連翹奏/RenGyoSoh
Presents
IKIGAI/生きがい
:a purpose for living
Presents
IKIGAI/生きがい
:a purpose for living
Created & Directed by
SAKI KAWAMURA
SAKI KAWAMURA
With
|
ZAK MA
|
ANNIE MCCOY
|
|
Graphic Design & Film
SAKI KAWAMURA |
Music
MARLFAUX |
|
Publisist
BERTHA RODRIGUEZ |
Stage Manager
VERONICA OSTROSKI |
Artistic Director of Ren Gyo Soh
YOSHIKO USAMI SIENKIEWICZ
YOSHIKO USAMI SIENKIEWICZ
ABOUT THE SHOW:
We love. We lose. We hate. We betray. We regret. We hope. We grow. And we live. What is our reason? What is our purpose? What is our Ikigai? This online hybrid performance explores the journey to discover Ikigai, the Japanese concept of finding a “reason for being.” Our Ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us, and the road to its discovery require will and patience.
The past year and a half has been time for reflection— we have been forced to reevaluate our purpose in life after going through loss, anger, anxiety, depression, among all the turbulence of emotions. We have been on our search for our Ikigai. Why do we live? How do we live? What is our purpose to live?
We are almost at the end of this dark tunnel and slowly returning to normal life. Now, what do we live for? What is our Ikigai?
We love. We lose. We hate. We betray. We regret. We hope. We grow. And we live. What is our reason? What is our purpose? What is our Ikigai? This online hybrid performance explores the journey to discover Ikigai, the Japanese concept of finding a “reason for being.” Our Ikigai is hidden deep inside each of us, and the road to its discovery require will and patience.
The past year and a half has been time for reflection— we have been forced to reevaluate our purpose in life after going through loss, anger, anxiety, depression, among all the turbulence of emotions. We have been on our search for our Ikigai. Why do we live? How do we live? What is our purpose to live?
We are almost at the end of this dark tunnel and slowly returning to normal life. Now, what do we live for? What is our Ikigai?
|
SPECIAL THANKS:
The Hollywood Fringe Festival Dr. Brian Rhinehart Jordan Rosin Miles Butler Rachelle Dart All participants of our workshop production at RGS Artists Lab 2021 |
|
DIRECTOR’S NOTE:
IKIGAI has been a big theme for a long time and I’ve been living my life seeking for my IKIGAI, something meaningful that could satisfy my creative soul. I came to NYC 2 years ago after quitting my job hunting without any experience of living abroad and all I had was an unbendable will and a small hope. Looking back now, I think I was dying to find my IKIGAI to cherish my soul. It is not easy to find one and I am still in the middle of the journey. But after 2 months, 23 rehearsals, 1 filming day, 2 workshop performances and countless hours of exploration with my collaborators, I realized that my true belief for IKIGAI gives me a lot of power to move forward. I am beyond grateful for my collaborators, Zak, Annie, Veronica and Matthew, who made me realized the power of the journey to find IKIGAI with embracing all the goodness and badness in life.
Thank you so much for everybody who is in this online room with me today.
IKIGAI has been a big theme for a long time and I’ve been living my life seeking for my IKIGAI, something meaningful that could satisfy my creative soul. I came to NYC 2 years ago after quitting my job hunting without any experience of living abroad and all I had was an unbendable will and a small hope. Looking back now, I think I was dying to find my IKIGAI to cherish my soul. It is not easy to find one and I am still in the middle of the journey. But after 2 months, 23 rehearsals, 1 filming day, 2 workshop performances and countless hours of exploration with my collaborators, I realized that my true belief for IKIGAI gives me a lot of power to move forward. I am beyond grateful for my collaborators, Zak, Annie, Veronica and Matthew, who made me realized the power of the journey to find IKIGAI with embracing all the goodness and badness in life.
Thank you so much for everybody who is in this online room with me today.
Saki Kawamura (Creator / Director)
演出家のメッセージ (Director's Note in Japanese)
「いきがい」を見つけること、見つけようとする姿勢に忠実でいることは、今までの私の人生の中での大きなテーマでした。
NYに来てこの夏で約2年になります。それまで、日本社会で引かれたレールの上をきちんと生きてきた私にとってはとても大きな決断で、経験もなく知識もなく、あったのは強い意志と小さな希望だけでした。今振り返ると、自分の心を潤す「生きがい」を見つけるのに必死で飛び出したんだと思います。
生きがいを見つけるのは簡単ではないし、私もまだまだ路の途中です。
この作品の為にチームと過ごした2.5ヶ月、23つのリハーサル、撮影日、2回のワークショッププロダクションと、数えきれないほど時間の準備や探求を経て、いきがいを強く信じる気持ちこそが私を強く突き動かしてくれてるんだと気づきました。
人生の良いことも悪いことも全て自分の一部として生きがいを見つけていく姿の美しさを教えてくれたコラボレーター達に感謝しきれません。
この作品が皆さんの癒しや救いとなりますように。
河村早規
「いきがい」を見つけること、見つけようとする姿勢に忠実でいることは、今までの私の人生の中での大きなテーマでした。
NYに来てこの夏で約2年になります。それまで、日本社会で引かれたレールの上をきちんと生きてきた私にとってはとても大きな決断で、経験もなく知識もなく、あったのは強い意志と小さな希望だけでした。今振り返ると、自分の心を潤す「生きがい」を見つけるのに必死で飛び出したんだと思います。
生きがいを見つけるのは簡単ではないし、私もまだまだ路の途中です。
この作品の為にチームと過ごした2.5ヶ月、23つのリハーサル、撮影日、2回のワークショッププロダクションと、数えきれないほど時間の準備や探求を経て、いきがいを強く信じる気持ちこそが私を強く突き動かしてくれてるんだと気づきました。
人生の良いことも悪いことも全て自分の一部として生きがいを見つけていく姿の美しさを教えてくれたコラボレーター達に感謝しきれません。
この作品が皆さんの癒しや救いとなりますように。
河村早規
|
CAST
K..........................Zak Ma W.........................Annie McCoy |
Performance runs approximately 50 minutes with no intermission.
