Oedipus Rex On the Athens Performance
The start of the Athens performance of Oedipus Rex goes back to a visit to Japan in March 2002 by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose request for the project was receieved by Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi. The Greek proposal was that strong international relations should be fostered during the Olympic year not only through athletics, but also through culture. Japan accepted the request, with the representative Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex to be directed by a Japanese, and indeed the entire cast and staff to consist of Japanese participants. The performance itself is to be presented in an ancient Greek theatre in the Japanese language, seen as a significant milestone. It was in October of that year that a committee was formed, comprised of a group standing behind this effort, including myself, and we received the support of a great number of people in bringing the project to fruition. The Tokyo performance of Oedipus Rex attracted substantial attention, preceeding as it does the Athens performance, and I am very pleased that it was so warmly received. It is my hope that the much-anticipated Athens performance will also be a huge success.
The Committee for Performing “Oedipus Rex” at the Cultural Olympiad in Athens, 2004 Yoshiro MORI, Chairman (Former Prime Minister) Yukio Ninagawa
performance of ail of the works of Shakespeare Artistic director of Bunkamura Theatre (Sainokuni Shakespeare Series). Recent Cocoon. Born October 15, 1935 in SaitariEfFl works include Macbeth, Oedipus Rex, A Prefecture. Entered Seihai Theatre C o m p a iJ Streetcar Named Desire, The Cherry Orchard, as an actor in 1955, and debuted as a director Electra, Hamlet, Richard III, Titus Andronicus, with Shinjo-afururu-keihakusa in 1969. Began andShibuya-kara-toku-hanarete (Far from working for commercial theatre starting with Shibuya). Pericles was enthusiastically Romeo and Juliet in 1974, and has sinie received at the London National Theatre in continued with a string of well-known pieces 2003, even as Ninagawa has made a return to as one of Japan’s leading directors. Oversea|i|g film directing, and expectations are running tours started with the European performances high for Oedipus Rex again this summer in of Media in 1983, and have included London Athens. The Athens venue of Herodes Atticus venues for A Midsum mer Night’s Dream in is a memorable one, recalling Media played to 1996, Shintoku-maru in 1997, and Hamlet in rave reviews in 1984. Numerous awards 1998. Ninagawa became the first foreign received include the Asahi Prize, the Asahi director to present King Lear with the Royal Stage Arts Grand Prix, the Yomiuri Theater Shakespeare Company from 1999 to 2000, Grand Prize, and the Kinokuniya Theater Prize and attracted considerable attention from Award for Individual Achievement. Ninagawa around the world due to the production’s long is also the recipient of the hononary Commander run in the UK and Japan. He has directed a of the Most Excellent Order of the British 10-hour marathon version of The Greeks with Empire from Her Britannic Majesty, and Theatre Cocoon, and continues to be currently serves as an artistic director to the energetically engaged in projects such as the London Globe Theatre. Oedipus; Mansai Nomura
Mansai Nomura II is the 8th generation of the London in 2001. He is known for diversity of ^ W 4 ^ f c Kyogen family, the Mansaku Company, whose his acting skills beyond Kyogen : contemporary work centres around Mansaku Nomura II and stage credits include “Oedipus” (directed by himself, members of an illustrious theatrical Yukio Ninagawa), “Hamlet” (directed by line which boasts a 250 years history. Kyogen Jonathan Kent) and “Requiem on the Great is the traditional art with 600 years of history Meridian” ; film works include “RAN” by Akira of Japan which inscribed on the World Kurosawa and “Onmyoji”. In 1994, he spent a & - Intangible Heritage List. He made his stage year in London with the Royal Shakespeare debut at the age of three in “Utsbozaru”, a