About a Ohdougu-kata -Fantasy world-   

 

The world of Kabuki and Japanese dance reenacts traditional Japanese scenery and the lives of people from the Edo period. Scene building artisans can beautifully recreate scenery in the fictional stories, such as oceans and mountains, the sky, the Edo town, shrines, and ships.
Their artistry invites the audience to a whole new world the moment the curtains open.

The technique of scene building is based on a combination of traditional technique passed on for generations by ship constructors as well as shrine and temple constructors. The work of scene builders creates magic on stage through vibrant colors and delicate forms, and dramatically change scenes in an instant. 

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Our guest for this workshop is Mr. Kazuo Masuda.
His great grandfather was a ship constructor, and his father was the chief scene builder of Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo. 

In the workshop, Mr. Masuda will show us a few examples of sets that have actually been used, a traditional “dogucho” (set design notebook), and tell us about the spirit of his artistry as a scene builder. There will also be a demonstration of a scene from a Kabuki piece, together with our MC, Rokon Tosha, a traditional Japanese drummer.

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　Workshop topics　

• What kind of work is a "Ohdougu"?

• "Dogucho" on various stages

• Viewing backstage

• Live collaboration of a set designer and a traditional Japanese drummer

• Tradition in the world of a Ohdougu 

• The reality about passing on the tradition 

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​　About the Workshop  

• All workshops will be held live online via Zoom. Participants will need to login from their computers or mobile devices. After completing registration a Zoom link will be sent to. 

• For those who cannot attend the live class can watch an archive video at a later date.