Kyoto performance reviews

--> New noh: Dzadi-Forefather’s Eve　 祖霊祭 Spirits of Poland and Korea come to a Japanese temple   file:///Users/jonahsalz/Dropbox/190521-190521p.pdf 　　Leaflet can be seen here This Polish Japanese coproduction could loosely be described as “new noh”, with buyo, noh, and even awaodori summer folk-dance included. Just three actors, accompanied by violin, hurdy-gurdy, Romanian flute, and folk-song told the tale, the musicians and actors performing role of chorus and cheerleader. Two dancers, one Japanese, the other Polish, and a Polish actor made up the cast. The script written by Jacoba Rodowicz-Czechowska featured three acts. The first two drawn from Romantic poet and playwright Adam Mickiewicz’s 19 th century masterwork Forefather’s Eve , Pt. 2 and 4. The last included the climax of the physician/playwright Tada Tomio’s play “A prayer for the grudge.” If I understand the story correctly—there was no summary in the program, and the first two acts were e...

--> Antibodies’ Collective (Kyoto) with Tactile Bosch (UK) May 25 th 2019 Seibu Kodo Kyodai Kyoto The Antiodies Collective( http://antibo.org/  ) created an installation performance piece of the post-Fukushima era took place in Kyoto, creating a retro- and post-modern atmosphere of a tangible alien planet. Stepping into Kyoto University Seibu Kodo   was a time-slip of its own. This a venerable space near the French and Italian Institutes adjacent to Kyoto University was originally a central performance space, part of the student union, but has fallen into disuse, a puddly,sloppy parking lot and debris surrounding the old structure. But inside it is magic: high ceilings, with a stadium-sized concrete and dirt floor, sloping downward. It has hosted all sorts of vanguard troupes since the 1960s, and continues to be the occasional meeting homeground for old hippies and new artists. The Antibodies Collective, performed on Inushima in the Inland Sea last y...

--> The Children and the Animals came onto the streets Tokyo Metropolitan Art Center May 5 th 2019 http://www.19-27.co.uk/the-animals-and-children The charming black-humor children’s production with the somewhat leading name was performed during the Golden Week, when parents had a full ten days to fill with appropriate entertainment. The play had been described by The Guardian as part Dickens, part Kafka, part Pantomime, part silent film, and lived up to its billing. Like Lemony Snicket and Tim Burton, and the Gorey aesthetic they dwell upon, these young performers know how to amuse and educate, while tapping the dark side. Their Golem—seen in full on YouTube—was a more mature work, far-reaching in its social significance for the moment. But Children similarly hit a delicate nerve to provoke curiosity, disgust, and amusement.             The Troupe evoke the silent film era of camerawork, faded colors...