Milestones of Seinendan

June 1983 First production:
"Kaishin Poseidon (Poseidon, The Sea God)"
written and directed by Oriza HIRATA
February 1984 Second production:
"Benmei (Apology)"
written and directed by Oriza HIRATA
June Third production:
"Angu Shoden (Confession of a Feeble Mind)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Hiroshi Tanaka
February 1985 4th production:
"Konigsberg no Hashi (The bridges in Konigsberg)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Hiroshi Tanaka
June 5th production:
"Kaishin Poseidon (Poseidon, The Sea God)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Hiroshi Tanaka
* At this time Hirata was in Korea as an exchange student so for the 4th and 5th productions he sent the scripts from Seoul.
November 6th production:
"Yokubo toiu Nano Ringo (An Apple Named Desire)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Hiroshi Tanaka
January 1986 March-April 7th production:
"Benmei (Apology)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Hiroshi Tanaka
September 8th production:
"Waga Kokoro Ishito Naritemo (Should My Heart Turn to Stone)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Raiju Kageyama
* This year Seinendan started using Komaba Agora Theater as its home stage. If not otherwise stated, all performances listed hereafter took place there.
January 1987 9th production:
"Angu Shoden (Confession of a Feeble Mind)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Raiju Kageyama
May 10th production:
"Karasu no iru Mugibatake (Crows over the Wheat Field)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Raiju Kageyama
September 11th production:
"Konigsberg no Hashi (The bridges in Konigsberg)"
written and directed by Oriza HIRATA
December Young members of Seinendan performed
"Yokubo toiu nano Ringo (An Apple Named Desire)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Kenji Yamauchi
* All pieces hereafter are written and directed by Oriza HIRATA, unless otherwise stated.
March 1988 12th production:
"Hikari no Miyako (The Capital of Light)"
July

13th production:
"Hangan no Tora (The Tiger on Han River)"

December 14th production:
"Faran (The Patriot)"
March 1989 15th production:
"Kaishin (The Sea God)"
July-August 16th production:
"Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"
January 1990 17th production:
"Kagakusuru Kokoro (The Scientific Minded)"
May 18th production:
"Hikari no Miyako (The Capital of Light)"
September 19th production:
"Minami e (Southward)"
January 1991 20th production:
"Angu Shoden (Confession of a Feeble Mind)"
June-July 21st production:
"Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"
was performed in Tokyo, Sendai, Morioka and Hirosaki
December 22nd production:
"S Kogen Kara (From S Plateau)"
March 1992 First Produced-by-Seinendan performance:"
Mah-jong Horoki (My Days of Mah-jong)"
written by Oriza HIRATA and directed by Hiroshi Tanaka
May-July 23rd production:
"Sayonara dakega Jinsei ka (Isn't Life More than Goodbyes?)"
at Shibuya Seed Hall, Tokyo and cities in eastern Japan. This also participated in Alice Festival '92
September Second Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Hashirinagara Nemure (Run in Your Sleep)"
November 24th production:
"Hokugen no Saru (Northernmost Monkeys)"
April 1993 25th production:
"Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"
at Shimokitazawa The Suzunari Theater, Tokyo
May-June "Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"
in Seoul and Pusan, Korea. There were both Korean- and Japanese- language versions
June "Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"
at Shonandai Culture Centre Citizens' Theatre, Kanagawa
October -November 26th production:
"Angu Shoden (Confession of a Feeble Mind)"
participated in Aoyama Drama Festival and then was performed in the cities of Hirosaki, Morioka and Sendai, and at Komaba Agora Theater
February 1994 Third Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Omoidasenai Yume no Ikutsuka (Some Forgotten Dreams)"

starring Mako Midori, at Shibuya Seed Hall, Yokohama Sotetsu Honda Theater and Itami AI Hall
May 27th production:
"Tokyo Note (Tokyo Notes)"
Hirata won the 39th Kishida Drama Award with this piece.
August-December 28th production:
"S Kogen Kara (From S Plateau)"
at Roppongi Haiyu-za Theater and then toured 12 cities throughout Japan
May-June 1995 29th production:
"Kataku Ka Shura Ka (A Burning House, or Shambles?)"
participated in Toga Spring Festival and then was performed at Komaba Agora Theater
September-February 30th production:
"Minami e (Southward)"
at Shonandai Culture Centre Citizens' Theatre and then toured throughout Japan
January 1996 4th Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Kono Sei wa Ukeiregatashi (A Hard Life to Accept)"
at Studio Denega in Hirosaki and Shimokitazawa The Suzunari Theater in Tokyo
For this co-production of Seinendan and Hirosaki Gekijo, a theater group based in Aomori, Hirata stayed in Aomori for 2 months for the rehearsals.
April-June 31st production:
"Kings of the Road / Bouken Ou"
participated in Toga Spring Festival and then was performed at Komaba Agora Theater
October-February 32nd production:
"Kagakusuru Kokoro (The Scientific Minded)"
and "Hokugen no Saru (Northernmost Monkeys)"

