TRANSLATOR’S NOTES PRODUCTION STAFF As a major contribution to the 13th Symposium of the International Brecht Stage Manager: Philip Tumbaga M A I N S T A G E Society on “Brecht in/and Asia” at the Dept. of Theatre and Dance/UHM, Assistant Stage Manager: Anne Alves 2009-2010 SEASON Kennedy Theatre presents the English-language world premiere of Brecht’s Assistant Director: Erin Chung Composer: Thomas Osborne The Judith of Shimoda. In fall 1940, during his 3-month exile in Finland, Aerial Specialist: Andrea Torres, Samadhi Hawai‘i Brecht and his host, the playwright Hella Wuolijoki, collaborated on an Aerial Captain: Tony Young adaptation of Yamamoto Yuzo’s 1929 play The Sad Tale of a Woman, the Story Silks Rigger: David A Griffith of Chink Okichi. As the centerpiece of Yuzo’s triptych of plays portraying Shamisen Player: Jakob Barsky different stages in Japan’s history, Chink Okichi provides the link between Light Console Operator: Angela Gosalvez Sakazaki, Lord Dewa (1921), on the feudal system of the early Tokugawa Sound Console Operator: Matthew Pescador period, and The Crown of Life (1920), about a 20th-century shrimp canner Production Electrician: Daniel Sakimura desperately trying to fulfill his contract with a London company. Chink Electrics, Sound, and Projection Crew: David Gerke, Angela Gonsalez, Rebekah “Wednesday” Harter, Kelsi Ju, Philip Tumbaga, Leia Nakao, D’neka Patten, Okichi is set in the period right after Japan’s opening to the West in 1854 and students from THEA 345, THEA 240, THEA 221 and focuses on the historical geisha Okichi, who saved her city Shimoda Stage Crew: Michael Hardy, Matthew Toyama, Keely Urbanich from the American threat of bombardment by agreeing to serve the first Set Construction Crew: Chesley Cannon, Luke Cheng, David Gerke, U.S. consul on Japanese soil. An English translation of Yuzo’s Three Plays Angela Gonsalez, Kelsi Ju, Leia Nakao, D’neka Patten, Philip Tumbaga, by the Kobe-based English teacher Glenn W. Shaw was published in 1935. Donald Quilinquin, and students from THEA 221, 240 and 474 As an adaptation of Chink Okichi (in Shaw’s translation), The Judith of Staff Technical Director:Gerald Kawaoka Shimoda rearranges, transforms and condenses Yuzo’s drama and turns it Faculty Technical Director: David A Griffith Faculty Design Consultants: Joseph D. Dodd, David A Griffith, Sandra Finney into a “play within a play” by adding a framework of interludes in which Staff Costume Shop Manager:Hannah Schauer Galli international guests of a Japanese media mogul comment on the political Assistant to the Costume Designer: Toby Rinaldi and ideological implications of the Okichi story. Brecht’s notes reveal that Costume Construction Crew: Johnna Batiste, Jenilea Heath, Morgan Lane-Tanner, he initially approached The Judith of Shimoda as a film project. For decades, Corinne Powell, and students from THEA 240 only isolated and fragmentary scenes of Brecht’s version were known, until Wardrobe Supervisor: Toby Rinaldi Hans Peter Neureuter discovered a complete Finnish typescript among Dressers: Michelle Boudreau, Maseeh Ganjali, Bronzen Hahn, Donald Quilinquin Wuolijoki’s literary remains and reconstructed a full German playscript Make-up Artist: Rachel Weckhorst-Espejo by (re-) translating and filling in the missing pieces from that version. FRONT-OF-HOUSE STAFF Neureuter’s reconstructed script was first staged by Stadttheater Osnabrück in September 2008. The production of The Judith of Shimoda at Kennedy Staff Theatre Manager:Marty Myers Box Office Staff:Sarah Jane Carlton, Cindy Hartigan, Jordan Hensley, Theatre is not only the first English-language premiere of the play, it also Stefannye Slaughter resonates with an earlier attempt to stage Yuzo’s work in Honolulu: in 1933 Publicity Director: Tracy Robinson the Theatre Guild of the University of Hawai’i presented the first English- Publicity Assistant: Vincent Desrosiers language production of Sakazaki, Lord Dewa. Web Assistant: Erin Sim by Bertolt Brecht - Markus Wessendorf Photographer: Daniel Brown Graphic Designer: Brett Botbyl SPECIAL THANKS House Manager: Kristina Tannenbaum Samadhi Hawai’i, Leeward Community College, Suzanne, Assistant House Manager: Sarah Rohde Anika & Jamison Mitri, Henry Miyamura, Laurence Paxton Department Office Staff:Tana Marin, Lori Ann Chun Department Chair: W. Dennis