TomoeArts presents the world premiere of a provocative and heartrending new work, Kayoi Komachi/Komachi Visited, a noh chamber opera, October 26 – 28, 2017 at The Cultch. Master Japanese practitioners of noh – Japan’s 14th century theatre art – combine talents with Western classical musicians in an operatic re-imagining of the classic tale of unrequited love: Kayoi Komachi. This mesmerizing ‘East meets West’ invention exposes the desire, tribulation, and mystery between a man and woman caught in the throes of a tumultuous romance.
“At the edge of the Asia-Pacific Gateway, Vancouver has long enjoyed cross-cultural collaborations with Japan, from which have transpired remarkable artistic ventures,” says Colleen Lanki, Director of TomoeArts. “Noh is one of Japan’s greatest traditional performing arts, and is constantly evolving with each generation. In Kayoi Komachi/Komachi, we are pushing the boundaries of noh, while taking Western opera far beyond its familiar context as we interweave the two genres.”
In Kayoi Komachi/Komachi Visited, audiences will find the noh text more fragmented, and free-flowing, the harmonies and choreography carefully altered, and the rhythm reworked from the conventional eight-beat phrase structure. The classical ensemble will play noh melodies and percussive patterns, and vocalists will sing pitches and perform gestures unlike any repertoire they have encountered. Added to the dynamic interplay between English and Japanese dialogue, this piece brings noh and opera to brand-new territory.
The story of Kayoi Komachi is taken from one of five noh plays about the life of Ono-no-Komachi (c. 825-900 CE), one of the six great waka poets of Japan. In it, Ono-no-Komachi is a ghost haunted by the vengeful spirit of Fukakusa-no-Shōshō, a man she is said to have rejected in life. Kayoi Komachi/Komachi Visited features text from the original Kayoi Komachi, the noh play Sotoba Komachi, and Komachi’s own exquisite poetry. The adaption departs from the otherworldly to a contemporary, real-life setting, and examines the complex intimacy between a man and woman in a passionate, but destructive relationship.
TomoeArts presents: Kayoi Komachi/Komachi Visited
Dates: October 26 - 28, 2017
Ticket Prices: From $40
Address: The Cultch Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver, BC V5L 2H6
Box Office: thecultch.com
Website: tomoearts.org