NEWS FLASH !!


In 2010 following four Canadian Plays will be produced in Tokyo
by Toyoshi Yoshihara's translation.

"7 Stories" by Morris Panych
Producer: The Association of Japanese Theatre Companies & Seinenza Theatre
Director: Hisao Takase
from March 25 through 31 @ Seinenza Theatre, Tokyo

"GAS" by Jason Maghanoy
Producer: People Theater
Director: Mutsumi Morii
from May 25 through 31 @ Theatre X, Tokyo

"High Life" by Lee MacDougall
Producer: Hanagumi Nouvelle
from May 25 through 30 @ Za Suzunari, Tokyo

"Odd Jobs" by Frank Moher
Producer: Sai Studio
in November (Exact dates TBA)

2010.01.20.

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2009 was another bumper crop year for Canadian Theatre introduction to Japan.
11 plays and a musical were produced as follows, all in Tokyo.

"Blood Relations" by Sharon Pollock
in January by Theatre Group Hylind

"Drowsy Chaperone" by Bob Martin etc.
by Hori Pro

"One Thousand Cranes" by Colin Thomas
in February by Bonkaza Theatre

"Another Season's Promise" by Anne Chislett
in May/June by Theatre Company Mingei

"Filthy Rich" by George F. Walker
in July by Show-Biz Planning

"How It Works" by Daniel MacIvor
presented by Marshmallow Waves

"LILIES" by Michel Marc Bouchard
in June (July in Kobe) by Studio Life

"Odd Jobs" by Frank Moher
in July by Bunkaza Theatre

"High Life" by Lee MacDougall
in September by Ryuzanji Company

"The Book Shop" by Marie-Jose Bastan
presented by Basta Inc. etc.

"Scorched" by Wajdi Mouawad
in October/November by People Theatre

"John & Beatrice" by Carole Frechette
in November by Sai Studio

2009.10.10
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"One Thousand Cranes" Remount Production

Canada's TYA play "One Thousand Cranes"
was first produced in Japan in 1985.
The young children who saw it 20 plus years ago
are now parents themselves to their children.
They are asking us to revive the production
so that they in turn can take thir children to this unforgettable play
just as their parents did.
.
It is to respond to such wonderful request
that we have decided to remount
Colin Thomas's "One Thousand Cranes",
a story of a Hiroshima girl who died young from neuclear bomb's after efffects
and her Canadian friends.
The show will run from February 12 through 22, 2009
at Bunkaza Atelier Theatre in Tokyo.

2008.7.22

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2008 Lineup

In 2008 following three Canadian Plays are slated for productions in Japan.

"The Drawer Boy" by Michael Healey
Translated by T. Odashima
Directed by Hitoshi Uyama
Presented by Kato Kenichi Jimusho
from Mar. 12 through 26
at Haiyuza Gekijo, Tokyo

"The Dishwashers" by Morris Panych
Translated by Toyoshi Yoshihara
Directed by Rui Takemura
Presented by Show Biz Planning
from April 9 through 13
at Benisan Pit, Tokyo

"Girl In the Goldfish Bowl" by Morris Panych
Translated & Directed by Souichiro Tanaka
Presented by Haiyuza
from July 5 through 13
at Haiyuza Theatre

"Half Life" by John Mighton
Translated by Toyoshi Yoshihara
Directed by Jun Kikuchi
Presented jointly by Gekidan Subaru & Sai Studio
in September/October
at Sai Studio, Tokyo

2007.12.13

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John Lazaras' "Dreaming and Duelling"
a great success in Japan

The show was presented by Theatre Group STUDIO LIFE
from September 5 through 18, 2007
at Metropolitan Arts Theatre in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
Translator: Toyoshi Yoshihara
Director: Jun Kurata

2007.9.30

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The 4th
"Canadian Theatre Festival in Tokyo"
will be held in Theatre X(Kai) in June 2007.
Ryuzanji Office and Marshmallow Waves will participate
with
Carole Frechette's "Helen's Necklace"
and
Daniel MacIvor's "You Are Here"
respectively.
In addition
Maple Leaf Theatre and Studio Life are expected to participate
with yet-to-be-determined new plays written by young, upcoming Canadian authors.
Further development will be announced as it is seen.

2006.08.11


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An article appeared in one of Canada's leading theater magazines, "CanPlay",
about "Maple Leaf Theatre" and
Toyoshi Yoshihara's efforts to introduce Canadian plays to Japan.
For the copy, please click here.

July 11. 2005


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Canadian Plays to be Produced in Japan in 2005

As far as our research goes
following six Canadian plays will be produced in Japan
in the course of 2005.

