Fake Handmaiden & Phèdre in Kitakyushu

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30th Anniversary Special Performance
“Fake Handmaiden” Written by Pierre de Mariva
Translated by Mie Sato (from Iwanami Bunko)
“Fedre” Written by Jean Racine
Translated by Takehiko Ibuki (From “Racine Drama Complete Works II” Jimbunshoin Edition)
Both works directed by: Peter Goessner
Performance schedule: August 9, 2019-August 13, 2019, 8 times in total
Venue: Edamitsuhonmachi Shopping Street Iron Theater, Wakamatsu Beach Special Venue, Kitakyushu Performing Arts Theater Small Theater (Kitakyushu City)

cast:
“Fake Handmaiden” Manami Goto, Hiromichi Aramaki, Yusuke Kure
(Salme Company) Kotaro Ishikawa, Yuko Nishimura, Kota Endo, Saya Oguro, Mayuko Endo

“Phedre” Manami Goto, Kyoko Yamaguchi (W), Yoko Matsuo (W), Hromichi Aramaki
(Salme Company) Kotaro Ishikawa, Yuko Nishimura, Kota Endo, Saya Oguro

staff: Lighting / Shinpei Kaneko・ Kenichi Kawakami, Sound / Hajime Mochizuki ・ Toshifumi Yano, Costume / Akino Yoshihara, Stage director / Hiromichi Aramaki, Dramaturge / Tomo Fujisawa, Advertising Art / Tatsuhiko Gunji, Illustration / Shungiku Uchida, Record / Toshiyuki Odawara

Organizer: Uzume Theater
Production: Uzume Office
Production cooperation: Miki Tanize (Pikarac)
Grant: Arts Council Promotion Fund
Sponsored by: Kitakyushu City / Kitakyushu City Board of Education, Higashida Museum Park Executive Committee (Kitakyushu Higashida District Museum Park Creation Project)

The return performance of Kitakyushu City for the first time in 13 years at the Uzume Theater, which was born in Kitakyushu City in 1996.
The leader of the Uzume Theater, the director Goessner teached at Toho Gakuen, and the actress Kyoko Yamaguchi, who was active as the main actor of the Kitakyushu era Goessner’s work, will be invited to perform two works at three locations in Kitakyushu City at the same time. The Special Event. The performance was warmly supported by the people who supported us from that time.

Cooperation: Kayuso Art Gallery, Kyushu Fieldwork Study Group (Yaken), Keiyo Fujihara Laboratory, Theater Workshop Beni Ginger, Hideto Inoue Dental Clinic, Shokakuji Temple, Nakayado Hachimangu Shrine, Studio Eguchi, Shiratsuchi Clinic, Mari Kitahara, Yukari Samejima, Kazuya Suetsugu, Minoru Fukada, Emiko Otsuka, Kazuyo Murata, Tomoko Shimazu, Masakatsu Okuno and many others

 

-Director’s message-
“Phedre” is a married woman who loves young men.
France’s most famous classic tragedy, a story based on Greek mythology.
The appearance of a person trapped in a net of love expressing a stronger passion than anyone else is somehow far from the present age, and I wonder what kind of magic it is. Nevertheless, the characters in our work look like people of the same generation. (I thought: there were few queens in the past, today we are all little queens and princes …)

On the other hand, “Phedre” remains as a classical play that emphasizes human beauty and tragedy. It would be nice to see such an art drama from time to time. Mariva, who wrote “Fake Handmaiden” describes what is called “emotional traffic congestion,” but the modern world is more than that. A classic that has been sharpened like “Phedre” will make you feel like washing your heart.・

It can be said that “Fake Handmaiden” marks the beginning of modern behavior in modern society (comedy format). If you look at both works, you can see that the behavior is reversed. There is nothing worse than lieying in Phèdre, but it is used as a tactical weapon in the Fake Handmaiden.

Mariva was accused of showing low etiquette, but in the first place he incorporated people’s dialogues into his creations while eavesdropping on the streets. I don’t think that people’s dialogue on the street is worthless compared to artistically created dialogue. The artistic strength of dialogue does not necessarily depend on hierarchy. Triblanc and Arlequin are witty and their hearts are kind and warm. (Manami Goto directs and teaches the Manzai scene and Triblanc.)

I have one more thing to say. I lived in Kitakyushu city from 1993 to 2006. I really thank so many people that loved me and supported me . I want to give back with a theatrical work, In the best performance I can express.

Peter Goessner wrote in performance pamphlet at the August 2019