IN A MEMORY PALACE To Make World Premiere
Theatre Nohgaku's production features direction by Jubilith Moore and an original score by David Crandall and Kevin Salfen.
In a Memory Palace is set to premiere with a cast of actors and musicians from the Bay Area and around the world. This timely production explores the notion of displacement -- from elders dealing with flashes of the past, to people forced to move far away from their homes of origin. Premiering at Z Space, the compelling stage performance weaves together live music, masked performance, and video images.
Director Jubilith Moore, of Theatre Nohgaku, describes In a Memory Palace as a kind of musical sculpture. 'Moving images and memory both have a way of blurring and converging,' says Moore. 'By sharing our stories, we discover our inter-relatedness while reaffirming our need to belong.' Moore taught theater at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and was the Artistic Director of Theatre of Yugen for many years. Her influence in Bay Area theater runs deep, and includes local luminaries, Nick Ishimaru and Ryan Marchand, who appear in this production and have worked with companies such as the Playwright's Foundation, the African American Shakespeare Company, and Shotgun Players.
In A Memory Palace features an original score by co-composers David Crandall and Kevin Salfen who have written musical scores for both Japanese Noh theater as well as Western-style concerts performed around the world. The two accomplished composers also produce music for films and their work has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Award-winning Costume Designer Margaret Mitchell created elegant robes for In a Memory Palace. The costumes reflect the past and present realities of the protagonist - her youth as a Viennese socialite and as an old woman with blurred memories. Set designer Mikiko Uesugi, recipient of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award, blended elements of traditional Noh staging with Western theatrical stagecraft to create a unique visual setting.
In a Memory Palace will premiere at Z Space from July 30 - August 1. Tickets can be purchased at Theatre Nohgaku's website. Along with the performance, there will be a week-long series of workshops and presentations entitled, 'To Noh and Beyond'. The public is also invited to contribute their own family histories to a 'Memory Palace of Migration' in the Z Space lobby. At a time when immigrants are under attack, this community-created art installation is designed to offer a space for the uplifting and transformative power of storytelling.
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