July 9 (Friday), 2010  6:30 p.m. ~ 8:30 p.m.
Venue:  The Hiroshima Aster Plaza Noh Theater
4-17 Kakomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima 730-0812

Genshigumo (‘The Atomic Cloud’), Udaka Michishige’s third newly-written noh play (新作能), composed as requiem for the victims of the atomic bombs, will be performed in Hiroshima for the first time. I had the pleasure to attend performances of Genshigumo in Paris, Dresden and Berlin in 2007, when the Udaka-kai was touring Europe. The experience of watching a Noh play performed in the traditional style based on such recent historical facts is particularly strong, and inspired several reflections. While watching the different characters of the play recounting the tragic events of the bombing of Hiroshima in highly poetic language and beautifully stylised movements, I realised how much Noh theatre’s aesthetic conventions are suitable to portray a story of such historical but also emotional relevance. The austere style of Noh, which does not indulge in easy heart-tearing devices, plunges the audience in the solemn atmosphere of a requiem, while maintaining the detachment necessary in order to consciously reflect on what war and its casualties mean.

I am looking forward to joining in this prayer.

>>>For further information and reservation, please visit the Udaka-Kai website<<<