Performing Arts Spring Season 2021
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Performing Arts Spring Season 2021
Japan Society presents
The Dark Master
Original Manga Written by Marei Karibu
and Illustrated by Haruki Izumi
Adapted and Directed by Kuro Tanino
Wed., June 23 at 6:30 & 8:30 pm EDT
Thurs., June 24 at 5, 7 & 9:30 pm EDT
Fri., June 25 at 2:30, 4:30, 7 & 9 pm EDT
Sat., June 26 at 2:30, 4:30, 7 & 9 pm EDT
Sun., June 27 at 12:30, 2:30, 5 & 7 pm EDT
Mon., June 28 at 2:30, 4:30, 7 & 9 pm EDT
The Virtual Reality (VR) production of The Dark Master premiered at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre as part of
Tokyo Festival 2020.
MetLife Foundation The Dark Master is supported, in part, by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan through the
Japan Arts Council, Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), and Doug
is proud to be and Teresa Peterson.
Lead Sponsor of
Japan Society’s 2020—2021 Performing Arts Season Support
Performing Arts Season. Lead Sponsor Corporate Partner
The season is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor
Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
Major Support is generously provided by Doug and Teresa Peterson and The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels
Foundation, Inc, with endowment support from the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund and
the Endowment for the Performing Arts, established with a leadership gift from the Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation.
Additional Support is provided by Dean Jeanette C. Takamura, Dr. and Mrs. Carl F. Taeusch II, Mr. Alan M.
Suhonen‡, Helen and Kenneth A. Cowin, The Royal Little Family Foundation, Sarah Billinghurst Solomon and
Howard Solomon, Dr. Stephen and Mrs. Michiko Levine, Marjorie Neuwirth, Hiroko Onoyama, Lyndley and
Samuel Schwab, and Nancy and Joe Walker. Transportation assistance is provided by All Nippon Airways
Co., Ltd.
‡ In memoriam.ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S NOTE
Welcome to Japan Society’s theater space!! While “Welcome!” is my usual
The Dark Master
greeting in these Artistic Director’s notes, today’s “welcome” has significant Original Manga Written by Marei Karibu and Illustrated by
meaning since this is our first onsite/in-person performing arts presentation Haruki Izumi (Otona no Manga Comics, EnterBrain, Inc.)
in 15 months. The days during the COVID-19 pandemic have been a long dark
tunnel not only for us, but also Kuro Tanino—writer/director and the founder Adapted and Directed by Kuro Tanino
of the company Niwa Gekidan Penino, who had to go through many difficulties
to reach this point.
Because of his company’s sensational U.S. debut in 2014 as part of a Society- Master: Kiyofumi Kaneko
produced five-city tour as well as many subsequent international successes
over the following years, I thought the company deserved to have another Man: F. O. Pereira Koichiro
appearance in America. So, right after I saw The Dark Master in Tokyo in 2017,
Narumi: Bobmi Hidaka
we began to discuss when to introduce this work to American audiences
and where it should tour to. It was a complicated production with a vast and Background Actors: Katsuya Tanabe, Saika Ouchi, Masafumi Uchida,
elaborate stage set; several actors were cast from Japan, plus a few local Manami Hirokawa, Hironari Miyachi, Takehito Terui, Kazuya Inoue
actors were to be recruited in each city. There were also technical challenges,
such as requiring audience members to wear earbuds to listen to an offstage Narration: Saika Ouchi
actor throughout most of the play—not to mention live, onstage cooking
projected onto a screen above the stage. We settled on a four-city tour for Set Designer: Takuya Kamiike
January 2021.
