The French Production of "Tokyo Notes"

"Tokyo Notes," one of the most renowned works of Oriza HIRATA and Seinendan was presented in France, January - March, 2000. The text was translated into French and Hirata directed the cast of French actors.

This was the first time one of our repertoire was presented overseas with the local cast under Hirata's direction.

The Staff and Cast of "Tokyo Notes" in France

Schedule

BREST/LE QUARTZ DE BREST
January 13 - 19 (no performance on 17)

PARIS/PARC DE LA VILLETTE
February 01-19 (no performance on Sundays)

AUBUSSON/LE THEATRE JEAN LURCAT
March 9 - 10

CLERMONT-FERRAND/COMEDIE DE CLERMONT-FERRAND
March 14 - 18

How It Started

In 1998, "Tokyo Notes" was chosen as the piece to represent Japan, translated into French, published and presented at théâtre Gérard Philippe, Saint-Denis, France, as a drama-reading program when the French government held the World Cup-related event called "Du monde entier (From All Over the World)."

Hirata was invited to this drama-reading in July and met Frédéric Fisbach, the French director who directed it. Born in 1966, Fisbach is a young and energetic director actively working in such theaters as théâtre Gérard Philippe and théâtre de Nanterre-Amandier. He thought highly of "Tokyo Notes" and told Hirata of his hope to produce this piece in France and collaborate with Hirata.

Hirata also appreciated Fisbach's ability as a director very much. Since then, the two kept discussing the best way to collaborate. They got in touch with AFAA (Association Française d’Action Artistique), the Embassy of France and other organizations. Their first collaboration was the production of "Nous, les héros" (written by Jean-Luc Lagarce) in Japan with Japanese and French cast and staff members. It was successfully performed in Toga (Toyama) and Tokyo in May 1999 as the first program in Hirata and Fisbach's Japan-France Theater Exchange Project.

The Cast of "Tokyo Notes"

Hirata visited Paris in June 1999 and chose through one-week auditions 20 French actors as the main cast. Also included in the cast are three Japanese actors who participated in the above mentioned "Nous, les héros" (Shoji Shinozuka, Yoko Hirata, and Reina Kakudate).

Workshop

Prior to the start of the rehearsals in Brest, Hirata held one-week workshop in early December 1999 for participating actors in a hall at théâtre de Nanterre-Amandier. He thinks it important that the actors come to share the methods and concepts with which to create a drama, with one another and with the director. So when he directs a cast of new actors he usually holds workshops so that they can better understand his style and view. His view of theater and his view of the world through theater. ("This is what I think theater is," "To me the world looks like this," and "This is what humans are like, isn't it?")

Hirata has been active in holding workshops throughout Japan for both actors and non-actors. The lengths vary from a few hours to six months.

And in April 1998, his first workshop overseas took place, when Hirata was invited to the Australian Playwright Convention. Directors, playwrights-to-be, and scholars participated in this workshop at University of Canberra.

Another example is the one in Seoul, Korea in October 1999. The Korean young actors and drama major students participated in Hirata's workshop, when Seinendan performed "Tokyo Notes" in Towol Theatre in Seoul Arts Center in Japanese with Korean subtitles. That was Seinendan's second performance in Korea after the 1993 production of "Citizens of Seoul (Seoul Shimin)" in Seoul and Pusan in Korean.

"Tokyo Notes" in Various Languages

Seinendan has, in preparation for the overseas performances, developed a new computer software to display subtitles. In the Seoul and Yokohama productions of "Tokyo Notes" in the fall of 1999 we introduced this system with French, Korean, and English subtitles.

The French translation by Rose-Marie Makino-Fayolle is on sale fromLes Solitaires Intempestifs.
The English translation by Cody Poulton is available.
The Korean translation by KIM Kyong-Won will be published shortly.
The Italian translation is underway.

The video of the Seinendan performance of "Tokyo Notes" subtitled in English is on sale. In case you are interested, we can lend the video to theater festival directors and other persons to view.

Other Works by Hirata in Various Language

Citizens of Seoul (Seoul Shimin)

The English translation by John D. Swain is on sale.

The Korean translation is published in Japan.

The French translation by Rose-Marie Makino-Fayolle who translated "Tokyo Notes" is on sale.

The Russian translation will be published in 2000.

The Adventerers (Boken Ou)

The English translation is planned.