Japan Society Presents THE UNKNOWN DANCER IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD At Under The Radar 2019

Japan Society proudly presents The Unknown Dancer in the Neighborhood, as part of the Society's 2019-2020 Performing Arts Season and The Public Theater's Under the Radar Festival. This contemporary dance theater piece is written and directed by one of Japan's most acclaimed rising young playwright-directors, Suguru Yamamoto, of the theater collective HANCHU-YUEI, and performed by dancer/choreographer Wataru Kitao.

The Unknown Dancer in the Neighborhood features Yamamoto's signature directing style, in which characters' thoughts are conveyed through projected words, alluding to the millennial generation's preferred mode of communication - texting. Blending movement, photography and colorful lighting, Yamamoto reveals the indifference and tenderness of a metropolis where the lives of complete strangers continuously interact and coalesce. Performances take place at Japan Society (333 East 47th Street) as follows: Friday, January 10 & Saturday, January 11 at 7:00pm; Sunday, January 12 at 1:00pm; Tuesday, January 14 at 7:00pm.

As a resident of one of the world's most populated cities, Suguru Yamamoto, playwright/director and founder of theater company HANUCHU-YUEI, is fascinated by the ambiguity of the metropolis as experienced on a packed train in Tokyo, for example. In this new work from Yamamoto, Wataru Kitao - through dynamic dancing and acting - transforms into a number of distinct characters - across age and gender - who seem to remain indifferent to each other. Yamamoto created this one-man show driven by a desire to uncover the authentic "raw" self of the actor, rather than depicting and relying upon the socially constructed norms that people enact every day. Yamamoto and Kitao met as university students, and have collaborated previously alongside members of Yamamoto's theater company HANCHU-YUEI. This marks the first time that Yamamoto will direct Wataru in a solo performance in one of his works. The Unknown Dancer in the Neighborhood runs 90 minutes. Performed in Japanese with English supertitles.

With The Unknown Dancer in the Neighborhood, Suguru Yamamoto (Playwright, Director) returns to Japan Society, back by popular demand after the North American debut of his piece Girl X in 2017. He was born in 1987 in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. In 2007, he founded the theater collective HANCHU-YUEI, which is based in Tokyo and has toured extensively in Japan and overseas. Yamamoto writes and directs all productions and often collaborates with art director Kazuki Takakura.

The company's plays traverse and question the fine line between fantasy and reality. The creation of each story begins with an interest in subjects such as life and death, feelings and words, collective society and family, and from there endeavors to access universal "questions." His works have received attention in Japan and many parts of Asia and Australia for the unique way in which they integrate projected text, photos, colors, light and shadow with live performance on stage.

He is also known for his intriguing plot lines that force the audience to question their ethical viewpoints and boundaries. Yamamoto has worked on co-productions in Malaysia, Thailand, India, China and Singapore. His play Girl X won Best Play and Best Original Script awards at the Bangkok Theatre Festival, and I Can't Die without Being Born was nominated for the prestigious Kishida Kunio Drama Award. Yamamoto was selected as a Saison Fellow by The Saison Foundation for the fiscal years 2015 and 2016. He is also the recipient of artistic support from Steep Slope Studio, providing Yamamoto with opportunities to work as an independent artist beyond his contributions as the founder/leader of HANCHJ-YUEI to develop his own productions. This activity, named "DOCU(NT)MENT," has resulted in two experimental films; the first of which, Changes, screened in Sydney, Australia in March 2017. Both films were shown at Festival/Tokyo in 2018 and 2019. The Unknown Dancer in the Neighborhood was also developed under his DOCU(NT)MENT project. Currently, Yamamoto is taking part in a six-month fellowship in New York City through a grant awarded by the Asian Cultural Council.

Wataru Kitao (Performer) is a choreographer, dancer, actor and founder of the dance company Baobab. Born in 1987, Kitao began learning dance forms such as classical ballet and hip-hop during his childhood. As a child actor, he performed in many professional shows, including Miss Saigon and Les Miserables. In 2009, he established the dance company Baobab, creating works in his own unique style. Baobab has participated in many festivals, such as Kyoto Experiment (2010-2013) and San Francisco International Arts Festival (2018). Kitao choreographs for theater, TV dramas, commercials, movies and more. In addition to choreographing, he has continued acting in plays directed by Ryohei Kondo, Junnosuke Tada, Kunio Sugihara, Norihito Nakayashiki and Suguru Yamamoto. He also hosts workshops, teaches dance and gives lectures at Shobi University and Oberlin University. His achievements have also been recognized with several awards, including the second prize at Condors Choreographer Competition (2010), the Audience Award at Toyota Choreography Award (2012), the New Face Award at the 3rd Elsur Foundation (2014), and the Best Dancer Award at Yokohama Dance Collection Competition 1 (2018).

As announced, Japan Society's 2019-2020 Performing Arts Season features works by visionary artists in dance, music and theater. The current season launched with two sold-out shows: the traditional concert Reigakusha: Gagaku & Bugaku by the distinguished ensemble Reigakusha (September 21) and Kwaidan-Call of Salvation Heard from the Depth of Fear (October 24). Most recently, the Society presented the modern noh play Taiten, accompanied by Kagyu, one of the most popular pieces from the traditional kyogen repertoire (November 14 - 16). Following this presentation of The Unknown Dancer in the Neighborhood, the season continues with Fruits borne out of rust, a solo dance performance directed by visual artist Tabaimo and choreographed by Maki Morishita, including the artist's own drawings and set to live music (March 6 - 7); the annual Play Reading Series: Contemporary Japanese Plays in English Translation, this year delivering Cooking Up by Shoko Matsumura, directed by Co-Director of the OBIE Award-winning performance venue JACK in Brooklyn, Jordana De La Cruz (March 30); the contemporary theater presentation Control Officers and the world premiere of a new companion piece by Oriza Hirata and his company Seinendan (May 8 - 10); and a contemporary dance residency by Min Tanaka throughout the month of June, culminating in a world premiere on the Society's stage at the end of that month.

Since the inception of the Performing Arts Program in 1953, Japan Society has introduced nearly 700 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 to non-Japanese artists, 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.

Founded in 1907, Japan Society in New York City presents sophisticated, topical and accessible experiences of Japanese art and culture, and facilitates the exchange of ideas, knowledge and innovation between the U.S. and Japan. More than 200 events annually encompass world-class exhibitions, dynamic classical and cutting-edge contemporary performing arts, film premieres and retrospectives, workshops and demonstrations, tastings, family activities, language classes, and a range of high-profile talks and expert panels that present open, critical dialogue on issues of vital importance to the U.S., Japan and East Asia.

Over the last 16 years, The Public's UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL has grown into a landmark of the New York City theater season and is a vital part of The Public's mission, providing a high-visibility platform to support artists from diverse backgrounds who are redefining the act of making theater. Widely recognized as a premier launching pad for new and cutting-edge performance from the U.S. and abroad, UTR has presented works by such respected artists as Elevator Repair Service, Nature Theater of Oklahoma, 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Belarus Free Theatre, Guillermo Calderón, Toshi Reagon, Taylor Mac, and Daniel Fish. These artists provide a snapshot of contemporary theater: richly distinct in terms of perspectives, aesthetics, and social practice, and pointing to the future of the art form.

To post a comment, you must register and login.