Lighting Designer: Masayuki Abe (LIGHT-ER)
Around this time of year, in 2020, it became apparent that the January tour
would be impossible. Since then, we have had many, many Zoom meetings Sound Designers: Koji Sato (Sugar Sound) and Shintaro Matsunomiya
to discuss what to do. I deeply appreciate and respect Kuro’s courage and (catSSound)
creative spirit in using my idea to adapt his work into a VR production. He
rewrote the script to shorten the piece, researched technical and language Videographer/Editor: Nobuhiro Matsuzawa
barrier solutions, and re-cast the actors from scratch. His manager handled
the ever-changing funding forecast and made arrangements for a trial run at VR System Engineers: Tsuyoshi Nomura, Ichiro Tanaka, Shun
a theater in Tokyo last fall. Here in New York, we had to reschedule multiple Mizutani, Akira Takami
times to find the right timing and structure for a safe presentation of this
VR version of the show. We also communicated with one of the original tour Stage Manager: Masaya Natsume
venues—PS21 in Hudson in upstate New York—to try to retain some form of
Assistant Director: Haruka Kikuchi
a tour. Describing the entire path we went through would require too many
pages, so I’ll stop here. Producer: Chika Onozuka
All in all, I would like to convey how happy we are to welcome all of you here in
our theater and to invite an in-person conversation about Kuro’s brilliant work.
Yoko Shioya,
Artistic DirectorDIRECTOR’S NOTE ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Many people could not see other people or go on a trip because of this Kiyofumi Kaneko (Master) was born in Tokyo in 1965. Kaneko has
long pandemic, and I believe we became more aware of ourselves from performed in numerous stage productions by theater companies
talking only to ourselves in our heads. such as Kegawazoku, SWANNY, Marshmallow Waves, Otonakeikaku,
Hakken no Kai and more. He has also appeared in movies and TV
What have I been doing? series such as Midnight Diner—Tokyo Stories (Netflix) and as a season
What do I want to do? regular in subsequent episodes of the Midnight Diner series. Kaneko
What is the purpose of life? performed in Nijimu machi, another Kuro Tanino production produced
….. by Kanagawa Arts Theater (KAAT) in June 2021. Other recent credits
Then, What is “the self’? include: stage—De by Nakanosakaue Demons (2021), Watashi wo
This big question gave me the inspiration to create The Dark Master in Shinjite by Zaidan-Emoto Junko (2020) and Edelweiss by Busukai
VR. (2019); film: Hanataba Mitaina Koi wo Shita (2021), Sutekina Dynamite
Scandal (2018), Hikari (2017), Yukiko no Heya (2017) and Haiyu
When we wear VR goggles, we enter a simulated world. It is a small Kameoka Takuji (2016); and TV: Sugu Shinun Dakara (NHK 2020) and
restaurant. And, the protagonist is you. You are the lead character and Voice: 110 Kinkyu Shirei Shitsu (NTV 2019).
are starting your journey to grasp What is “the self”?
F. O. Pereira Koichiro (Man) was born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1991. He is
This is the second production of mine that has been presented in New an actor, director and playwright of the theater company protothéâtre.
York, and I am quite proud of it. Bon appétite. Pereira graduated from night high school, and is of Portuguese
descent. In 2011, he started studying drama in the Performing Arts
—Kuro Tanino Department at Kindai University. Two years later in 2013, he founded
protothéâtre along with several of his college classmates. Since then,
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT/DIRECTOR he has been writing most of the group’s plays and directing all of its
works. In 2015, the company won the highest award at the theater
Kuro Tanino (Playwright/Director), born in Toyama Prefecture in festival Wing Cup 5. In 2019, Dokoyori mo Toku, Dokodemo Atta Basho.
