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<p align="center"><b><small><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="5"><small>Pangaea
Arts
presents</small></font></small><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><br>
<small>in association with </small></font></b><font size="2"><b><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><small>the Gateway Theatre<br>
</small><br>
<big><big><big>The Gull: The Steveston Noh Project</big></big></big><br>
</font></b></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><b><br>
</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><strong>Pangaea
Arts </strong>presents <strong>The Gull</strong>, a new Canadian Noh
play by <strong>Daphne
Marlatt</strong> with music by <strong>Richard Emmert</strong>, about
the experience of Japanese Canadian fishermen returning to Steveston
after the internment years. </font><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">Japanese Noh
performers will travel from Japan to collaborate with Canadian theatre
artists. </font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><strong>Richmond
City Hall </strong>hosts the event in the North Plaza, where a
traditional Noh stage will be erected inside a tent, from <strong>May
10 to 14</strong>, Thursday - Saturday 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 2pm, 2
for 1 preview Wednesday 8pm. Tickets $25. All performances at Richmond
City Hall (6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond). Parking available on 2nd Floor
of Richmond Cultural Centre. Dress warm, it may be cool in the tent. <strong>Tickets
at the Gateway Theatre Box Office: (604) 270-1812</strong>. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"> </font><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">For
more information see <a href="http://www.pangaea-arts.com">www.pangaea-arts.com</a>
<br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><strong>SHOWTIMES<br>
Wednesday May 10, 8pm Preview (2 for 1) <br>
Thursday May 11, 8pm - Opening Night<br>
Friday May 12, 8pm<br>
Saturday May 13, 2pm </strong></font><strong><font
face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">Matinée <br>
Saturday May 13, 8pm<br>
Sunday May 14, 2pm Matinée<br>
<br>
</font></strong><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"
size="3">Acclaimed BC author <strong>Daphne Marlatt </strong>has
written an
original Canadian Noh play, <strong>The Gull</strong>, that speaks of
the experience of Japanese-Canadians returning to Steveston after the
internment years. The story features two brothers who return to
Steveston to fish in 1950. While they are travelling up the coast for
the first time, a ghostly creature, part woman and part bird, visits
their boat. She pleads for the brothers to leave the hostile West Coast
and return to their parent’s birthplace in Wakayama-ken, Japan.<br>
<br>
<strong>Noh Theatre </strong>is the oldest existing form of
theatre and is a combination of stylized gesture, expressive dance,
powerful chant, elegant mask, and intricate percussion, creating a
uniquely mysterious and memorable beauty.<br>
<br>
Internationally acclaimed <strong>Noh master Akira Matsui </strong>(designated
an Important Intangible Cultural Asset by the government of Japan in
1998) and <strong>Noh expert Richard Emmert </strong>will travel from
Japan to mentor and <strong>collaborate with Canadian theatre artists</strong>.
