Japan Society Welcomes the Yamamoto Kyogen Co 3/26-28

Japan Society welcomes the Yamamoto Kyogen Company in a presentation of two classic kyogen tales, Shido Hogaku (Stop in Your Tracks) and Tsukimi Zato (Moon-viewing Blind Man). In the midst of a six-city North American tour, Yamamoto Kyogen Company plays three performances at Japan Society March 26 - 28.

Literally "mad words," kyogen is a stylized, traditional Japanese theater form that developed alongside noh theater in 14th century Japan under the patronage of samurai (warrior) clans. Traditionally performed between noh plays as a contrast to noh's more serious tone, kyogen features humorous stories of daily life laced with biting social satire directed at the samurai class which was once the main audience for the plays. Kyogen and noh, collectively called nogaku, were designated by UNESCO as "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" in 2001. Led by Yamamoto Noritoshi, designated as an Intangible Cultural Asset by the Japanese government, Yamamoto Kyogen offers two kyogen comedies, in Japanese with English subtitles:
Shido Hogaku (Stop in Your Tracks) is the classic kyogen tale of a master-servant relationship turned on its head. When a servant is sent by his callous master on a shameful errand, in his spite, the servant vows to get his revenge. Hijinks ensue as the two engage in a riotous reversal of station, with the servant getting the last laugh.

Tsukimi Zato (Moon-viewing Blind Man) is a farce in which a blind man meets a passerby on the road while enjoying a full moon and quickly becomes the object of a cruel trick perpetrated by the stranger.

Pre-performance lecture: With Samuel L. Leiter, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Theatre, Brooklyn College, CUNY and the Graduate Center, CUNY. One hour before all showtimes, free to ticket holders.

The Yamamoto Kyogen Company was founded by Yamamoto Tojiro (1836-1902), the central figure in the Okura school of kyogen performance in the Tokyo area during the late Edo period and into the Meiji period in Japan. Under the leadership of his son, Yamamoto Tojiro II (1864-1935), construction of the Yamamoto Family's own noh theater was completed in 1911 in downtown Tokyo. In 1929, the theater was relocated uptown. Since then, the theater has been used not only for the family's rehearsals but also as a public theater - making the Yamamoto family the only kyogen family in Japan to possess its own theater for public performance. The Suginami Nohgaku-do, as the theater is called, is one of the oldest remaining noh theaters in Japan, having survived the Great Earthquake of 1923 as well as bombings in WWII. In 1932, the comedian Charlie Chaplin visited Suginami Nohgaku-do and saw a kyogen performance given by the Yamamoto family. The Asahi Newspaper reported Chaplin as saying, "Absolutely wonderful ... I saw the most sophisticated art form."
In the post-war era, Yamamoto Tojiro III (1898-1964) was one of the contributors to the "kyogen boom" of the 1960s in Japan. Known for its sturdy yet luxuriant style, the Yamamoto Family is currently thriving with the three sons of Tojiro III: Yamamoto Tojiro IV (1937- ), Yamamoto Noritada (1939- ), Yamamoto Noritoshi (1942- ) and Tojiro III's grandsons, all born in the 1970s.

About Japan Society's Performing Arts Program: Since the inception of the Performing Arts Program in 1953, Japan Society has introduced more than 600 of Japan's finest performing arts to an extensive American audience. Programs range from the traditional arts of noh, kyogen, bunraku and kabuki to cutting-edge theater, dance and music. The Program also commissions new works, produces national tours, organizes residency programs for American and Japanese artists and develops and distributes educational programs. "At once diverse and daring, the program stands toe to toe with some of the most comprehensive cultural exchange endeavors today" (Back Stage).

About Japan Society: Established in 1907, Japan Society has evolved into North America's major producer of high-quality content on Japan for an English-speaking audience. Presenting over 100 events annually through well established Corporate, Education, Film, Gallery, Language, Lectures, Performing Arts and Innovators Network programs, the Society is an internationally recognized nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that provides access to information on Japan, offers opportunities to experience Japanese culture, and fosters sustained and open dialogue on issues important to the U.S., Japan, and East Asia. On the occasion of Japan Society's 2007 centennial, American Theatre noted: "For a hundred years now, the Japan Society of New York has been a think tank for policy works, entrepreneurs, diplomats and Japanophiles. But the jewel in its crown has always been the performing arts program."

Yamamoto Kyogen Company performs Friday, March 26 & Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 PM with a matinee performance on Sunday, March 28 at 2:00 PM.

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street between First & Second Avenues.

Tickets are $45/$40 Japan Society members and may be purchased by calling the Box Office (212) 715-1258 or in person at Japan Society (M-F / 10 AM-4:45 PM).

For more info call (212) 832 -1155 or visit www.japansociety.org.