International Theatrical Puppetry Collaboration: "Akutagawa"
Venue: Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
Date: Saturday, February 18, 2023
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Event Types: Arts & Theatre
Cost:

Description:
The Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech presents three performances of "Akutagawa" on Friday, February 17, 2023 at 7:30 PM and on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM.

Magic abounds through tales of the supernatural presented with beautifully detailed miniature sets, extraordinary effects, and ingenious artistry. Created by Japanese master puppeteer Koryu Nishikawa V and American puppet artist Tom Lee, a new stage work uses bunraku puppets, video projection, and live music to explore the creative process of Ryunosuke Akutagawa, one of Japan’s most important early 20th-century writers, through several of his short stories.

Known as the “father of the Japanese short story,” the author is most widely known in the West through Akira Kurosawa’s landmark film, Rashomon, based on Akutagawa’s In the Bamboo Grove. Akutagawa is an international theatrical collaboration showcasing the limitless storytelling possibilities of puppetry to create a portrait of an immensely talented, complicated artist who took his own life at the age of 35.

General admission tickets are $30.00. Students with ID and youth ages 18 & under are $10.00.

To purchase tickets online, visit: https://tickets.artscenter.vt.edu/online/seatSelect.asp?createBO::WSmap=1&BOparam::WSmap::loadBestAvailable::performance_ids=E2A05D59-A982-4099-B0F0-467535682504.

Koryu Nishikawa V is the co-creator, puppeteer and puppet designer and Tom Lee is co-creator, video designer and puppeteer. Yukio Tsuji is the composer and musician, Chris Carcione is the video designer and Ryugyoku Nishikawa is the puppeteer.

Note: Please be advised that this performance contains reference to suicide.

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

This is the first performance of Akutagawa at the Moss Arts Center. This engagement of Akutagawa, co-created by Koryu Nishikawa V and Tom Lee, is made possible in part through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech is located at 330 Turner Street NW in Blacksburg, VA.

For more information, visit: https://artscenter.vt.edu/performances/akutagawa.html or https://www.facebook.com/artscenteratvt or https://www.instagram.com/artscenteratvt/ or call 540-231-5300.