Page Title

Yara’s Store	2
Letter	2
House of Widows—continued from page 4	2
In a Different Light – Poetry Festival	3
Interview with Virlana in Dzerkalo Tyzhdnia	3
Askold Melnyczuk’s new novel House of Widows	4
Extracurricular Activities	4

Text Box: Don’t miss these great events: After the Rain:
Yara’s new theatre piece
Thu—Sun Apr 4-20 at 8PM
Sun matinee at 2:30 PM
La MaMa ETC
(212) 475-7710
Mariana Sadovska
in Concert May 3
Columbia University
Er Toshtuk
theatre piece on Kyrgyz epic
created by Virlana Tkacz
Kenzhegul Satybaldieva
and the students of the Theatre Institute of Kyrgyz Drama Theatre
B’Art Center, Bishkek
May 23-25

Yara arts group

Newsletter

Text Box: Yara’s After the Rain at La MaMa After the Rain is an original theatre piece based on short stories written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Japan's best short story writer. During his short life (1892-1927) Akutagawa wrote more than 150 short stories. His story "Rashomon," was the basis of Kurosawa's renowned film in 1950. After the Rain is a theatrical collage of Akutagawa's short stories. It features original Japanese costumes, and folk songs, as well as contemporary live music and projection images, dance and shadow puppets. Performed in English it plays April 4 to 20th in La MaMa's First Floor Theater, 74A East 4thStreet, Manhattan. The production is interdisciplinary. Scenes are created through the interaction between actors and shadow puppets and include contemporary mu

sic and movement. Three stories by Akutagawa form the core of the production: "Rashomon," "Magic," and "Mandarins." Although these stories take place in various times, places and contexts, the production weaves them into one man's journey, starting at Kyoto's Rashomon Gate during a famine 800years ago. Against his own moral believes, a young samurai is forced to become a thief. The second story, "Magic," is set in the Taisho period (1912-1926). A man visits a magician to learn his craft to find out it can that only be used if no greed is involved. The last part takes place in

Text Box: side a train compartment, as an old man is saved by a young country girl, who selflessly throws mandarins to boys waving to the train. Director Watoku Ueno has assembled the script, as well as designed the set, lights and the shadow puppets. A founding member of Yara Arts Group, he has co-directed and designed most of Yara's productions and in 2006 directed Yara's Sundown. He is an NEA/TCG award-winning designer and interested in exploring East-meets-West themes, both personally and as an artist. He is also fascinated by the Taisho period of Japanese history, when culture and Askol.