About the project
The Tohoku Project
Dramatic Reading of Sumidagawa, by Kanze Motomasa
Directed and Adapted by Bryan Doerries
Facilitated by Setsu Hanasaki
Translated by Nao Suzuki
Developed in collaboration with the Global Mental Health Program at Columbia University and Setagaya Public Theatre
The Tohoku Project: Sumidagawa presents powerful dramatic readings by professional actors of Sumidagawa, a Noh play from the early 15th Century that timelessly depicts the unique challenges faced by parents in the wake of unimaginable disaster. Each reading is followed by the responses of community panelists, culminating in a lively, facilitated audience discussion. This interactive event promotes healthy, constructive dialogue about the lasting impact of the Tohoku disaster upon individuals, families, and communities—fostering compassion, understanding, awareness, and positive action.
About the play
-
Sumidagawa by Kanze Motomasa
A Noh play from the early 15th Century in which a grief-stricken woman searches frantically for her son who has been taken by slave traders. As a ferryman transports her across the Sumida river, she notices a memorial service on the opposite bank, and discovers that it is for her son.
Explore Projects
-
Addiction & Substance AbuseThe Dionysus ProjectThe Dionysus Project is an innovative public health project that presents readings of scenes from Euripides' Bacchae, an ancient Greek play about the destructive power of intoxication, as a catalyst for town hall discussions about the impact of substance abuse and addiction upon individuals, families, and communities. The project uses an ancient Greek tragedy, written nearly 2500 years ago, to engage audiences in crucial discussions about the timelessness of the human struggle with substance abuse and addiction, as well as resources and solutions that communities can utilize today.
-
Ethics & The Justice SystemTheater of LawDeveloped with New York University’s Forum on Law, Culture, & Society, and designed as a professional development program for legal professionals, as well as for the general public, Theater of Law drives conversations about moral justice in the court system. The project is aimed at engaging audiences who have in some way been disenfranchised by the law in constructive, powerful dialogue.
-
Addiction & Substance AbuseRum and VodkaThis project presents a one-man Irish play about a 24-year-old whose life is coming apart, due to drinking, in order to provoke discussions about alcoholism and addiction within diverse communities.