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SHINKA -A Story of Living Beings-
July 17-August 4, 2018 |
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Miles Butler, Jennifer Marinelli, Efrén Sánchez, Annie McCoy, Dustin Maxwell
Directed & Choreographed by Yoshiko Usami (Yokko) SHINKA explores the mystery of living beings. We are born; we grow, struggle, suffer, and finish the cycle. A life cycle. We create, we destroy, and again create. Mankind has developed technology rapidly; and with that development, the pace of life has begun to move with increased speed. Now, everything is realized so quickly by these digital networks. So many things happen at the same time. We swim in a digital ocean in this modern time. With this increased digital connection we have started to lose our personal connections. More and more we disconnect with others, our landscapes, and ourselves. We disconnect from our own bodies, minds, and souls. Through SHINKA, we research how this modern civilization and the development of technology have affected our minds. After all of the destruction, life begins anew. Creation begins again. Evolution continues. By using Japanese Butoh, Trish Arnold Movement, contemporary dance, and other theatrical elements, we express life itself, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually through SHINKA.
SHIN-KA is a Japanese word. The meaning of the word changes depending on the Japanese characters you choose. The meanings include Evolution, Truth, Deepening, Fire in your Heart (Anger, Jealousy, Grudges, Passion), Holy fire, Holy song, and Divinity. |
ON SALE
planetconnection.org PERFORMANCES
Tues, 7/17 @9pm Fri, 7/20 @ 8pm Sun, 7/22 @1:15pm Fri, 7/27 @9:45pm Sun, 7/29 @1pm Sat, 8/4 @7:45pm RUN TIME
75 mins TICKET INFO
Single Ticket $25 Opening Night (7/17) Ticket $20 |
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Costume Designed by Deepsikha Chatterjee
Lighting Designed by Robin Dill Company Apartness, Understudy: Zak Ma Assistant Directer: Rui Dun Produced by Ren Gyo Soh with Bob Lyness |
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MEET THE TEAM!
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Miles Butler (Performer) is hair-on-fire-excited to be joining his Ren Gyo Soh family again this summer. Recent: Strange Animals and Plastic Figures (NYTF), Loudmouth (Rebel Playhouse), Naked Hamlet (Torn Out Theater) DC: Studio Theatre, Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and others. Current Project: EPIC Player's The Tempest (The Flea). Upcoming: Home (Dixon Place). Proud Ume Group member and Brooklyn College alumnus. Love to my family, Amy, and Riz Ahmed. milesbutler.com
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Jennifer Marinelli (Performer) is an actress and physical performer hailing from Michigan. She is a resident artist with Ren Gyo Soh for the 2017-18 Season. Jennifer has also worked with the New York Shakespeare Exchange, Open Hydrant Theatre Company, Hudson Warehouse, Woodshed Collective, and more. Jennifer graduated from Michigan State University and has trained with Shakespeare & Company, The William Esper Studio, and The Barrow Group. jennifermarinelli.com
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Efrén Sánchez (Performer) has developed his artistic career México, Cuba, Canada, Venezuela, United States, England, Colombia and Spain. He has been involved in more than 60 productions as actor, director and playwright earning several national and international awards for his artistic work. He is currently the Latin America producer of the International festival Interculturalidad Canarias-México. He has been trained in Acting, Aereal Dance, Contact Improv, Tap, Pantomime, Contemporary Dance, Classic Dance, Jazz, View Points, Suzuki, Biomechanics, Cyr Wheel, Trapeze, Vertical Dance (Wall Harness), Fabric/Sling/Cocoon, Lighting Design, Aereal Yoga, Butoh Dance, Art-Therapy, Music-Therapy and Theater-Therapy.
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Annie McCoy (Performer) is so excited to be creating with the Ren Gyo Soh. She was last seen devising and performing in By Wing, Fin, Hoof and Foot with The Ume Group. Past credits include Katy Fox in Splitfoot (Edinburgh Fringe), Alison in You Are Here and Anna in Gageing Noel . She is a graduate of Circle in the Square.