Carroll The UHM ticket program is supported in part by a grant from the Student Activities and Program Fee Board. For large print programs, Assistive Listening Devices or any other accessibility requests please contact the House Manager or call the Kennedy Theatre Box Office by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill at 956-7655. The Kennedy Theatre production program is generously supported by grants from the John Chin Young Foundation and the Hung Wo Ching Foundation To arrange a Campus Security Escort from any two points on campus, please see a House Manager. April 30, May 1*, 21, & 22 at 7:30pm; May 2 & 23 at 2pm This production is the first event in the month-long Brecht Theatre *Free Pre-show Chat on May 1 - Please silence all pagers, phones and digital watches. g Festival which is part of the International Brecht Society’s - No photography or video recording is permitted. “Brecht in/and Asia” Conference to be held at UH Mānoa May 19 - 23. - Please refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in the theatre. Department of Theatre and Dance For more information on the conference go to: Lost and Found, call the Box Office at 956-7655. http://manoa.hawaii.edu/brecht2010. Visit us on the web at http://www.hawaii.edu/kennedy COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES MAHAGONNY SONGSPIEL (THE LITTLE MAHAGONNY) THE JUDITH OF SHIMODA DIRECTOR’S NOTES - MAHAGONNY SONGSPIEL Music by Kurt Weill By Bertolt Brecht When I first encountered the operaThe Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Text by Bertolt Brecht (and Elisabeth Hauptmann) Translated by Markus Wessendorf I was bowled over by its unrelenting portrayal of decadence and fascism. I The English-language world premiere. did the large opera with all the trimmings at a theatre in the former East A production of the MAE Z. ORVIS OPERA STUDIO of Hawai’i Opera Theatre German Republic shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall in the early 1990’s. It in association with the Department of Theatre and Dance and the Music ARTISTIC STAFF was a very edifying experience. When Markus Wessendorf offered to invite Department at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Director: Paul T. Mitri this production of The Mahagonny Songspiel to open the evening for his Scenic Designer: Chesley Cannon translation of Brecht’s The Judith of Shimoda, I was honored but thought I ARTISTIC STAFF Properties Designer: Donald Quillinquin knew the work inside out... Instead the ensemble has taught me much. The Director: Henry Akina Costume Designer: Amy Schrag † performers you see here are all based here in Hawai’i and are all associated Musical Direction: Eric Schank Lighting Designer: David Gerke with opera here in our state. They have taught me that things have changed Musical Assistance: Keane Ishii Sound Designer: Daniel Sakimura in the world since the 1990’s and that “Mahagonny,” that made up word Production Stage Manager for HOT: Jason Ichiyama that stands for the city of open possibility, changes its meaning and its Lighting Designer: David Gerke CAST OF CHARACTERS resonance over time. The city of Mahagonny has been variously identified as Los Angeles, Berlin, New York, Las Vegas, Brasilia and yes, Honolulu. Brecht CAST OF CHARACTERS g Mr. Akimura...... Tony Young used to say “When Mahagonny comes, I go.” But why go if “Mahagonny” is only a made up word? It is a pleasure for the Orvis Opera Studio of Hawai’i The Mahagonny Girls The Mahagonny Boys Ms. Ray...... Eleanor Svaton Jessie...... Bambi Brock Charlie...... Chad Williams Opera Theatre to be invited to perform at Kennedy Theatre. We are honored Mr. Clive ...... Christopher McGahan* Bessie...... Pauline Taumalolo Billy...... Kawika McGuire to be here. Mr. Kito...... Futoshi Terashita - Henry Akina Bobby...... Nick Walters Okichi...... D’neka Patten* DEDICATION Jimmy...... John Mount The production is dedicated to the memory of Galen Leong who once suggested Heusken, Old Man, Kamekichi, Crowd Member...... Dan. D. Randerson* in passing that Mahagonny should be in the repertoire of Hawai‘i Opera Theatre. Orchestra Wakana, Omoto, Oshimu, Boy, Crowd Member...... Evelyn Leung Conductor:...... Keane Ishii Townsend Harris, Prince Isa, Guard, Fish Seller, City Counselor...... James Schirmer Violin I:...... Dayna Furusawa