This double feature production toured throughout Japan.
April- 1997 33rd production:
"Balkan Dobutsuen (The Balkan Zoo)"
participated in Toga Spring Festival and then was performed at Komaba Agora Theater
June- 5th Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Tsuki no Misaki (The Cape of Moon)"
(written by Masataka Matsuda) in Kyoto, Suita and Setagaya
This production won the 5th Yomiuri Drama Award best production award and outstanding director award.
October-November 6th Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Match Uri no Shojotachi (The Little Match Sellers)"
(based on the play by Minoru Betsuyaku) at Itami AI Hall and Aoyama Circular Theater
January- 1998 34th production:
"Tokyo Note (Tokyo Notes)"
toured throughout out Japan
October 7th Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Shin-pan Komachifuden
(Komachi's Tale - New Version)"

(based on the play by Shogo Ota) at Art Tower Mito, Itami AI Hall, and Shonandai Culture Centre Citizens' Theatre
November- 8th Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Natsu no Suna no Ue
(On the Summer Sands)"
(written by Masataka Matsuda) at Aoyama Circular Theater
November- 35th production:
"Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"
at Theatre Tram and Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
February- 1999 34th production:
"Tokyo Note (Tokyo Notes)"
in the lobby of Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art and Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum
April-June 1999 36th production:
"Umi yorimo Nagai Yoru
(The Night Longer than The Sea)"

participated in Toga Spring Festival and then was performed at Theatre Tram
October "Tokyo Notes" at Seoul Arts Center, Seoul, Korea for the center's "Japan Week." Performed in Japanese with Korean subtitles
November 35th production:
"Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"

in Kyoto (Kyoto Engekisai -drama festival-) and Koshigaya (Suncity Hall)

37th production: "Tokyo Note (Tokyo Notes)"
in Grand Gallery of Yokohama Museum of Art and Shiga Kaikan in Otsu
February -March 2000 35th production:
"Seoul Shimin (Citizens of Seoul)"

toured throughout Japan.
April-June 2000 38th production:
"Seoul Shimin 1919 (Citizens of Seoul 1919)"
participated in Toga Spring Festival and then was performed at Theatre Tram in a double-feature production along with "Citizens of Seoul."
July 2000 39th production:
"Kagakusuru Kokoro (The Scientific Minded)"
toured Northward in the Eastern part of Japan.
August-September 2000 9th Produced-by-Seinendan performance:
"Tsuki no Misaki (Cape Moon)"
(written by Masataka Matsuda) was presented in Tokyo, Osaka and three other cities.
October-November 2000 "Tokyo Note (Tokyo Notes)"
North American tour. Performed with English subtitles in New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Victoria (Canada).
"Tokyo Notes" was then presented at Nagaoka Lyric Hall Theater in Nagaoka, Niigata.
December 2000
- January 2001
40th Production
"Sayonara dakega Jinsei ka (Isn't Life More Than Goodbyes?)"
performed at Komaba Agora Theater, Sumix Hall ESTA Kitakyushu, Itami AI Hall and Koshigaya Suncity Hall.
2001
April - June
41st Production
"Ueno Dobutsuen Sai-sai-sai Shugeki (Attacking Ueno Zoo for the Fourth Time)"
conceived by Tadao Kanasugi, written and directed by Oriza Hirata.
The production participated in Toga Spring Festival, then was performed at Theatre Tram, Tokyo.
July - August 42nd Production
"Bouken Ou (Kings of the Road)"
at Makubetsu Centennial Hall, Ivy Plaza Tomakomai, Sapporo Theater ZOO and Mie Civic Center
November 10th Produced-by-Seinendan Performance
"Kirarazaka"
(written by Masataka Matsuda) was presented at Itami AI Hall, Aoyama Circular Theater, Arkas SASEBO and Chitose Pia Hall.
December 2001
- January 2002
42nd Production
"Bouken Ou (Kings of the Road)"
at Yamatotakada Sazanka Hall, Itami AI Hall and Komaba Agora Theater
April 2002 Seinendan International Exchange Project 2002
"Eclipse"
(written by Barry Hall, directed by Motohiro Hase)
This was the world premiered performance of the play, at Komaba Agora Theater.
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