Theatre Japan Ensemble Narrative Performance Project
This workshop, led by director/playwright/actor Kazuki Takase, takes place for 5 10 weeks, 2 – 3 times per year, in order to develop methods for the adaptation of works of Japanese literature for the stage, in English (primarily) and Japanese. Texts are drawn from materials ranging from Rakugo texts to classic novels such as Lafuadio Hearn's to kabuki and contempory Japanese plays. This workshop aims to stage the scripts, performing the action and dialog, and create a narrative. Each character, including a narrator, is played by multiple actors.
Currently, the workshop is working on adapting and staging the story "The Face of Jizo" (父と暮せば Chichi to Kuraseba, also translated as Living with My Father) by Hisashi Inoue. The story takes place three years after the bombing of Hiroshima and concerns a woman, Mitsue, who lost her father in the bombing and is now struggling with his ghost to move on.
Each workshop culminates in an informal performance and conversation about the work. The end goals of the workshop are to develop the performance skills and storytelling/directing tools of the participants and to develop a finished, polished work for formal presentation on the stage.
About
Kazuki Takase
Born the grandson of renowned Kabuki actor, Choemon Bando, Kazuki began acting at 5 in his father's company, Zenshin-Za, which produced both Kabuki and modern plays. He graduated from City College of New York as a performing Arts major and has been acting in Tokyo and New York in theatres such as Project theatre, La MaMa ETC, Spectrum Stage, Ubu repertory theatre, etc. Works include Requiem of Meridian by Junji Kinoshita directed by Jukichi Uno, Salonika by Louise Page, Sansho, the Bailiff (workshop production) directed by Andreji Wadjda, Macbeth by Dance theatre Group, Pappa Tarahumara directed by Hiroshi Koike. Also performed in festivals in Europe: Project Theater production Skin Show (Vienna Festival '91), T.S.E. and other works by Robert Wilson (Gibelina Festival, Sicily '94).
In 1997, he established Theatre Japan Productions, Inc. in NY and presented and directed Love Suicides at Amijima by Chikamatsu at LaMaMa ETC.
In 1998, he directed workshop production of YAYA by Seiichi Yashiro in Paris.
In 1999, Kazuki wrote and directed his original play Kagekiyo Detained at LaMaMa ETC, which was subsequently produced in Theatre X(CAI) in Tokyo.
In 2000, Kagekiyo Detained was revived in Tokyo (Theatre X).
More recently, he has directed Obie-winning actress Karen Kandel in several programs of the Japanese comedic storytelling form Rakugo at CRS and elsewhere. He has also been teaching and off-and-on workshop exploring theatrical storytelling forms at CRS for Japanese and non-Japanese actors.