Makamura, Osai, Geisha, Waitress, Crowd Member...... Kymberly (Casey) Vanclute DIRECTOR’S NOTES - THE JUDITH OF SHIMODA Violin II:...... Keven Tsunoda Inoue, Tsurumatsu, Samurai, City Counselor, Crowd Member..... Nicholas Atiburcio When Dr. Markus Wessendorf approached me to consider directing his Clarinet I:...... Justin Ricafort translation of The Judith of Shimoda, I was honored and humbled. The Ofuku, Crowd Member...... Noriko Katayama Clarinet II:...... Kameron K. Ko opportunity to be a part of an English-language premiere of one of the Alto Saxophone:...... Jeff Imamura Matsumura, Saito, Ah Lo, Crowd Member...... Ryan Wuestewald* world’s greatest playwrights is obviously not one to miss. But those feelings Trumpet I:...... Wyatt Nagao The Singer...... Megan Mount soon changed, replaced with thoughts of, “But what do I do with it??” What Trumpet II:...... Byron Lum Understudy...... Jillian Blakkan-Strauss spoke to me the most in the play was the role of a hero in society. Society’s Trombone:...... Keanuenue Hayashi mistreatment of heroes is omnipresent today, from pop music ‘stars’ to *In partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree requirements in Acting sports icons to war veterans. We love them for the few moments they bring Percussion:...... Frederick Mariano † In partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree requirements in Design Piano:...... Eric Schank interest and pleasure to our lives, but we soon tire of their achievements. It The Judith of Shimoda will be performed with one intermission. seems that it’s even more interesting to our society to tear down anything Produced with special arrangement by the European American Music Corporation, we build up. We seem to think fifteen minutes of fame is more than enough agent for The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc. and agent for the Estate of This production is entered into the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. for anyone and payment must be exacted for every second, whether the Stefan Brecht. hero sought it or not. Performed with permission from Suhrkamp Verlag, Berlin, Germany. SPECIAL THANKS Die Judith von Shimoda, by Bertolt Brecht, is based on a play by Yamamoto In seeking how to show the hierarchy of this relationship, I came upon This production is made possible by generous grants from the Arthur and Mae Z. Orvis Foundation and The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music. Yuzo, in collaboration with Hella Wuolijoki, reconstructed play version by Brecht’s idea about using vertical space (Bertolt Brecht and John Willett, Also thanks to Barett Hoover, Nola Nahulu, John Rehnke, Karen Tiller Hans Peter Neureuter. Brecht on Theatre: The Development of an Aesthetic [New York: Hill and Wang, 1964], 233). In his time, he was somewhat limited in his staging choices. In This performance is funded in part by Funding for The Judith of Shimoda provided by: our production, we have been blessed to have people willing to go beyond The State Foundation On Culture and the Arts, the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc., New York, NY old confinements and seek and learn new ways to look at theatre. I’d and through appropriations from the The Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc. administers, promotes, and perpetuates the legacies Hawai’i State Legislature especially like to thank Andrea Torres of Samadhi Hawai’i for her expertise of Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya. It encourages broad dissemination and appreciation of Weill’s (and by the National Endowment for the Arts). and guidance, David Griffith for agreeing to find a way to do what was music through support of performances, productions, recordings, and scholarship; it fosters needed, and this fearless cast who have gone on quite a journey…up… understanding of Weill’s and Lenya’s lives and work within diverse cultural contexts; and, Vice Chancellor’s Office of Research & Graduate Education, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa into the air. building upon the legacies of both, it nurtures talent, particularly in the creation, performance, Dean’s Office, College of Arts and Humanities, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and study of musical theater in its various manifestations and media. www.kwf.org - Paul T. Mitri