Japan Society Presents NEW AND TRADITIONAL NOH This Weekend

As part of its spring 2015 Performing Arts Season and ongoing Society-wide series Stories from the War, marking the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII, Japan Society presents a rare double bill noh program, New and Traditional Noh, offering Holy Mother in Nagasaki written in 2005 and Kiyotsune written in the medieval period. Both plays narrating the grievous nature of war are performed back-to-back: Tonight, May 14; Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16 at 7:30pm at Japan Society (333 East 47th Street).

Written in 2005 by the late Dr. Tomio Tada (1934-2010), an internationally known Japanese immunologist and author of numerous new noh plays, Holy Mother in Nagasaki premiered in Nagasaki (2005), a region where Christians were known to practice covertly during Japan's feudal period under Tokugawa shogun rule and where a significant Catholic population still resides. The evening's companion piece, Kiyotsune, a centuries-old masterpiece by Zeami (circa 1400), examines the cruelty of war through the story of a grieving widow who meets her warrior husband in a dream, thus learning of his final battle. This New and Traditional Noh production is organized by the Tessen-kai Noh Theater Association, and led by prominent noh actor Shimizu Kanji. Performed in Japanese with English subtitles.

New and Traditional Noh features:

- Holy Mother in Nagasaki (Nagasaki no Seibo, new noh play) is performed as traditionally stylized noh theater. The story begins in the present day when a pilgrim arrives at the beautifully restored Urakami Cathedral, which was destroyed when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. There, the pilgrim meets the cathedral priest and asks him to share what he knows of that day and its immediate aftermath in the region. Through the priest's telling, Holy Mother in Nagasaki imagines the Virgin Mary appearing to console the victims of the atomic bombing. This production features Gregorian chants performed live by female members of the Church of St. Francis Xavier Choir, New York.

- Kiyotsune (traditional noh), one of Zeami's masterpieces, is a representative piece of shura-noh (noh about warriors). The play, exposing the cruelty of war, is built around an incident from The Tale of the Heike, telling the story of Kiyotsune of the Taira clan's suicidal leap from his boat into the sea after learning about his clan's fate. A lock of his hair is found on the boat and given to his wife as a keepsake. Experiencing deep sadness and also anger at her husband for committing suicide, the widow's conflicting feelings collide and she confronts her husband's ghost in a dream.

On this presentation of New and Traditional Noh, Japan Society Artistic Director Yoko Shioya comments, "As part of this season's Society-wide series Stories from the War, we are very proud to present this theater program timed to the ninth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), held every five years at the United Nations, this year, April 29 - May 22. While the conference is an extremely important international event, the discussion is centered on the grounds of the UN. As a neighbor of the UN, Japan Society places this performance, especially the topical new noh play Holy Mother in Nagasaki, aimed at expanding this important conversation beyond the UN boundaries. This hope is shared by the citizens of Nagasaki City who support this production. Putting the traditional and modern noh together in one program allows audiences to compare old and new creation of the stylized noh theater, and with these specific works, provides an opportunity to reflect on the war tragedy common in any human history."

Designated "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO, noh is a form of traditional Japanese theater with a history dating back more than 600 years. In the 14th and 15th centuries, under the leadership of distinguished performer/playwrights Kan'ami (1333 - 1384) and his son Zeami (c. 1363 - 1443), noh developed the foundation for its present-day form, which combines elements of dance, drama, music and poetry into one highly stylized stage art. Under the patronage of samurai clans, noh and kyogen (comic interludes literally meaning "mad words" or "wild speech"), collectively called nohgaku, flourished. Patronage of nohgaku continued into the Edo period (1603 - 1868) under the Tokugawa shoguns and it was designated as the official entertainment form of the shogunate. Today, there are nearly 100 noh theaters throughout Japan and more than one thousand professional nohgaku performers.

Noh, often compared with Western opera, combines elements of dance, instrumental music, singing and text. The main actor in a noh play usually performs wearing a special mask. All noh performers - actors and musicians - are male, but unlike kabuki, there are no formalized male or female role specialists. Traditional noh masks are handed down from generation to generation, and are frequently over several hundred years old. One of the form's signature qualities is a focus on tragic themes and the depiction of symbolic, magical/historical events through music and dance.

About the artists:

Shimizu Kanji (noh shite, Kanze School) [Intangible Cultural Asset] was born in 1953 and trained under the late Kanze Hisao, the late Kanze Tetsunojo VIII (Living National Treasure) and Kanze Tetsunojo IX. Shimizu is active with the prestigious Tessen-kai Noh Theater Association as both a noh actor and board member. Together with Nishimura Takao, Shimizu co-founded the noh performance group HIKIBI-no-Kai. In addition to the performance of traditional noh repertoire, he has also dedicated himself to lost-and-revived old noh pieces and new noh works. Shimizu has performed in the lead shite roles in new noh plays including Isseki Sennin, Holy Mother in Nagasaki (Nagasaki no Seibo) and Okinawa Zangetsuki, all written by the late Dr. Tomio Tada. In recent years, he has performed not only in noh productions but has also participated in contemporary theatrical works directed by playwright/director Sato Makoto, actor/dancer Tanaka Min and director Koike Hiroshi, and collaborated with the Chinese Kunqu Opera and with Zeami-za Noh Theater.

