A total of 10 hours! A trilogy that will immerse you in the world of Greek tragedy

(Top image) Photo: Yoshikazu Inoue

A world of art to visit, see and feel
File.22 KUNIO15 "Greeks"
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)

Sublime and majestic. That's the world that generally comes to mind when you think of Greek tragedy. Some might say it's a bit sleepy.
But guess what!
KUNIO15's "The Greeks," co-produced by KAAT and KUNIO, was something quite different.

Although ten Greek tragedies were reconstructed into one story using modern theatrical techniques, it was a three-part epic with a running time of ten hours. I had to prepare myself for this, I thought, when I stepped into the theater, but there I found a landscape that was connected to the everyday lives of Japanese people. From the "entrance to the story" prepared by director Kunio Sugihara, the audience was easily drawn into the distant world of ancient Greek stories.

*Photography: Yoshikazu Inoue

The stage, which incorporates the image of the pine-leaf pattern found in the background of a Noh stage, exudes a sense of purity befitting a setting for weaving the tales of the gods. By incorporating vinyl and plastic, which could be said to be symbols of modern consumer culture, the world of ancient Greece is linked to modern Japan. Sugihara, who also worked on the stage design, develops the performance dynamically, keeping the audience engaged. It's a driving force that makes the 10 hours go by in the blink of an eye.

*Photography: Yoshikazu Inoue

Greek tragedy is said to be the origin of today's plays and stories, and may be a hurdle for directors to overcome. Having directed "Oedipus REXXX" at KAAT last year and feeling a sense of accomplishment in Greek tragedy, Sugihara chose "Greeks" as his next step.

"I am well aware that this is a work that goes against the trend of an age in which simple and easy things are popular (laughs). But that is exactly why I believe in the power of stories, the power of art, and the power of theater, and I wanted to present it to society."
"I want to convey to the audience the 'fun' and 'coolness' of classics. 'The Greeks' is a work that premiered in the UK in 1980, and it has been reconstructed and expanded, so it may not be a 'classic' in the pure sense. Still, to tackle this play requires physical strength and stamina as a director. At least, there were no directors around me who were willing to stage such a large-scale work, and it is extremely rare to find a theater that will allow it to be performed. For the actors and staff who work with me, and for the audience, it is not an experience that you can have many times in your lifetime (laughs)."

*Photography: Yoshikazu Inoue

The moody, selfish, and unique gods of Greek mythology have something in common with the gods that appear in Japanese mythology. Greek tragedies are stories about humans at the mercy of such gods, but it was human imagination that created the "gods" in the first place.
Many of the Greek gods have names that are familiar to Japanese people. When you realize this, it's strange how, even though it's a story that was created a long time ago, it somehow feels like it's not something that's unrelated to you.

After previews in Morishita (Tokyo) and a performance in Kyoto, which Sugihara considers his second hometown, "Greeks" will finally open at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre.

"Kanagawa Prefecture is my hometown, and I've been practicing "Greeks" at KAAT, so it feels like I'm "coming back to home ground". It's the culmination of what I've cultivated in small theaters, and I think it's a turning point for me, so I hope many people will come and see it.

This event has ended.
Co-produced by KAAT and KUNIO
KUNIO15 " Greeks "
[Date and time] November 21st (Thursday) - 30th (Saturday)
*No performances on Friday 22nd, Monday 25th, and Thursday 28th
Each day
Part 1: 11:30~
Part 2: 15:00~
Part 3: 18:30~
[Venue] KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre Large Studio
[Edited and translated by] John Barton and Kenneth Cavander
[Translated by] Hidemi Ozawa
[Direction and Art] Kunio Sugihara
[Cast] Amagiya Ryo, Ando Tamae, Honda Maki (SPAC - Shizuoka Performing Arts Center), Takeda Satoru (Uo-to), Ishimura Mika (Tegamiza), Hakoda Satoshi (Tegamiza), Tanaka Yuya (Nakano Naoki + Frankens), Watanabe Ryo, Fujii Saryu, Fukuhara Kan (Hanchu-yuei), Morita Masakazu, Ikeura Sadamu (Otokoniku du Soleil), Matsunaga Reiko (Nylon 100°C), Toyama Seiji (Bungakuza), Oda Yutaka and others
[Price] (All seats reserved) All-day ticket ¥10,000, <Tickets for each session> Adult ¥5,000, 24 years old and under ¥2,500, High school students and under ¥1,000, Seniors (65 years old and over) ¥4,500