Tokyo stages and live arts, theatre and biodiversityThe New National Theater Tokyo will produce the famous opera from Puccini, set up in Nagasaki during the Meiji era, with the remarkable Atsuko Kobayashi as lead role, from May 14 to May 24.
https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/productions/opera/madamabutterfly.html
The New National Theatre of Tokyo will also present the famous opera by Bizet, in French, with English and Japanese subtitles, from February 26 to March 8. If you missed the other production of the month, you can catch up. As per NNTT opera, it is a bit expensive, but offers a great international casting.
https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/productions/opera/carmen.html
Myrtle Arts will present Kurumizawa Shin latest work, 日の丸と割烹着, from February 5 to February 11. The playwright stemmed from memories about his grand mother, and tackles the subject of the Pacific war, when housewives associations supported the departures of young soldiers to the front. Works from Kurumizawa often are critical of Japan social issues, while being deeply moving. Also on the list of Teatro recommended plays. In Japanese only.
https://myrtle.co.jp/arts/
SPAC presents a play from Shusaku Endo with English subtitles. The main character is a Japanese soldier from Shizuoka who travelled to Thailand in the 17th century and became involved in the life of the Ayuthaya kingdom. Played in Shizuoka city.
1/18-19, 2/15-16, 3/1-2
Always check with the theatre if Subtitles will be offered when you intend to join.
Deux pièces contemporaines, écrites en français, seront jouées dans cette langue, sous-titrées en japonais, lors du World Theatre Festival Shizuoka (26 avril – 6 mai 2025). Il s’agit de Dans la mesure de l’impossible, de Tiago Rodrigues, par la Comédie de Genève, qui met en lumière les conditions de travail des humanitaires à travers le monde, et de Lacrima, écrite et mise en scène par Caroline Guiela Nguyen, jouée par sa troupe du Théâtre National de Strasbourg, qui aborde les pressions auxquelles sont soumis les artisans et couturières dans le monde de la haute couture, dans une histoire haute en couleurs. Satoshi Miyagi, génial directeur du festival et du SPAC, le Shizuoka Performing Arts Center, dont l’Antigone a été jouée à Avignon, présentera quant à lui le Ramayana, récit mythique indien, sous-titré en anglais. Enfin du 3 au 5 mai se déroulera le Strange Seed Festival, spectacles dans la rue et les parcs, gratuits pour la plupart. De quoi passer quelques jours exceptionnels à Shizuoka, entre mer et montagne, face à la scène et dans la ville. Comme si on était à Avignon.
https://festival-shizuoka.jp/teaser/
https://spac.or.jp/en/
https://www.comedie.ch/fr/dans-la-mesure-de-l-impossible
https://tns.fr/agenda/lacrima
2 thrilling French plays will be shown at the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka between April 26 and May 5th, in French, with Japanses subtitles. As far as impossible from Tiago Rodrigues will focus on humanitarian workers, while Lacrima by Caroline Guiela Nguyen will tackle workers in the haute-couture. Satoshi Miyagi will present the Ramayana, subtitled in English.
Nankyoku Godzilla, a Japanese modern theatre group, who created plays around Godzilla, Jurassic Park, and ghosts – a kind of modern baroque group – is presenting its 7th creation, The heat of WOW, in the framework of TominFes, the Capital Citizens Festival. It is a new creation and there is little description of the play. A unique point is that English subtitles will be featured on March 29, 6pm performance, and on March 30. So it is a rare chance to see a modern play with English subtitles. It looks entertaining and adventurous, but is difficult to share more at present. More details to come in the future.
https://tomin-fes.com/list/theater05.html
https://nankyokugodzilla.com/
On February 21st and 22nd, the 66th edition of the Japanese Buyo Associations will take place in Asakusa public hall. A number of groups will present Japanese traditional dances. It is a unique chance to sample the diversity of this traditional arts, and established dancers as well as young performers will be on stage, in some cases proposing a renewed perspective. A must see to have a broad view, in one instance, of this centuries old tradition. This event is part of TominFes, the Capital Citizens Festival.
https://tomin-fes.com/list/nichibu01.html
In the framework of the Capital Citizens Festival, Tomin Fes, the famous opera will be performed from Feb 20 to Feb 24, sung in French, of course, with English and Japanese subtitles. Supported by the Tokyo Nikikai Opera foundation, it will feature the NHK Children choir as well as the Yomiuru symphonic orchestra.
https://tomin-fes.com/pdf/opera03.pdf?20241024
From January 11 to January 20, Saburo Teshigawara will present The dream of Cage, a choregraphy on John Cage’s music, in his own creative space, Karas Apparatus, in Ogikubo.
https://www.st-karas.com/schedule/
https://www.lemonde.fr/scenes/article/2017/10/25/la-vibration-au-bout-du-pinceau-de-saburo-teshigawara_5205625_1654999.html
For Eri Watanabe 70th birthday, 2 of her plays, Whale ! Get on my hand and Ribbon will be shown at Honda theatre in Setagaya. Eri Watanabe, a famous playwright, director and actress, has played quite a role on the Japanese scene, and has been one of the very first woman director in Japan. Unfortunately, the plays will be in Japanese only.
https://office300.co.jp/kokikinen.html
Tokyo stages and live arts, theatre and biodiversity