Company during which he held workshops Kyogen pieace. As well as appearing in many with the Globe’s Artistic Director, Mark Rylance. Kyogen and Noh performances, he adapted He was appointed Artistic Director of Setagaya and performed highly acclaimed Shakespeare’s Public Theatre in central Tokyo in 2002. He work in the work of Kyogen 5 “Kyogen has devised new on-going projects which Version-Falstaff” based on “The Merry Wives explore stage work as combined total art of Windsor” and “The Kyogen of Errors” form. He has received National Arts Festival based on “The Comedy of Errors”. The latter New Artist Award as well as The Minister of toured to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in Education Newcomer’s Award. Became a member of Takarazuka Revue Tamiya Kuriyama, 2000), “Sarah Bernhardt” Company in 1970. Her appearance as André in [Memoir] (directed by Keiko Miyata, 2001, 03), the company’s acclaimed show “The Rose of and The Contemporary Noh Theatre I “AOI”; Versailles”, 1975 elevated her to the stardom, based on the Noh play “AOI-no-ue” (directed which she enjoyed until her departure from by Takeshi Kawamura, 2003). The Ninagawa Takarazuka in 1985. Asami has enriched her productions Asami previously participated in career, challenging a wide variety of plays and are “Greeks” (2000), “Oedipus Rex” (2002), musicals, including “Chicago” (directed by “The Cherry Orchard” (2003), and “Titus Tony Stevens, 1985,86), “Macbeth” (directed by Andronicus” (2004). Among the awards Asami Giles Block, 1987 to 89), “UAigle à deux têtes” has won are the best actress for The Yomiuri [The Eagle with Tw o Heads] (directed by David Theater Award (1995), the outstanding individual Leveaux, 1990, 94), “Mary Stuart” (directed by for The Kinokuniya Theater Awards (2000), the Amon Miyamoto, 1990, 93, 96), “Hamlet” outstanding supporting actress for The Japan (directed by Giles Block, 1995, 97, 98), “Kiss of Academy (with a film by Yoji Yamada, 2000), the Spider Woman” (directed by Harold Prince, The Mainichi Arts Grand Award (2001 ), and the 1996, 98), “When She Danced” (directed by outstanding actress for The Yomiuri Theater Robert Allan Ackerman, 1997), “A Little Night Award (with “Oedipus Rex” etc. 2002). She Music” (directed by Julia Mckenzie, 1999), has received The Minister of Education’s Art “Nijusseiki” [Twentieth Century] (directed by Encouragement Prize 2003. Director Yukio NINAGAWA
Original Book SOPHOCLES Lighting OperatorTakeki KAJIGAI Japanese TranslationHarue YAMAGATA Hisahiro KATO Music Hideki TOGI Takeshi TANAKA Set Design Tsukasa NAKAGOSHI Minoru KONNO Lighting DesignTamotsu HARADA Sound OperatorKatsuji TAKAHASHI Costume DesignAyako MAEDA Katsuji FUSHIE Sound DesignMasahiro INOUE Wardrobe Hayuru MORI ChoreographyKinnosuke HANAYAGI Akiko NAKANISHI Choreography for “ Mai”Hideki TOGI Mika SATO Hair&Make-up DesignChimaki TAKEDA Hair&Make-up Junko AZUMA Small Props Design Mamiko ANZU Kaori SAKAI Ena TABUCHI Administration Uzuhiko TANAKA Assistant Director Sonsho INOUE Masashi NITTA Sachiko ISHIMARU Ryuji OSOEGAWA Technical DirectorJun MANO Hajime KASHIWABARA Assistant Technical DirectorYoshitaka SHIRAISHI Reina KATAKURA Stage ManagerShinichi AKASHI Public Relations Keiko MOROHOSHI Stage Crew Yasuhiro HONDA Production Maki KATO Mayumi IMAI Kimiko KURIHARA Yutaka WATANABE Tamami MATSUI Tomohiro NITO Koshino SANUKI Mitsuaki ADACHI Hiroko KANEKO Cast
Oedipus, King of Thebes Mansai NOMURA
Jocasta, Queen of Thebes Rei ASAMI
Creon, Younger Brother of Jocasta Kohtaro YOSHIDA
Tiresias, Blind Soothsayer Haruhiko JOH
Messenger from Corinth Kyuzo KAWABE
Shepherd Noboru MITANI
Second Messenger Takayuki SUGO
Priest Tetsuro SAGAWA
Chorus Leaders Ikkyu JUKU Takahide TASHIRO Masafumi SENOO Toshiaki OMINO
Chorus Eiichi SEIKE Tetsuo TAKASE Hiroshi TAKAHASHI Shunichi IMAMURA Kunihiro IIDA You TAKAHASHI Kiyoshi FUKUDA Hiroshi TOMIOKA Yukio TSUKAMOTO Fumiaki HORI Masato SHINKAWA Yutaka SUZUKI Takeshi INOMO Haruo TAKAYAMA Makoto TAMURA Tatsumi KASE
Servant Takuya AKIYAMA
Daughters of Oedipus Yukie KITAGAWA Kaho SUNADA \
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