Go, see, and feel the world of art
File.16 Wharf Workshop 2019
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)
The Wharf Workshop has started again this year.
The place is the art center "Wakabacho Wharf" which was established in 2017.
The 14 performers came from Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Singapore, Nanjing, Chongqing, Beijing, Hefei, Xi'an, Lijiang, Shanghai and Tokyo.
Wakabacho Wharf artistic director Makoto Sato serves as a lecturer himself, and the training programs are truly diverse, including workshops by dancers and Noh performers, lectures by theater critics, theater performances, and facility tours.
Here, they spend 20 days working on their creations while sleeping and eating together.
*Click here for last year's report !
But before that.
The first thing participants face is the problem of “communication”. English and Chinese interpreters will be provided at the workshop, but in order for everyone to create a single piece of work, it is necessary to make full use of the time spent there to understand each other. I can't talk about it because I've been shut up in my room. I have to use gestures and translation software on my smartphone to somehow communicate.
On the day I visited the rehearsal hall, a workshop was being held by Mr. Hikaru Uzawa (Kanze-style Noh performer/Tesenkai). The theme is "movement of Noh". You will learn basic forms one by one, such as the unique standing posture and carrying (suriashi).
Since Noh is sometimes described as "the art of walking," learning this basic posture may be a way to get closer to the spirit of Noh.
In the rehearsal room, the words of the instructor are followed by words in English and Chinese. What surprised me was the amount of words spoken by the interpreter. Simply replacing words does not convey what the lecturer is trying to say, so adding supplementary or alternative expressions inevitably results in too many words. Of course, full use of gestures.
No, interpreting is an art in itself.
Questions from the participants also flew in three languages.
Not only the language, but also the environment and cultural background in which we were born and raised, so the realizations and emotions are different for each person. Still, the questions of the participating members are accurate, and I feel the heat of trying to absorb them greedily.
At the end, everyone recites a passage from “Yang Guifei” in unison.
Although he was told, "Even if you don't understand the meaning, first imitate it out loud," it seems that the unique melody stimulated the curiosity of the participants. When Mr. Uzawa took out his own recitation book, everyone peered into it with great interest, and the discussion was heated. It was so exciting that time passed.
“Today, my goal was simply to convey the kata, but at the end there were many questions about the theatrical nature of Noh. There is a limit to what can be conveyed in a limited amount of time, so I would like to have a long talk with them while eating.” (Mr. Uzawa)
In a complete change from the heated rehearsal room, this is the lunchtime scenery of the shared lounge. We spoke with Mr. Takaki Terakoshi (participant actor) who was making lunch.
“I have also participated in workshops with foreign directors, but this is the first time I have experienced such an exotic feeling. There is no doubt that he is a person with a career.It will be interesting because he will create a work by combining everyone's humanity."
In one corner of the lounge, there is also a pile of “souvenirs” brought from each region. It may be that hot theatrical theories are being exchanged night after night here. While looking at the packaging of sweets, I envisioned the diversity of languages flying around.
In the afternoon, a dance workshop by Ms. Keiko Takeya (a dancer).
Training to move the joints and muscles of the body to every corner is a must-have subject for performers. The sense of feeling each other's presence and composing a space is also indispensable for the creation of works.
The workshop will continue after this. What kind of works will be produced by co-creation that transcends the boundaries of languages, customs, generations, genres, tradition and modernity?
I want to confirm the answer on the stage where the curtain will open soon.
This event has ended.
Wharf Workshop 2019 [Person who came]
Date and time: August 2, 2019 (Friday) 19:00 / 3rd (Sat) and 4th (Sun) 14:00
■ Venue: Wakabacho Wharf
■Ticket price: advance ticket 3,500 yen/same-day ticket 4,000 yen
■ Inquiries: 045-315-6025 (Wakabacho Wharf)
*Click here for details !!
