Denver, CO (PRWEB) August 04, 2015
MYSTICAL ABYSS
Presented by Theatre of Yugen
in association with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
With Generous Support from:
The National Endowment for the Arts
United Airlines
Multidisciplinary live performance inspired by
Japanese and Iroquois Creation Myths
Written by John O’Keefe
Directed by Yuriko Doi
ABOUT MYSTICAL ABYSS: Part dance, part theatre, part computer generated animation, Mystical Abyss is a visually striking live performance piece infused with the potent elegance of Noh theatre and the raw athleticism of modern dance. Mystical Abyss features venerable performers from the traditional Noh theatre of Japan and the Native American performance traditions, set against a stellar backdrop of computer graphic animation projecting symbols of the ancient Japanese Jomon culture and other world-wide symbols of ancient power. It evokes powerful images of unity across different generations, cultures and traditions focusing on the cyclical story of death and rebirth.
Mystical Abyss Trailer: https://vimeo.com/49952014
ABOUT THEATRE OF YUGEN: Theatre of Yugen has gained international recognition for both celebrating tradition and invoking experimentation. Founded in 1978, the organization has invested for over three decades in artistic exchange aimed at erasing perceived divisions between people. With a foundation in Japanese Noh drama and Kyogen satire, the company pursues a Japanese artistic notion called yugen, a state of inner beauty and vibrancy perceived with all the senses. Theatre of Yugen is the only theatre company in the U.S. that consistently provides experiences in Noh-Kyogen theatre and for 23 years has managed NOHspace, an intimate 68-seat performance venue in San Francisco’s Mission district.
DATES & TICKETS:
Thursday, September 17 @ 7pm
(preview)
General Admission: $15 / Student tickets: $12.50
Groups of 10+: $10
Friday, September 18 @ 7pm
(Opening Night w/ champagne reception)
General Admission: $40 / Student tickets: $25
Groups of 10+: $20
Saturday, September 19 @ 2pm & 7pm
General tickets: $35 / Student tickets: $20
Groups of 10+: $15
Purchase Tickets at:
http://www.theatreofyugen.org/mystical-abyss
LOCATION:
Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
119 Park Ave. West , Denver, CO 80205
Phone: 303-295-1759
ARTISTS:
Yuriko Doi (director) has studied with the most esteemed masters of Kyogen and Noh: Mansaku Nomura, Yukio Ishida and Shiro Nomura in Japan. She founded Theatre of Yugen in San Francisco in 1978 where she served as its Artistic Director, a teacher and a producer of classical, contemporary and original fusion works of Japanese theatre. She is a recipient of the NEA fellowship, Bay Area Critic’s Circle Awards for direction and choreography in 1994 and 2001, The Hall of Fame, Culture Award of Japan US Citizen Association (Nichi Bei kai) and many others.
“As a mother who hoped for a better world for her children, I have spent my life building bridges across false divides. I see ‘Mystical Abyss’ as a metaphor for our need to be reborn, to go back to the beginning and move forward on a path of peace and respect for our world and each other.”
Miki Orihara (performer) began her training in Japan at an early age in traditional Fujima Japanese Dance. After graduating from Bunka Gakuin high school in Tokyo, she came to New York to study at the Joffrey Ballet School, then received scholarships to study at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. In 2011, she earned BA in Dance from SUNY Empire State College. In 1983, Miki became one of the original members of the Martha Graham Ensemble and thereafter shortly joined the Martha Graham Dance Company. She is one of Martha’s last students.
“Ms. Orihara was explicit, arguing for the timelessness of older works and their connections to present-day choreography and concerns.”
- NY Times on her Solo Concert “Resonance” in 2014
Masashi Nomura (performer) is a distinguished Kanze School Noh actor who is the grandson of late Human Treasure Manzo Nomura VI and the nephew of Human Treasure Mansaku Nomura, Masashi Nomura debuted at the age of four in Oimatsu (Pine Tree), and spent over three years of high school in the United States. Upon his return to Japan he attended a two year music program at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, after which he served as disciple to Kiyokazu Kanze, the headmaster of the Kanze School of Noh, and has performed extensively throughout Japan and around the world, participating in the Centenary of Immigration of Hawaii in 1985, the Japan and France Centenary Friendship Memorial in 1997 and others. In 2001, he performed a title role of Crazy Horse for the 50th Anniversary of Japan - US Peace Treaty in San Francisco. In 2010, he started his own Noh group called Sosho-kai and has been a lecturer at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.
PRESS QUOTES:
“It's like nothing, exactly, I've ever seen before--not a pageant, not "performance" or ritual art, though drawing in part from both, as well as wildly different styles of theater, dance and visual arts ...” ; “The costumery, the lighting, the very rapt atmosphere in the ODC Theater all contribute to the wonderful feeling of something from the past projected forward into the future…” - Ken Bullock, Berkeley Daily Planet
“While there are common themes in Japanese and Native American cultures — respect for ancestors, deeply embedded spirituality and love of nature — Doi is the first to explore these connections in a work of art.” - Janos Gereben, SF Examiner
For press inquiries and more information, please contact Managing Director, Kirk Johnson at kirk(at)theatreofyugen(dot)org
