Bunkaza Theatre Company presents: ONE THOUSAND CRANES @yyj @intrepidtheatre #japan

Bunkaza Theatre Company presents: ONE THOUSAND CRANES

Written by Colin Thomas - Translated by Toyoshi Yoshihara

BC TOUR

Feb. 10 & 11, 7:30 pm & Feb. 11, 2 pm Matinee @ Frederic Wood Theatre, UBC Vancouver February 13, 7pm + Feb 14, 2pm ArtSpring, Salt Spring Island

February 16 + 17, 8pm @ the Metro Studio, Victoria (presented by Intrepid Theatre). Tickets: $18/$23/$31 (student + senior, adult, arts karma).

Photo courtesy Intrepid Theatre

VICTORIA, BC - A year after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, One Thousand Cranes, a beautifully crafted show from Tokyo puts a human face to nuclear fallout. A young Japanese girl is diagnosed with leukemia nine years after Hiroshima. Determined to live, she folds origami cranes, which are a symbol of hope. Across the Pacific in Canada, a young boy believes that there’s nothing he can do to stop an inevitable nuclear war.

This heartwarming show is based on the true story of Sasaki Sadako, a young girl who discovered that she had radiation-induced leukemia nine years after the bombing of Hiroshima. According to ancient Japanese legend, anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by the Gods. Sasaki died in 1955 and there is now a statue dedicated to her at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.

This performance by Japanese theatre company Bunkaza, weaves together these twin stories looking at the implications and fallout of nuclear war. Following the recent nuclear disaster in Japan, this performance that connects two disparate nations, couldn’t have come at a more appropriate time.

The original English language version of this award-winning play is written by UBC Theatre alumnus Colin Thomas and is translated into Japanese by Toyoshi Yoshihara. It is performed in Japanese with English surtitles and suitable for children aged 12 and up.

One Thousand Cranes will be touring to Vancouver, Victoria and Salt Spring Island in February 2012 and coincides with the UBC Museum of Anthropology’s exhibition on Hiroshima, which runs October 13 to February 12. The Victoria show is presented by Intrepid Theatre at the Metro Studio on Feb 16+17, 8pm. Tickets: $18/$23/$31 are available from http://www.ticketrocket.org/ or by calling 250 590 6291.

Established in 1942, Bunkaza is one of the oldest contemporary theatre companies in Japan with 45 full-time company members. Most of their repertoire deals with oppressed grass-roots people who strive for the betterment of their lives. They have a special interest in Canadian theatre and have produced numerous Canadian plays including The Tomorrow Box by Anne Chislett, Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock and Odd Jobs by Frank Moher, all with translations by Toyoshi Yoshihara. The Bunkaza version of One Thousand Cranes premiered in 1985 in Tokyo. The company has since toured Japan, giving more than 200 performances of the play.



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