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Dustin Maxwell (Performer) is a dancer, choreographer and visual artist newly based in NYC. He has a BA in Dance from the University of Minnesota and extensive training in yoga. Trained classically, his recent focus in dance is primarily in improvisation. He has studied improvisation with Stephanie Maher, Kathleen Hermesdorf, Peter Pleyer, Mark Tompkins, KJ Holmes and many others. He has been studying butoh with Gadu Doushin since 2010 and has also studied with Ko Murobushi, Natsuo Nakajima, Imre Thormann, Vangeline and Yokko. As a freelance dancer he has worked with over 25 choreographers and most recently with Aniccha Arts, Chris Schlichting, and Morgan Thorson. He was born queer into a Mormon family of eight. Sexuality, sprirituality and the experience of other-ness are major themes in his own work. His choreography and performance installations have been shown in galleries, theaters, and basements in Minnesota, New York and Germany. He is Sage award-nominated for Outstanding Performer 2014. In addition to his dance practice, Dustin also teaches yoga and gives Thai Yoga Bodywork. This is his first project with Ren Gyo Soh and is thrilled to join this amazing cast.
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Zak Ma (Performer-Understudy) is a New York based actor from California, currently pursuing his MFA in Acting at the Actors Studio Drama School. He is exhilarated to be a part of Ren Gyo Soh, as he is passionate about further exploring the spirituality and power of Butoh and physical artistic expression. Transformative previous roles include Alan in Equus, Prior in Angels in America, and Shakespeare's Richard II. He is grateful for his mentors, alma mater (CSULB), and divine guidance.
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Yoshiko Usami / Yokko (Choreographer, Director / Performer) is an actor, a Butoh & Theatre Artist from Japan. She has acted in, devised and choreographed a variety of local and international shows, having won several awards, including “Best One-Woman Show” and "Best Choreography" for Butoh Medea (United Solo 2014 at Theatre Row). Butoh Medea was selected to perform in Warsaw, Poland. (United Solo Europe 2015, Teatre Syrena), toured Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015, nominated The Asian Arts Award. Other Theatre credits include: Hide Your Fires (NU Works 2017 with Pan Asian Rep, United Solo 2017: Theatre Row), BALDY (CRS, United Solo 2013, HFF 2013, Fringe NYC 2012), ISIS Variation (Fringe NYC 2014), FACET (Irondale Center, Wave Rising Series, HFF 2013). Yokko also acted in several of local and international films, one of which is the Student Academy Winner film, Cloud-Kumo (2016).She is the associate artistic director of The Ume Group as well as the artistic director of Ren Gyo Soh in NYC. Winner of Best Physical Theatre (Butoh Medea at United Solo 2015) Best Physical Theatre, Best Sound Design (Hide Your Fires at United Solo 2017). B.A in Theatre (UAlbany), MFA in Acting (The Actors Studio). www.yokko-online.com
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Deepsikha Chatterjee (Costume Design) Deepsikha Chatterjee enjoys teaching theatre, costumes and crafts to a diverse student body at Hunter College CUNY.She received her BA in fashion design and psychology in India and her MFA in Costume Design and Technology from Florida State University. She has worked at several reputed theatre companies across the US. She had been researching costumes, film, makeup and masks from India and Asia and has presented on these topics at several international conferences. Her costume design for Butoh Medea & Hide Your Fires received the best costume design award at United Solo 2014 & 2017. She has thoroughly enjoyed working with this creative team.
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Robin Dill (Lighting Designer / Production Manager) A Lighting, Scenic and Sound Designer/Technician from Walnut Creek, CA. Robin has designed and teched shows for a number of groups around NYC like The Ume Group and the Void Theatre Company, for independent artists like Yokko, and for collaborative projects like UNFIX NYC. He also works various projects ranging from Production managing NY Fashion week shows to working trade shows and other events all around NYC.
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Rui Dun (Assistant Director / Stage Manager) is a theatre artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Coming from China, she values the rich culture she is rooted in. Holding a BA in Chinese Literature, applying the cultural legacy to her work in theatre. She has collaborated with artists from China, Turkey, England, United States and has now directed freelance and academically in New York City for 3 years. Credits include: Aniuta (Chekhov, Actors Studio Drama School), The Man Who Couldn’t Dance (Actors Studio Drama School), The Brother (New York Short Play Festival 2017), The Author's Voice (ASDS Rep), The Feast (ASDS Rep), The Mistress of Wholesome (ASDS Rep). She holds a directing MFA from Actors Studio Drama School. www.ruidun.space
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Bob Lyness (Associate Producer) comes from a theater background, but has primarily studied and performed butoh for the past twelve years, studying with Yoshito Ohno, Diego Pinon, Vangeline, Joan Laage, and others, and really considers Yoshito Ohno as his main mentor and inspiration. He is thrilled to be working with Erika Hassan again.
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