A son murders his father. A brother lusts for his stepsister. A mother beats her grown child. It has all the makings of a Sam Shepard play, but it was written well before he was born, and in Yiddish.
Translated and adapted from the original Yiddish by Mark Altman and Ellen Perecman.
New collaborated experiment of Japanese directors. Work in progress.Paper Balloon by Kunio Kishida (written in 1925)
Directed by Eriko Ogawa
Kishida, born in 1890 is the playwright who is one of the important playwrights largely contributed to modern Japanese theatre. Paper BalloonÂEis Kishida's most popular play concerning a young couple who have been married jut one year. (Featuring: Motoki Kobayashi, Yuriko Hoshina)
Rashomon by Fay and Michael Kanin. Inspired by Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Rashomon (written in 1915)
Directed by Nobuo Inubushi
Akutagawa, born in 1892, was one of the first prewar Japanese writers to achieve a wide foreign readership, because of his technical virtuosity. He published his arresting psychological novella Rashomon, which was to gain international recognition and eventually become a hugely successful film by Kurosawa. (Featuring Toshi Nakayama, Takeshima Toshiji, Florian Klein, Chino Hara, Nobuo Inubushi)
The Wild Pear by Kenji Miyazawa (written in 1923)
Directed by Yukako Yamazoe
Miyazawa, born in 1896. He was only 37 at the time of his death though his literary works received enormous attention after his life. The Wild Pear is a short story written as a commentary for 2 slides. (Similar to silent films). Quiet and gentle story of life under water. (Featuring: Daniella Chiminelli)
Paper Balloon by Kunio Kishida (written in 1925)
Directed by Eriko Ogawa
Rashomon by Fay and Michael Kanin.
Inspired by Ryunosuke Akutagawa's Rashomon (written in 1915)
Directed by Nobuo Inubuse
The Wild Pear by Kenji Miyazawa (written in 1923)
Directed by Yukako Yamazoe
La Pared explores a microscopic society behind prison walls where a tribunal of inmates brings child-murderers and rapists to trial "on the "inside". Carmelo "Cano" Rodriguez is falsely accused of robbing and beating up an elderly woman. Tony "Chino" Lopez, head of the prison gang the Unos, in a power play to defend his position as head of the Unos., brings charges against Cano to the hand ball court. "La Pared", "The Wall", is the story of Julius Caesar behind prison walls, drawn from a series of true events. Unlike fictional portrayals of prison on television and in movies, "La Pared" is an allegorical painting of prison life on the concrete of reality. Written by Award-winning playwright Juan Shamsul Alam and Angel L. Pena. Juan Shamsul Alam is the recipient of the Pen American Award 1997-1998, The Bronx Brio Award 1991, The McDonald/Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre Award 1989, Five Villager Oobie awards, including Best American Play "Bullpen" (1980) and NYSCA Awards for "Midnight Blues", Sweet Stuff" and "Rose In Spanish Harlem." Mr.Alam is published with Penguin Books, ARTE Publico Press, OLLANTY Press, North Eastern Press and appears in Who's Who Hispanics 1994.
Directed by Juan Shamsul Alam with Phyllis Sanfiorenzo
The Cast : Angel Caban, Jose Sanchez, Lou Torres, Angel Ramirez Jr., Mike Gomez, Al Caro, Tony Morrero, Chiko Mendez, Robert Swann, Francine Mancini, Cindy Nazario, Arelis Reynoso, Jamil Mena, David Hernandez, Burton Vegas and Raymon Pesante.