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Wakabacho Wharf, a small art center in Yokohama that “lives, creates, and communicates”, has started!

「住まう、作る、発信する」横浜の小さなアートセンター若葉町ウォーフが発進!

Artist-in-residence facility with theater, practice studio, and accommodation

-What kind of facility is Wakabacho Wharf?

(Kawaguchi)
The facility has a theater with a capacity of 44 people on the first floor, a studio with mirrors and a lesson bar on the second floor, and accommodation with 20 beds on the third floor.

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Theater on the first floor. It features variable seating, a stage, and a high ceiling of over 4 meters.

(Kawaguchi)
Wakabacho Wharf's goal is to become an "art center in your town." Here, there are places where you can make things, places where you can stay, and places where you can live. Live, create, and publish. Furthermore, various people can be involved in various ways, such as attending a play or being involved in the production. Wharf means ``pier,'' and the idea is that activities and exchanges will expand from here.

I think the number of artist-in-residence (AIR) facilities, where artists stay in a local area and create works based on inspiration from the local life and interactions, is expected to increase both domestically and internationally. However, we want to make this a place where we can proactively collaborate with other facilities and other regions and create connections, such as by having what we create here performed somewhere else.

Wakaba Town is a very attractive town. It is home to people from many different countries, and one of its characteristics is that it is especially comfortable for visitors from other countries.

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Studio on the second floor. It is suitable for rehearsals as it has the same space as the stage on the first floor. You can also use the dressing room during the performance.

Understanding Sarah Kane's ``4.48 Psychosis''

 

-Please tell us about this event.

(Kawaguchi)
Sarah Kane, born in 1971, is a British playwright who was active in the 1990s. It will soon be 20 years since his death. It was introduced in Japan in the 2000s.
The 1990s, when she wrote her plays, was the era of the Rwandan conflict, the Gulf War, and the Yugoslav conflict, and Kane made a striking debut with a play that depicted the brutal acts of British soldiers at the time. Although she wrote ``4.48 Psychosis'' in 1999, she died at the young age of 28 without ever seeing it performed in theaters.

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At the shared lounge for guests on the 3rd floor. 12 beds for both men and women and 8 beds for women. Equipped with a shared kitchen, shower, washing machine, and free Wi-Fi. It is also registered on the accommodation reservation site, so you can stay there even if you are not involved in the theater.

- When you read the play ``4.48 Psychosis,'' first of all, there are no character names, and there are parts that just look like a list of numbers, so it seems to be a far cry from the formal format of a play. I can't imagine how it will be performed.

(Kawaguchi)
That is right. It's not an easy play, so first let's unpack what the play is about. After that, I decided that I wanted to work on my work. This is a two-year project that will take advantage of Wakabacho Wharf, which will host an artist-in-residence.
Even the author, Sarah Kane, said, ``I don't know how many actors will appear in this movie.'' Since he is a writer who rewrote and published his own plays that had been performed, it can be said that ``4.48 Psychosis'' is not a final draft. I think that because it is not a final draft, there are many possibilities.
Currently, I'm working with Nina, a Sarah Kane researcher, to discuss the English and Japanese texts together.
In this reading, I will share the words of Sarah Kane. We have a plan to present it in the form of an opera in the winter of 2019.

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British playwright Sarah Kane was born in Essex in 1971. In 1995, at the age of 23, he made a spectacular debut with "Blasted". He received praise from Harold Pinter, Edward Bond, and others. He has published five plays and one short film script. He committed suicide at the age of 28. There is no sense of darkness from the expression on the cover of the play collection.

Sarah Kane works from Yokohama

-How did Sarah Kane researcher Nina and Takimoto-san, who will appear in the film, meet?

(Kawaguchi)
A few years ago, when I was performing a series of Sarah Kane's works, I happened to meet Nina Kane, who was visiting Japan on a trip. It's been about 10 years since I met Mr. Takimoto. We met when we were both training. I don't think there are many people who would agree to a project like this experiment (lol), but I have worked with Mr. Takimoto on experimental things in addition to Sarah Kane's work.

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Tomoko Kawaguchi Director. Wakabacho Wharf Artistic Associate. Born in 1983. Completed graduate school at Tokyo Gakugei University. Studied under playwright and director Shin Sato.

Nina, how do you feel about Sarah Kane research being conducted in Japan, far away from England?