|
POEM IN A SHOW:
|
Splendor in the Grass by William Wordsworth
What though the radiance which was once so bright Be now for ever taken from my sight, Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower, We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind; |
草原の輝き / ウィリアム・ワーズワース
かつてとても明るかった輝きは 今はもう私の視界から奪われた。 草原の輝きや 花が栄光に包まれた日々は もう取り戻すことはできないけれど、 失ったものを嘆くよりも 残されたものの中に強さを見出そう。 |
BIOS
|
Zak Ma (K) is a New York-based Vietnamese American actor and physical theatre artist from the Actors Studio Drama School MFA Acting program. He made his debut performance as an official Ren Gyo Soh company member in EN:2021 and Ma On The Edge with Unfix NYC. Zak aims to explore the human soul and psyche in his artistic endeavors, and is thrilled to discover IKIGAI. zak-ma.com
zak-ma.com |
|
Annie McCoy (W) is an Actor, Physical Theatre performer and Butoh Dancer originally from Orlando. She is a Principal performer with the Butoh company Ren Gyo Soh and has been seen in their productions of Shinka (Winner of IT awards), En, and En: 2021. As well as productions with The UME Group and Piper theatre.
|
|
Saki Kawamura (Director, Graphic Designer, Filmmaker) is a NY-based Japanese director and interdisciplinary artist, her passion for theatre led her to move to NYC in 2019 to study. She currently pursues her MFA in Directing at the Actors Studio Drama School. She is so blessed to have the opportunity to work with the great artists and establish her work as Ren Gyo Soh. She puts great value on the process of collaboration, and loves to hear the stories of her collaborators and put them into her work. She believes that this emphasis on collaboration is what makes her work unique and singular. www.sakikawamura.com
|
河村早規 1996年奈良県出身。NY在住。ICU国際基督教大学で社会学・カルチュラルスタディーズを学んだ後、大学院への進学をきっかけに2019年8月に渡米。現在は米アクターズスタジオ大学院演出学科に日本人で二人目として在籍。大学院の傍、舞台演出家/アーティストとして精力的に活動している。世界的パンデミックの影響で舞台の仕事がなくなったことをきっかけに映像の世界に興味を持ち、友人と作ったショートフィルムがAustralian Quarantine Film Festivalで優勝。それ以来舞台のみならず映像の世界にも活動の幅を広げており、日本人ならではの価値観・美的感覚を生かした繊細に作り込まれた表現が評価されている。
|
MARLFAUX (Music) has been actively creating audio and visual art since 2018. You can find their music on all major streaming services. Visit www.marlfaux.com to find out more, connect, and collaborate.
|
|
BERTHA RODRIGUEZ (Publicist)
|
|
Veronica Ostroski (Stage Manager) is a director and creative currently pursuing her Masters in Directing at the Actors Studio in New York. She has spent time in Los Angeles working with Pacific Resident Theatre developing new works. She has a passion for sharing stories in a new light, especially adaptations of classics.
|
|
Yoshiko Usami Sienkiewicz (Artistic Director) has participated Hollywood Fringe Festival since 2013. This is the 4th seasons, and 7th shows she has produced a show at Hollywood Fringe. Yokko has been leading an award winning Butoh Theatre Group, Ren Gyo Soh since 2014. She is an award-winning Japanese artist, whose work has been presented across the USA and Europe. She has acted in, devised, and choreographed a variety of local and international shows and films. Most recently, her Butoh work has been seen in several music videos, including I Don’t Know Where We Went Wrong (HOKO, 2020) and Ready To Let Go (Cage The Elephant, 2019). She is the artistic director of the Butoh Theatre Group, Ren Gyo Soh.
|
|
連翹奏/Ren Gyo Soh (Producer) is a multi-award winning New York-based group. It was founded by Yokko in spring of 2014. It produces works collaborating with other artists using Butoh dance, movement, Physical Theatre, acting, yoga, and voice. It hosts workshops national internationally throughout a year, across the world. Yokko created Ren Gyo Soh to be her KAI (会), a Japanese word, meaning a group, to broaden her training, and creates new works to share them to the world through collaboration in order to “being a cultural bridge.” Its major work are Butoh Medea and SHINKA. Recent Events: UNFIX NYC (2016-2021). Recent Awards: Outstanding Production of a new Play at New York Innovative Theatre Award 2019 (SHINKA).
Recently, Ren Gyo Soh started a training course (12 weeks RGS Training Course), and also created RGS Artists LAB (Playground/遊び場/ Asobi-Ba) to create an environment for artists to freely explore to develop their own works. www.rengyosoh.com |
