Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA presents
Complicite and Setagaya Public Theatre: Shun-kin
West Coast Premiere
Thu, Sept 26 – Sun, Sept 29
Freud Playhouse– UCLA Campus, MacGowan Hall, 245 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, CA 90095
Sept 26 (Thur) 8:00 pm
Sept 27 (Fri) 8:00 pm
Sept 28 (Sat) 2:00 pm
Sept 28 (Sat) 8:00 pm
Sept 29 (Sun) 2:00 pm
Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA presents Shun-kin -an intense sadomasochistic relationship between shamisen player Shun-kin and her devoted servant reveals the dark, erotic side of human nature.
In Japanese with English Surtitles
Based on the writings of Jun’ichiro Tanizaki
Directed by Simon McBurney
Original Music by Honjo Hidetaro
Cast: Kaho Aso, Songha Cho, Eri Fukatsu, Honjoh Hidetaro, Kentaro Mizuki, Yasuyo Mochizuki, Yoshi Oida, Keitoku Takata, Ryoko Tateishi, Junko Uchida
The mysterious world of shamisen player Shun-kin and her dutiful servant Sasuke sets the backdrop for a tale of devotion, passion and power, where beauty is unforgiving and love is blinding.
This powerful performance from a Japanese cast—including film actress Eri Fukatsu and celebrated actor Yoshi Oida— is based on texts of Japanese author Jun’ichiro Tanizaki, who examined the sequestered lives of women in pre-modern Japanese society.
He compared them to the traditional bunraku puppets which were designed mainly in the shape of a long kimono—only a head, feet and hands animate them.
The suggestion, said Tanizaki, was that “for a woman who lived in the dark it was enough if she had a faint, white face—a full body was unnecessary.”
Through intricately executed puppetry and Complicite’s inimitable physical style, Shun-kin explores the connections between beauty and violence, amplified by the singular craftsmanship of the company’s long-running exploration of theatrical animation.
Founded in 1983, London’s Complicite is an internationally acclaimed theater company led by artistic director Simon McBurney. The company has won more than 50 major theater awards worldwide.
For more information, visit http://cap.ucla.edu/
UCLA Student Tickets $20 and UCLA Faculty and Staff Discount 15% on Select Performances.
Purchase tickets at UCLA Central Ticket Office, Monday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm or call (310) 825-2101.
