This weekend’s arts events include an original play from Hawaii exploring traditional Japanese and Okinawan fables, and the first U.S. museum show by Japanese multimedia artist Tetsuya Yamada.
And don’t miss the Stages of Equity festival, celebrating Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) visual and performing arts. This month’s event features a solo, multicharacter performance on reincarnation and the Vietnamese immigrant experience.
A theatrical rendition of Japanese and Okinawan fables
The Children’s Theatre Company presents “The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories,” a rendition of traditional Japanese and Okinawan fables.
The production, tailored for preschool and kindergarten audiences, features six stories teaching important lessons of gratitude, bravery, kindness, and more.
“The first story is about perseverance,” said director and playwright Reiko Ho. “It’s about the legend of the golden carp who swam up the waterfall, and through his perseverance gained immortality, became a dragon, and was transformed.”
Bringing these traditional fables to life on stage involves animal puppetry, a trio of performers in multiple roles, and original music featuring the 13-string koto, the taiko drum, and the shakuhachi flute. Drawing inspiration from origami, the set design includes koi puppets, a crane, and a backdrop all meticulously crafted with fabric.
“The show is interactive,” Ho said. “They’ll be able to shout out with the actors in Japanese and sing and dance with the cast in their seats.”
Growing up in Hawaii with four generations of Japanese women gave Ho a personal connection to the stories.
“These were the storybooks that were in my house as I grew up,” she said. “So, it’s such a thrill that they get to be told across the nation now. It’s a dream come true for me.”
Date: Thursday, January 16 to February 18. Opening night on Saturday, January 20.
Time: Various times for different performances. Find details here.
Location: The Children’s Theatre Company’s Cargill Stage 2400 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Cost: Tickets start at $15.
For more information: Visit childrenstheatre.org.
Multimedia exhibit explores Toyko’s punk rock scene and the beauty in everyday objects
The Walker Art Center is hosting the “Listening” exhibition, a showcase of multimedia sculptures, paintings, photographs, video, and an art installation by Japanese artist Tetsuya Yamada. This marks Yamada’s first museum show in the United States, featuring over 50 works from 2001 to the present.
Yamada’s artistic approach revolves around actively listening to the sounds of clay, ceramic, wood, metal, and other materials during the creative process. His multimedia sculptures include found materials, such as sawhorses, plywood, and even shards of glass from his backyard.
Drawing inspiration from the ancient Japanese forms of Noh theater and the traditional tea ceremony, his 2006 piece “Everyday City” presents dozens of white ceramic dishes, inviting viewers to appreciate beauty in simplicity. Other inspirations include the 20th-century works of sculptor Constantin Brancusi, artist Isamu Noguchi, and the punk rock and skateboarding scene in Tokyo during the 1980s.
A cup exchange event is scheduled for 5 p.m. on February 15 iat the Walker’s Cargill Lounge, allowing visitors to exchange their ordinary cups for one of Yamada’s original creations.
Date: Friday, January 18 through July 7, 2024.
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Location: The Walker Art Center 725 Vineland Place, Minneapolis.
Cost: Free.
For more information: Visit walkerart.org.
Solo performance sheds light on the Vietnamese immigrant experience
North Hennepin Community College is hosting “Reincarnation Soup,” a solo performance by Vietnamese-American playwright and actor Viet Nguyen.
The performance marks the second event of Stages of Equity, a festival, showcasing BIPOC visual and performing artists.
Through the portrayal of multiple characters, including a Vietnamese-American discovering their roots during their first visit to their home country, Nguyen explores themes of memory, trauma, and the immigrant experience. The narrative unfolds at the River Styx, an underworld in Greek mythology, where the deceased receive a bowl of soup from a woman to erase their memories, preparing them for a journey of reincarnation.
The performance will include free refreshments, beginning at 6:30, and a post-show discussion.
Date: Friday, January 19
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: North Hennepin Community College, 7411 85th Ave N., Brooklyn Park.
Cost: Free.
For more information: Visit nhcc.edu.
