KAIDAN: Japanese Ghost Stories to Open From Za Trans-Pacific Productions
The production features an Okinawan musician, Taiko drummer, and Sumi-e ink painting performer.
Za Trans-Pacific Productions will present Kaidan, traditional Japanese ghost stories performed with actors, an Okinawan musician, a Taiko drummer, and a Sumi-e ink painting performer in Seattle.
KAIDAN (怪談) are traditional Japanese stories of ghosts (yūrei) and supernatural beings (yokai). These spooky tales are shared in the hottest months of the summer, during the Obon season, when spirits of the dead return to visit the living. Kaidan are believed to help people cool off by sending a shiver down their spine. Join in for these frightening yet melancholy stories of the unseen world that reflect the culture and history of Japan.
These legendary Japanese stories are selected from Lafcadio Hearn's KWAIDAN and Hyaku Monogatari Kaidan (One Hundred Ghost Stories), all of which are over 130 years old. The story-telling will include some Japanese language. This show includes descriptions of violence, death and suicide. It is recommended for ages 13 and up.
CULTURAL BACKGROUND: KAIDAN IS THE ORIGIN OF J-HORROR
KAIDAN has its origin in Japan's Heian Period (794-1185 CE), where people believed that the spirits of high-ranking nobility killed in political battles came back to haunt those who defeated them. Thus, KAIDAN were believed to be a collection of “eerie happenings,” and were not fictional. It is a deeply rooted cultural tradition to believe in the presence of ghosts and inhuman creatures. But the Edo period (1603-1868) was when KAIDAN took off as a form of entertainment, regardless of class or status.
During this time, the style of Hyaku Monogatari Kaidan (One Hundred Ghost Stories) became popular in which one hundred candles are lit at dusk and the story teller blows out one candle at the end of each story until all are extinguished. When the final candle was out, people could expect to feel the presence of a ghost. This form was particularly popular amongst Samurai, as a way to test their bravery. The three most famous KAIDAN stories, “Yotsuya Kaidan,” “Sarayashiki,” and “Botan Doro” were told during this time period, and will be included in the ZTP's KAIDAN performance. During the Meiji period (1868-1912), KAIDAN became known globally thanks to a westerner named Lafcadio Hearn, a Greek born Irish immigrant who married a Japanese woman and became a Japanese citizen under the name Yakumo Koizumi. Hearn's fascination with Japan's ghost stories led him to research and retell them in his own way. Some of his versions of Kaidan are also included in this performance.
The Kaidan tradition continues in Japanese culture through live story telling, literature, Kabuki theatre, visual art, music, video games, manga and horror films.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE, LOCATION, AND TICKETS:
- Friday August 1 at 7:30pm: West of Lenin 203 N 36th St #204, Seattle
- Friday August 7 at 7:30pm: Theatre 33 (Community Room-Studio 33) 13243 NE 20th St, Bellevue
- Wednesday August 12 at 7:30pm: West of Lenin West of Lenin 203 N 36th St #204, Seattle
- Saturday August 15 at 8:15pm: Aire Craft Festival, Issaquah* Free to the public
- Friday August 28 7:30pm: Hugo House (Theatre Lobby) 1111 East Olive, Seattle
- Saturday August 29 7:30pm: (Theatre Lobby) 1111 East Olive, Seattle
*Aire Craft Festival is the first of its kind in Issaquah with street performances, flying trapeze, aerial acts with hang gliders, and theatrical performances. The KAIDAN performance at this festival will be an abbreviated 30-minute version of the full show and free to the public. For complete festival details, go to: airecraftfest.com
Tickets are $25, except for the performance at Aire Craft Festival, which is free. You can purchase tickets in advance at ztpproductions.com or at the door. Most venues seat only 40-50 people so we encourage advance reservations.
Performer Information: This production features four Seattle actors, Nick Mendoza, Alana Pascual, Naho Shioya and Misaki Teranishi. In addition, there will be musical accompaniment provided by Mako, an Okinawan performer, Asako Tateishi of School of Taiko with Taiko drumming and bamboo flute, and Sumi-e (Japanese ink painting) performer Hiroko Nagatomo. Performers will rotate depending on the day. The exact performance schedule can be found at ztpproductions.com.
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