"Escape From Happiness"
by George F. Walker
to be produced in March by Theatre Echo
at Ebisu Echo Theatre, Tokyo,
Director Atsuko Aoyagi

"High Life"
by Lee MacDougall
to be produced by Ryuzanji & Comopany
and presented in April in Sapporo, Nagoya and Osaka,
Director Show Ryuzanji

"High Life"
by Lee MacDougall
to be produced in August by Hanagumi Shibai Off Theatre
at Theatre Brats, Tokyo.
Director Kiyoshi Mizusita.

"Waiting for the Parade"
by John Murrell
to be produced by Mingei
at their rehearsal studio in Kawasaki.
The dates of the performances are yet to be announced.
Director Jun Uchiyama

"Quiet in the Land"
by Anne Chislett
to be produced in October by Maple Leaf Theatre
at Theatre X (Kai), Tokyo,
Director Takehisa Kaiyama

"Memoir"
by John Murrell
to be produced by Shochiku, starring Rei Asami
under the direction by Keiko Miyata.
After seven performances at the Sunshine Theatre in Tokyo
the production will tour
Hakodate, Asahikawa, Akita, Fukusima, Sendai and other northern cities
from early October through to December.

2005.2.15


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Three plays Translated by Toyoshi Yoshihara
will be produced in June in Tokyo, i.e.,

"Waiting for the Parade"
by John Murrell
will be presented by Bungakuza at Kinokuniya Hall
under the directorship of Hitoshi Uyama,
the recent winner of Yomiuri Engeki Taisho (the best director of the year)

"Sisters Matsumoto"
by Philip Kan Gotanda
will be presented by Mingei at Kinokuniya Southern Theatre
under the directorship of Seisuke Takahashi
starring such luminaries as Fumie Kashiyama and Eiko Mizuhara

"The Petition"
by Brian Clark
will be presented by New National Theatre of Japan
at NNT's Pit Theatre
starring two of the most revered actors in Japan
Mitsuko Kusabue and Mizuho Suzuki.
The director, Koichi Kimura,
is also one of the most respected names in Japanese theatre.

April 16, 2004


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March 2004 was a busy month for Toyoshi Yoshihara of Maple Leaf Theatre.
Four Canadian plays, all translated by him, were produced in Tokyo.
They were:-

"2 Pianos, 4 Hands"
written, directed and starred by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt
presented by Shochiku at Le Theatre Ginza
with Japanese subtitles by Toyoshi Yoshihara

"Yellow Fever"
written by Rick Shiomi, directed by Show Ryuzanji
presented by Ryuzanji & Company at Theatre Kai

"7 Stories" (Public Reading)
written by Morris Panych, directed by Nanao Kobayashi
presented by Ryuzanji & Company at Theatre Kai

"Odd Jobs"
written by Frank Moher, directed by Takehisa Kaiyama
presented by Maple Leaf Theatre at Theatre Kai

2004.03.26
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2003 was Another Banner Year
for Canadian Theatre in Japan

Following 10 Canadian plays were produced in Japanese translation,
all except two ("Possible Worlds" and "LILIES") using Toyoshi Yoshihara's translation,

January: "High Life" by Lee MacDougall (Seinenza, Tokyo)
January-February: "7 Stories" by Morris Panych (Group FOCO, Tokyo)
April-May: "Memoir" by John Murrell (Shochiku/Parco, Tokyo and Kobe)
April-May: "Odd Jobs" by Frank Moher (Gekidan Mingei, Tokyo)
May: "Waiting for the Parade" by John Murrell (Tokyo Theatre Group "Kaze", Tokyo)
July-August: "Possible Worlds" by John Mighton (Rinko Gun, Tokyo)
August: "High Life" by Lee MacDougall (Group "KISS", Tokyo)
September: "LILIES" by Michel Marc Bouchard (Studio Life, Tokyo and Osaka)
December: "High Life" by Lee MacDougall (Ryuzanji & Company, Tokyo)
December: "7 Stories" by Morris Panych (Theatre 21, Tokyo and Osaka)

In 2004 six more are slated for production
including four at the Canadian Theatre Festival
to be held at Theatre X (Kai) in Tokyo
in February and March.

2003.12.29

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In conjunction with
the Maple Leaf Theatre's presentation of
"A Song for a Nisei Fisherman",
Mr. Philip Kan Gotanda, the author of the play,
will come to Tokyo
and join us in a symposium
on the subject of "Nikkei Americans' Life and Arts".
The symposium will be held right after the matinee performance
of the "Nisei Fisherman"
On Saturday, October 11, 2003
@ Sanbyakunin Gekijyo
from 4:00PM to 5:00PM.
Join us, if you are interested!

October 2, 2003


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