<br>
<br>
Professional Noh musicians <strong>Mitsuo Kama</strong>, <strong>Hitoshi
Sakurai</strong>, <strong>Naoko Takahashi</strong>, and <strong>Narumi
Takizawa </strong>will come from Japan to participate in this cultural
collaboration.<br>
<br>
Canadian performers include <strong>Alvin Catacutan</strong>, <strong>David
Fujino</strong>, <strong>Simon Hayama</strong>, <strong>Michael
Robinson</strong>, <strong>Ari Solomon</strong>, <strong>Kerry
VanderGriend </strong>and <strong>Minoru Yamamoto</strong>.<br>
<br>
<strong>Richmond City Hall </strong>hosts the event in the North
Plaza, where a <strong>traditional Noh stage </strong>will be erected
inside a tent. Parking is available on the 2nd floor of the Richmond
Cultural Centre parkade.<br>
<br>
Wakayama artist <strong>Hakuzan Kubo </strong>has created two
original Noh masks for this production, and will bring from Japan a
selection of his masks for display at the <strong>Richmond Museum</strong>.<br>
<br>
Canadian designers include costume designer <strong>Margaret McKea</strong>,
lighting designer <strong>Bill Davey</strong>, and set designer <strong>Phillip
Tidd</strong>.</font> </p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><strong>ANCILLARY
EVENTS<br>
<br>
Noh Mask Exhibit by Hakuzan Kubo</strong><br>
May 1 to 12, 2006 Richmond Museum (7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond)<br>
<br>
<strong>Lecture Demonstration on Noh Maskmaking by Hakuzan Kubo</strong><br>
May 1, 2006 7:30pm Richmond Cultural Centre (7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond)<br>
May 4, 2006 7:00pm National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre
(Kingsway and Sperling, Burnaby)<br>
<br>
<strong>Lecture Demonstration on Noh Theatre by Akira Matsui and
Richard Emmert</strong><br>
May 7, 2006 7:00pm Richmond Cultural Centre (7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond)</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><strong>SELECTED
BIOGRAPHIES OF ARTISTIC TEAM<br>
</strong><br>
<strong>Akira Matsui – Director / Choreographer / Lead Actor
(Shite) / Teacher</strong><br>
Akira Matsui is a master actor-teacher of the Kita School of Japanese
classical Noh Theatre. He began studying Noh at the age of 7, and at
the age of 12, he became a "live-in apprentice" to Kita Minoru, the
15th generation of Noh masters of the Kita School (one of the five
guilds of Noh main actors). Matsui has been active for over 25 years in
disseminating Noh abroad. From his firm foundation in tradition, Matsui
has experimented in intercultural collaboration. Akira is unique for a
traditional Noh actor – through his intercultural work he aims to
create new possibilities of expression for Noh. "I try not to touch the
style of Noh, but I want to perform Noh in another form, as it was
never done before, I want to confront Noh with new possibilities of
expression." <br>
<br>
<strong>Richard Emmert – Composer / Musical Director / Teacher</strong><br>
Born in Ohio in 1949, Richard Emmert is an American who has studied,
taught, and performed Noh drama in Japan since 1973. A certified Kita
school Noh instructor, he has studied all aspects of Noh performance
with a special concentration in movement and music. A professor at
Musashino University in Tokyo where he teaches Asian theatre and music,
he also directs in Tokyo a semi-intensive, on-going Noh Training
Project for English Speakers as well as continuing to lead a 3-week
summer intensive Noh Training Project in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.
Emmert continues to perform traditional Noh in Japan.<br>
<br>
<strong>Daphne Marlatt – Writer </strong><br>
Daphne Marlatt is an internationally recognized poet and novelist
living in Vancouver. She has recently been made a Member of the Order
of Canada in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished service to
Canadian culture. She has published a wide range of works in several
genres including novels (Ana Historic, Taken), non-fiction, and
fourteen books of poetry (most recently, This Tremor Love Is). Her 1974
cycle of poems, Steveston, was recently released in a new edition by
Ronsdale Press. She also edited the oral history, Steveston
Recollected: A Japanese-Canadian History. Her radio play Steveston,
directed by Radio Producer John Reeves, was aired on CBC in 1976 and
1977.<br>
<br>
<strong>Hakuzan Kubo – Noh Mask Designer</strong><br>
A Wakayama artist, Hakuzan Kubo was a student of legendary Noh
maskmaker Setsu Ikkan. After the death of his teacher Ikkan, he became
the head representative of the Noh Mask Cultural Association and the
head teacher of the Kita Midou school of Noh maskmaking. His masks have
been exhibited in Japan, the USA and in Europe.<br>
</font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">INFORMATION:
Lenard Stanga<br>
PHONE: (604)875-8316<br>
</font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3">FAX:
(604)875-8311 <br>
E-MAIL: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:lenard@pangaea-arts.com">lenard@pangaea-arts.com</a><br>
</font></p>
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