one of Shakespeare's most popular couples.

Curated for young audiences, this adaptation, devised by SiD Founder Sam White, features one of Shakespeare's most beloved quotes: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." (90 min., with one ten-minute intermission) 

Registration is encouraged. Capacity is limited; seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance. 

Please note: Some printed materials may incorrectly list May 18 as a performance date for As You Like It. Performance dates are May 17 and May 24, as listed on DIA.org.

Shakespeare in Detroit produces groundbreaking, professional productions of Shakespeare’s works at various sites throughout the city – from traditional theatres to nontraditional spaces – to give access to both new and conventional theatre audiences, while highlighting Detroit’s vast array of historical structures, venues and parks. This site-specific template has created a movement of new audiences for classical theatre in the city of Detroit and challenged the status quo as it concerns Shakespeare’s canon.

Experience the centuries-old comic Japanese folk art of rakugo in a rare performance by master storyteller San’yūtei Ponta, who studied under master rakugoka San’yūtei Kōraku. Rakugo is performed by a single storyteller, who uses only a paper fan, tenugui cloth, and his own voice to tell three epic funny (or ghost) stories with multiple characters.

Each character is brilliantly depicted through a change in pitch, tone, or a slight turn of the head. Ponta has prepared three stories for his Detroit visit: Chōtan (Long and Short), Tengu sabaki (Trial by Tengu), and Shinigami (Grim Reaper).

The performance will be in Japanese with projected English subtitles. (60 min.)  

Sponsored by the Japanese Business Society of Detroit.

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection. No experience necessary. All supplies provided. For ages 6 and up (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult).

Celebrate the rich tapestry of Vietnamese heritage in a dynamic live performance intertwining traditional music, captivating dance, and history. Presented by the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan, this cultural journey promises to ignite your senses and leave you with a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, Vietnam's vibrant heritage. 

Immerse yourself in a dazzling fashion show where traditional attire celebrates past eras. Feel the rhythm of vibrant dances that celebrate diverse cultures, and indulge your tastebuds with an array of delectable dishes, each carrying a story of its own. 

From the most traditional Ancestors Ceremony to cultural dance and music, the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan shares the story of the Vietnamese War and pays tribute to the Vietnamese veterans who fought alongside the U.S. during World War II. 

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month programs are developed in partnership with the DIA’s auxiliary group Friends of Asian Arts & Cultures. 

In Rivera Court. Capacity is limited. Seating begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Join the DIA and their auxiliary, the Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures, in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Kicking off a month-long celebration is the return of our ensemble Celebration Show, featuring community groups and professional artists sharing traditional and contemporary dance, musical performances and more from a variety of cultures. 

This year’s celebration show will share the journey into Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Hmong, Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese cultures through music, dance, and cultural display.  

The Celebration Show will open with special guest speakers, to honor Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month’s importance to the community. 

Director’s Note: America is created by people from different parts of the world. We came here bringing the threads of our culture that have been woven into the fabric of our great country, the American dream. 

Our country’s fabric is rich with color, texture, contrast, and aesthetics. Migrating to America creates a new section of our tapestry, the rich history of our ancestral thread is woven into our evolving culture. Sometimes the migration is not measured in miles but in transition of thought, from our old traditions to the ways of our new land. Our ancestor’s influences have laid a path to the present and technologies have made history more accessible, allowing us to add more depth to our rich fabric of life. 

With 152 years of Asian Americans in Michigan, we can use our resources to spread the arts as a universal language, expressing ourselves in a global community, showing our sense of beauty, and our challenges. 

Performance in Rivera Court at 2 p.m. 

• The Scent of Summer | Performed by ArtLab J, Choreographed by Joori Jung 
• Dancing in Peach Blossom Spring | Performed by J.Z. Dance Studio, Choreographed by Joanne Zheng
• Drum Doll | Performed by J.Z. Dance Studio, Choreographed by Joanne Zheng
• Peace, Love, K-POP | Performed by ArtLab J K-POP Dance Team, Choreographed by Elizabeth Kalesavich
• 15 Xyoo (15 Years) | Performed by Ntxhais Tshiab Ci, Choreographed by Brea Yang
• Co Tam Ngay Nay (The Modern Cinderella) | Performed by Vietnamese American Association of Michigan Dance Team, Choreographed by Jacky Duong 
• Rhythm and Tales of Bangladesh | Performance by Michigan Kalibari Nrityangan, Choreographed by Mohua Das Sarkar 
• Resonance | Performed by Root Dance Company, Choreographed by Kyunghwa Hong and Kwangmin Kim 
• Kannada Song | Performed by Shanti World Music, Choreographed by Sunitha Ananthaswamy 
• Godaiko, the Great Lakes | Performed by Sakura Japanese Instrumental Group & Great Lakes Taiko Center: Godaiko Drummers, Choreographed by Kyoko Johnson, Tomoko Arai and Rieko Bowman 
• Awake the Lions | Performed by Detroit Lion Dance Association (Vietnamese), Choreographed by Anthony Hoang 

Cultural Displays in Great Hall from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

• Kyoko Fujii | Japanese Calligraphy and Painting 
• Rhona Lee | Chinese Calligraphy and Painting 
• Julius Gyucheon Hwang and Benjamin Byungjoon Kim | Korean Calligraphy and Painting 
• Asian Dolls | Contributed by International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit 
  • Additional objects from Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Indonesian, Polynesian, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and more cultures. 
• Samples of Indian Tea and Thai desserts will also be shared. 

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage American Month programs are developed in partnership with the DIA’s auxiliary group Friends of Asian Arts and Cultures (FAAC) & Global Federation of Chinese Business Women Midwest USA Chapter (GFCBW-Midwest) with support from Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission (MAPAAC) and International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit (IIMD). 

Performance in the DIA’s Rivera Court. Capacity is limited. Seating begins 1:30 p.m. 

Cultural displays will be on view in Great Hall from 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

Artist trading cards are miniature works of art, created on 2½ x 3½-inch card stock. Celebrate your favorites by making your own cards to trade with friends. No experience required. All supplies provided.

Kayla Powers is a place-based fiber artist and naturalist living and working in Detroit. In this drop-in style workshop, participants will learn about the process of extracting pigment from plants and how make paint using a natural binder. Participants will then use those paints to add to a collaborative community painting that will later be displayed.

Kayla Powers creates ecologically focused textile art to explore the common threads of our shared humanity. Years of gardening and city living have given rise to her unique approach to foraging for plants in an urban environment. Kayla holds a BA in Art History from Western Michigan University and an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.

This program is made possible by the PNC Foundation.

Use a variety of drawing and collage materials as well as stamps and stencils to design and make your own movie poster. Create something new for your favorite film, or invent a new movie!

Create a pencil drawing to take home while taking a closer look at the collection. No experience necessary. All supplies provided. For ages 6 and up (children ages 12 and younger should be accompanied by an adult).

Make your own unique print in this workshop, using found objects and simple wax crayons. All supplies provided. No experience necessary.