Tessen-kai Noh Theater Association is a noh theater troupe that centers around the Kanze Tetsunojo Family, the family that established itself in the mid-Edo Period (18th C.) out of the head Kanze Family which was in its 15th generation. In the years following WWII, the three sons of Kanze Tetsunojo VII - Kanze Hisao, Hideo, and Shizuo (later succeeded as Kanze Tetsunojo VIII), were active not only in performing noh but also in collaborating with artists in the various fields including visual art, music, philosophy and theater, re-examining the Zeami's text; and developing noh performance as "offerings for contemporaries." In addition, under the name of the name Zeami-za Noh Theater, the group has frequently toured abroad. Currently, led by Kanze Tetsunojo IX, members of Tessen-kai actively engaged in monthly performances for the general public, workshops for children, and collaborations with artists in other genres to create new performing arts productions. In July 2007, Tessen-kai offered three performances as part of Japan Society's Centennial celebration, about which The New York Times observed, "So minutely engrossing were the pleasures, and so simple the stories, that you hardly realized how fully you had been swept into an altered state, until the performers and musicians quietly exited and you slumped back into your seat, wrung out but sated."

St. Francis Xavier, located on 16th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Manhattan, is a Roman Catholic Parish in the Jesuit tradition. The Parish celebrates the diversity of over 2,400 parishioners who come from all walks of life and from all areas throughout Metropolitan New York. Their shared faith is the foundation of their Community, but its life is based on the myriad ministries and services that are provided to all those who need them. The St. Francis Xavier Music Ministry comprises three choirs: The Adult Choir, the Hand Bell Choir and the Xavier Players. Each of these choirs meets once a week for prayer through music. Music Director John Uehlein is active as a composer as well as singer and has been involved in the NYC musical scene for 25 years at the New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall and BAM.

The Society-wide series Stories from the War, running through August 2015, marks the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII with programs including a theater series, film series, lectures and education programs, encouraging reflection on the events, figures and issues surrounding the war and its impact on the people of the United States and Japan from today's vantage point. As part of Stories from the War, the three-part series Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through Theater delivers three theatrical offerings, which commenced with Miwa Yanagi's Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose's Last Tape (January 29-31) and follows with Yokohama Rosa (April 25 & 26) and this presentation of New and Traditional Noh: Holy Mother in Nagasaki and Kiyotsune (May 14-16). About the theater programs, Japan Society's Artistic Director Yoko Shioya remarks, "Theater is one of the most powerful and immediate mediums to unpack and address complicated and challenging topics. At a time critical to Japanese politics and the U.S.-Japan relationship, these productions bring to life vivid and timeless personal stories, and offer a platform for discussion through a contemporary lens."

Since the inception of the Performing Arts Program in 1953, Japan Society has introduced nearly 700 of Japan's finest performing arts to an extensive American audience. Programs range from the traditional arts of noh, kyogen, bunraku and kabuki to cutting-edge theater, dance and music. The Program also commissions new works to non-Japanese artists, produces national tours, organizes residency programs for American and Japanese artists and develops and distributes educational programs. "At once diverse and daring, the program stands toe to toe with some of the most comprehensive cultural exchange endeavors today." --Back Stage.

The 2014-2015 Performing Arts Season, featuring works by visionary artists in music, dance and theater, launched in September with the first event in The Shamisen Sessions, a series of four distinct music events continuing through December, centered on Japan's centuries-old three-stringed instrument, from modern and experimental interpretations to world-class traditional explorations. Along with Stories from the War: Reflecting on WWII through Theater, another large-scale series running January through May, the 2014-2015 season also includes the 16th Contemporary Dance Showcase (January); Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation (Dancing with the Bird, written by Seiji Nozoe, translated and directed by James Yaegashi, in March) and the New York Premiere of Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug's OQ, a Japan Society commission (June).

Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a multidisciplinary hub for global leaders, artists, scholars, educators, and English and Japanese-speaking audiences. At the Society, more than 100 events each year feature sophisticated, topically relevant presentations of Japanese art and culture and open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia. An American nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, the Society cultivates a constructive, resonant and dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan.

New and Traditional Noh plays as follows: Thursday, May 14 at 7:30pm (followed by MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception), Friday, May 15 at 7:30pm and Saturday, May 16 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $62/$52 Japan Society members.

Pre-Performance Lecture: Prior to each performance, at 6:30pm, there will be a Pre-Performance Lecture led by Dr. Tom Hare, Professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University. FREE and open to ticket holders only.

Tickets & Information: Tickets for performances and related events at Japan Society can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 212-715-1258 or in person at Japan Society (M-F 11:00am - 6:00pm and Sat-Sun 11:00am - 5:00pm). Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street, between First and Second Avenues (accessible by the 4/5/6 at 42nd Street-Grand Central Station or the E at Lexington Avenue and 53rd Street). For more information, call 212-832-1155 or visit www.japansociety.org.