Sharp & Fine Premieres A PLAY FOR DANCE This February

Sharp & Fine is pleased to announce its newest "play for dance," JUST AHEAD IS DARKNESS. A devised work for six performers and four musicians, Just Ahead is Darkness draws on the Japanese and Japanese-American tradition of remembering the dead to tell a poignant and magical tale about family, love, loss and the eternal return of ghosts. Just Ahead is Darkness runs February 7 - 9, 2020, Friday to Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., at Z Space. Tickets are $20 - $35, and may be purchased online at zspace.org/darkness.

Under the artistic direction of sisters and company Co-Founders Megan and Shannon Kurashige, Just Ahead is Darkness takes inspiration from their experience attending Obon festivals in Hawaii. "We have had family in Hawaii for generations," said Megan, "and when we were kids, we loved going to Bon dances each summer. Bon dances are an important part of Obon, a traditional Japanese Buddhist festival to remember and celebrate the spirits of one's ancestors."

"Bon dances are part family reunion, part ritual," added Shannon, "but mostly they're about bringing people - including locals and tourists of all beliefs and backgrounds - together with music and communal dancing. In Just Ahead is Darkness, we're mining our own memories as material, but we're also blending in memories from our castmates to create a new story that we hope resonates in a universal way."

In addition to Megan and Shannon Kurashige, in the roles of two Aunties, the ensemble includes Christian Burns (Father), Tristan Ching Hartmann (Death), Sonja Dale (Child) and Sarah Dionne Woods-LaDue (Mother).

Just Ahead is Darkness features a commissioned score by composer and reeds player Cory Wright. A regular contributor on the Bay Area's vibrant jazz and new music scene, Wright has played with Anthony Braxton, Vinny Golia, Eddie Gale, Adam Rudolph and Yusef Lateef, among others. He currently performs with groups including Bristle, Wiener Kids and the Nathan Clevenger Group, and he leads his own projects under the banner of Green Mitchell and the Cory Wright Outfit. For Just Ahead is Darkness, Wright will be joined by woodwinds player Steve Adams, guitarist Karl Evangelista and percussionist Jordan Glenn.

Additional collaborators include award-winning lighting designer Allen Willner, costume designer Emily Kurashige and special guest Kay Fukumoto, a member of Maui Taiko, a group that performs a central role in the Bon dances on the island of Maui. Following each performance, Fukumoto will share her knowledge of the tradition of Bon dances with a brief demonstration.

For more information visit sharpandfine.com/darkness.