(Nina)
This is my first time staying in Yokohama, Japan. I also participate in theater salons, where I am able to interact with local theater artists and receive inspiration from them. I feel that various activities and connections that transcend national borders give strength to the place called Yokohama.
When I saw Mr. Kawaguchi's production of Sarah Kane a while ago, I was moved to realize that there were people who had the same sensibilities as me. Sarah Kane is famous in the UK, but her interpretation is biased and I am not satisfied with it. I would like to bring this project to the UK as well.
We are currently editing a book on Sarah Kane research to be published this fall, and have decided to include the work at Wakabacho Wharf in the final chapter. If it is published around the world, I think we will be able to introduce that there is such an interesting art place in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

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Nina Kane. Has been researching Sarah Kane since 2007. This time's invited artist (UK). Cast Off Drama Artistic Director. Serving as dramaturge for the text reading of "4.48 Psychosis" to be performed at Wakabacho Wharf on February 7th and 8th.

-On February 7th and 8th, we will perform a text reading of the difficult work ``4.48 Psychosis.'' Mr. Takimoto is acting alone in a work where it is unknown how many performers there will be. How does Mr. Takimoto feel?

(Takimoto)
Some people may think that this place called Wakabacho Wharf, the term "play" itself, and the fact that Sarah Kane wrote about it are scary. I want to tell them that I'm not scared. I hope that I can embody this by being protected by Nina's love, Kawaguchi-san's passion, and the love of the local people. Acting, theater, and Sarah Kane's books are all surprisingly ordinary things.
I think of myself as a sponge, and this time I've been absorbing everything I've received from sharp books, sharp planners, their love and passion, their works, and customers. What I save up here may be put to use elsewhere.

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Naoko Takimoto. actor. Belongs to the theater company Black Tent. He will be the only performer involved in the text reading of ``4.48 Psychosis,'' which will be performed on February 7th and 8th.

I want to convey the freedom of theater.

- Why are you bringing up Sarah Kane's work here?

(Kawaguchi)
If I was going to do something with Worf, I first wanted to do something pointy. It's good to have a variety of plays. Rather than heading towards a uniform world, theater should be more free. As we approach the playwright Sarah Kane from various angles, including talks, workshops, and text readings, we hope to meet people who can work with us on activities and projects at this theater.
And I want to leave you with the impression that if you come to the Wharf, you will see something strange. I want to preserve the edgy aspect of being able to see things that aren't available elsewhere.
Playwright Sarah Kane, who is not necessarily well-known, is difficult! That's what people tend to think. But it's not interesting because it's difficult to cover. In fact, it is relatively junk, there are many access points, and the hurdles are not high. I think it's okay to date someone as if you were reading a manga.
The impact of theater is that I have seen something difficult, the fact that humans perform on the spot, things that are more interesting than the internet, things that I would normally not find if I were alone at the theater, things that I cannot accept within myself. I hope it becomes a work that people can experience.

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Wakabacho Wharf building. A 50-year-old building that retains the atmosphere of the Showa era has been renovated.

WAKABACHO WHARF
Address: 3-47-1 Wakaba-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
Phone number 045-315-6025
FAX number 045-315-6027
E-mail info@wharf.site

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“4.48 PSYCHOSIS”
Period: January 28th (Sunday) – February 9th (Friday), 2018
Invited artist: Nina Kane (Cast Off Drama Artistic Director/UK)
Planning: Tomoko Kawaguchi (Wakabacho Wharf Artistic Associate)

◇Program 1 Screening + Talk
Video screening and talk program of “Cleansed” (written by Sarah Kane), which was performed continuously from 2010 to 2013.

Wednesday, January 31st 19:00
Screening: “Purification. ” (2011 Ariza cleansed project)
Talk program: Momoyo Niimi (Art Forum Azamino Gender Equality Center Yokohama Kita) & Nina Kane

February 1st (Thursday) 19:00
Screening: “Washed and Purified” (2012 Kamiza cleansed project)
Talk program: Hiroyuki Kondo (Shakespeare scholar, professor at Tokyo Gakugei University/translator of “Washed Purified”) & Nina Cain

◇Program 2 Open Workshop
February 3rd (Sat) 13:00-16:00
Facilitator: Tomoko Kawaguchi & Nina Cain

◇Program 3 Text Reading
February 7th (Wednesday) + February 8th (Thursday) 19:30
“4.48 Psychosis” Text Reading
Written by: Sarah Kane
Translation: Takehiko Tanioka
Direction: Tomoko Kawaguchi
Dramaturg: Nina Cain
Stage director: Tatsuhiko Ito
Sound: Takeshi Shima
Lighting: Yusuke Yokohara
Cast: Naoko Takimoto

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