Dogugaeshi

June 10 - 14, 2009

Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre

Created by Basil Twist
Original shamisen compositions created and performed live by authorized master musician Yumiko Tanaka

Dogugaeshi is an intimate work inspired by Japanese puppet theater created and performed by Obie Award-winning puppeteer Basil Twist. Visually and aurally stunning, this hour-long performance features Twist's signature puppetry, with video projection, and original live shamisen (Japanese traditional lute-like instrument) music.

The dogugaeshi mechanism of sliding screens that create an unfolding of various images and landscapes was developed centuries ago as the climactic sequence in Japanese traditional puppet theater. Now only practiced in the region of Awaji in Japan, Basil Twist has recreated the intricate technique with his own interpretation, blending centuries of tradition with his own inimitable style. The result is a mesmerizing and powerful voyage through historical and contemporary Japan.

Recommended for ages 12 and up