A new theatre that emerged from COVID - voices from all over Japan and beyond
In response to COVID-19 and the BLM movement, four women reflected on their current practices and wanted to contribute to positive change in the world. We came together to create a project aimed at increasing representation and inclusion in theatre in Japan. Through interviews, we found people to help us accomplish this goal, including some who became ensemble members for our first piece, an online workshop performance to be shared with the world in July.
After the workshop performance, we aim to develop a script based on audience feedback and through working with members of the community we hope to represent. The goal is to create a piece that honors the diverse people who make up Japan. Once COVID-19 measures allow, we hope to finally gather in-person and perform a final stage performance in Japan to record and stream for audiences all around the world.
Workshop performance DISCONNECTED coming July 15-18th.
Tickets: https://igg.me/at/theatremangekyo
Our first public performance is an online work-in-progress theatre piece called DISCONNECTED. The story revolves around the daily lives of modern-day gods within an online-like sphere of existence.
The work is inspired by and developed from Japanese mythology and the lived experiences of our ensemble members around the world. However, it is not a retelling of Japanese mythology, but a window into the real lives of people in Japan.
The goal of the workshop performance is to showcase the progress we have made so far and to receive feedback that will help develop a full script. The themes closely relate to the experiences of several yet under-represented groups in Japan and this workshop is our first step to bringing their stories to the stage.
The performance and feedback session will be roughly over 2 hours (TBC).