Tag - theater

 
 

THEATER

Don Kenny leaves behind a wealth of English translations of kyogen as well as work on other aspects of Japanese culture.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Nov 14, 2024
A bridge between kyogen and the world, Don Kenny dies at 88
He came here a soldier, stationed at Atsugi air base after the war, and soon fell in love with the world of Japanese theater.
Gary Perlman has developed a kabuki adaptation of “Madame Butterfly” that he hopes will be performed 100 years from now.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Nov 7, 2024
Gary Perlman: ‘Kabuki is pure entertainment … the characters and themes are universal’
In adapting "Madame Butterfly" for kabuki, the man behind the production hopes to reframe the tale with stronger female characters.
Set in a village in the Swiss Alps, Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “La Sonnambula” centers on an orphan named Amina who is unknowingly frightening the locals with her nightly sleepwalking, and they believe there is a ghost among them.
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 26, 2024
'La Sonnambula' offers a modern take on a dubious happy ending
Director Barbara Lluch scrutinizes gender expectations and patriarchal societies that thrive on polarizing views in her production of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera.
Japan Times contributor Laura Pollacco (front right) was offered the role of one of her all-time favorite heroines, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet, in the Tokyo International Players’ production of “Pride and Prejudice.”
CULTURE / Stage
May 18, 2024
Local theater in Japan is more than a hobby — it’s a community
For contributor Laura Pollacco, companies such as Tokyo International Players and Sheepdog Theatre offer a home away from home.
Koichi Domoto performs in the musical "Endless Shock" on Thursday in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
May 10, 2024
Pop idol Koichi Domoto's musical rewrites Japan record for most performances
The musical "Endless Shock" broke the record for most performances, which "Horoki," a play starring Mitsuko Mori, previously held.
Chojuro Kawarasaki plays Kuranosuke Ooishi in Kenji Mizoguchi’s 1941 film “Genroku Chushingura” (The 47 Ronin). The story, sometimes told with 46 retainers, has fascinated Japanese audiences since first being performed as a puppet play in 1748. 
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Mar 15, 2024
Edo samurai spirit: From the battlefield to the stage
Life under the Tokugawa shogunate wasn't exactly freedom but neither was it constant war. The Japanese instead sated their bloodlust with theater.
Mayuko Kashiwazaki tries on her mask after getting into costume before a dress rehearsal for "Dojoji," a famous noh drama about the revenge of a betrayed woman.
CULTURE / Stage
Mar 7, 2024
An 'all-women' noh production challenges traditional Japanese ideas
While women have been involved in noh for decades, older audiences tend to expect an all-male cast. Now, actors believe the times are changing.
An adult Natsuki (Manami Goto, center) and her husband (Hiromichi Aramaki, right) enter into a twisted relationship with her cousin (Mittsun, left) in “Earthlings.”
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 24, 2024
Sayaka Murata's 'Earthlings' is a fittingly wild ride on stage
The book’s gore and guts make for a fun, zany stage adaptation.
The cast of Chelfitsch’s play “The Window of Spaceship ‘In-Between’” includes individuals with different levels of Japanese-language proficiency. They participated in workshops hosted by the theater company to promote more inclusivity in Japanese theater.
CULTURE / Stage
Sep 29, 2023
Chelfitsch challenges Japanese theater's language barriers
The theater company questions the status quo of the Japanese stage by casting non-native speakers in new project, 'The Window of Spaceship "In-Between."'
Foreign entertainers are now permitted to work in event venues with a capacity of more than 100 people — including standing-only establishments — that sell food and drinks.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 1, 2023
Japan loosens requirements for entertainer visas
Entertainers earning more than ¥500,000 or more per day are now able to stay for up to 30 days, an increase from 15 days.
Director Dean Johnson wanted to strip back the staging of “Once – In Concert” in a way that honored the film. The production had a limited run at the London Palladium earlier this year and Johnson notes the Tokyu Orb Theater has a similar set up.
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 31, 2023
'Once' speaks the universal languages of music and love
Award-winning Irish theatrical production brings its dry wit and catchy songs to Tokyo for a midsummer musical experience.
Japan Times
Events / Stage
Jul 11, 2023
'Once' comes to Tokyo speaking the universal languages of music and love
Award-winning Irish theatrical production brings its dry wit and catchy songs to Tokyo for a midsummer musical experience.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 28, 2023
Ichikawa Ennosuke IV said he ground sleeping pills into powder, sources say
The kabuki actor was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of aiding his mother's suicide last month by giving her sleeping pills.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jun 27, 2023
Ichikawa Ennosuke arrested over assistance in mother’s suicide
He had previously told the police that his parents had taken sleeping pills and that they had discussed dying together.
Japan Times
JAPAN
May 18, 2023
Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ennosuke found collapsed after suspected suicide attempt
Ennosuke’s parents were also found collapsed and both were later confirmed dead. The incident came the same day a report alleged Ennosuke harassed staff at his theater collective.

Longform

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.
A boom for business tourism in Japan?