1976, founded his theater company Niwa Gekidan Penino in 2000 Aruiwa, Dokoyori mo Toku, Nani mo Nai was nominated as a finalist for
with members of the Showa University drama club while he was in the 26th OMS Drama Awards. In addition to providing plays to other
medical school. Both his parents are doctors, and he is also a licensed theatrical groups, he has taught actors and high school students, lead
psychiatrist, although he no longer practices. He is the playwright and workshops and worked as a teacher’s assistant.
director of Niwa Gekidan Penino, whose theatrical works grow out
of his imaginings and obsessions and are staged in spaces carefully Bobmi Hidaka (Narumi) graduated from the theater course at Nihon
designed to the finest detail. He is also a sculptor and painter, and University College of Art before becoming a freelance actor. Between
is highly involved in the stage designs of each production. Tanino’s 2013 and 2020, she was a member of the theater company ROJI9.
plays have been nominated as finalists for the Kishida Kunio Drama She sings, and plays the shamisen and piano. Hidaka is known for
Award, and performed in theaters and festivals around the globe. portraying a wide range of characters from comical to dramatic
For other companies, he has directed Ibsen’s Vildanden, Chekhov!?, through her strong stage presence and voice. She has recently
a commission he wrote for the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre in appeared in performances by Niwa Gekidan Penino and Daigo Matsui.
celebration of the 150th anniversary of Chekhov’s birth in 2011, among In July 2021, Hidaka will perform in a production by Daisuke Miura at
other plays. In 2014, Niwa Gekidan Penino made its U.S. debut at Japan Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon.
Society with The Room Nobody Knows.JAPAN SOCIETY INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS (AS OF JUNE 18, 2021)
$100,000 and above $5,000—$9,999 Mr. and Mrs. Motoatsu Sakurai Mrs. Jane Lombard Mr. Richard A. Debs Japan Society has received
Mr. Michael Dunn matching gifts from the
Anonymous Anonymous Fredric T. Schneider Ms. Suzanne Marquard and
following companies:
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An Anonymous Family c/o EBA Foundation Amgen Inc.
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Doug and Teresa Dr. and Mrs. Carl F. Mr. Donald Allison* Group)
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Mr. Alan L. Beller Dr. Ling Yu Shih
Amy and Joseph Perella Community Foundation Graeme Birchall and Mr. Michael W. Sonnenfeldt Mrs. Gabrielle Lurie
Gifts do not include contributions
Mrs. Kiyoko Ohata Brown Katya Hansen Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Lyons to Japan Society’s Japan Relief
Masako and Jim Shinn Dr. Patricia M. Sovern Fund or Annual Dinner.
Alejandro M. Carosso Jim and Yuko Brumm Mr. Edward Mafoud
Mr. Prasan Srinivasan
Barbara Bertozzi Castelli Mr. Marc Mailhot *Japan Society acknowledges with
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Catanzaro Kiyoka Tanaka gratitude the generous donors
Dr. Nancy C. Maruyama
$10,000—$24,999 Mrs. Jane B. DeBevoise Mr. Seth Coren Nora and David Tezanos who contribute specifically to the
Nancy Matsumoto and Performing Arts Program and
Mark Steven Barres Ms. Anne N. Edwards Mr. Robert Cory and Grant Vingoe
Nancy and Joe Walker* projects.
Margot Paul Ernst Mr. Shuichiro Takeda Mr. Jerrod Morgan
Raphael and Jane Mr. Adam F. Weissenberg M
Japan Society gratefully
Alexander Flint and Dr. Raymond Daddazio and Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. MyersM acknowledges donors who have
Bernstein Georgia Dorey Ms. Sawako Yamaguchi Takayoshi Wiesner and Pan Gu
had their contributions matched
Mr. Naoto Nakagawa
Mr. and Mrs. Randall Dr. Robert T. Yanagisawa and by their employer.
Mr. George Gallagher Nachiketa Das* Joan and Junya Nakatsugawa
Mrs. Ikuyo Yanagisawa
Chafetz Brendan and Jenifer Garvey Mrs. Anne Noel Jones Dawson Dr. Teruko S. Neuwalder ‡ In memoriam.
Peggy and Dick Danziger Mr. Steven Giordano Mr. Stuart Eisenkraft and Mr. John N. Park
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Richard and Momona RoyceJAPAN SOCIETY STAFF FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM
PRESIDENT & CEO: Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D.
CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER: Ramona Handel-Bajema
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Yoko Shioya
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Performing Arts Season.
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