Stephanie Silver, Hana Kalinski and Rex Marin photo by Jonathan Slaff Kazue Tani with umbrella photo by Jonathan Slaff scene from After the Rain photo by Jonathan Slaff La MaMa ETC and Yara Arts Group present: AFTER THE RAIN world music theatre piece based on three stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, including "Rashomon" created by Watoku Ueno with Yara Arts Group director, set and light designer: Watoku Ueno composer/musician: Kato Hideki costume design: Luba Kierkosz shadow image design: Watoku Ueno/Makoto Takeuchi stage manager: Shuhei Kinoshita movement: Shigeko Sara Suga projection: Rashid Mamun shadow image design execution: Makoto Takeuchi, Yasuko Miura Set construction: Kenji Watanabe back stage crew /puppeteers: Megan Talley, Alan Barnes Nethertona and Yuji Mianjo PERFORMERS: Hana A. Kalinski, Rex Matin, Stephanie Silver and Kazue Tani April 4-21, 2008 Th-Sun 8PM, + Sun 2:30 La MaMa Expriemental Theatre 74 East 4th St, New York, (212) 475-7710 tickets $18 - www.lamama.org PRESS EXCERPTS “AFTER THE RAIN” Kat Chamberlain, nytheatre.com April 10, 2008 "Creator Watoku Ueno and the Yara Arts Group have put tremendous thought into the aesthetics of the piece. It opens beautifully, with one of the most original and intriguing set designs I have ever seen. It serves up one surprise after another, from exotic costumes to intricate movements. A combination of music, shadow puppets, projections, and dance, it feels like a theatre version of an art house silent film..." The music by the composer/guitarist/sound designer Kato Hideki seamlessly merges with the striking visuals and accentuates the poignancy of the stories. I could listen to him forever. Luba Kierkosz's costume design is stylish and refined, serving the physical movements to perfection. After the Rain is written, designed, and directed by Watoku Ueno, and according to the program note, the scenes were created by the artists of Yara in rehearsal. Hats off to the artistry he and his company have put into the entire look of the show. It is breathtakingly exquisite. It is also a worthy attempt to wed literature to theatre, and the traditional Japanese art of shadow puppet, costumes, and music to modern dance and multimedia..." “AFTER THE RAIN” Ron Cohen, backstage.com April 7, 2008 Yara Arts Group, an 18-year-old company whose mission is to create pieces rooted in Eastern culture, conjures up some 75 minutes of dreamlike theatre in After the Rain… The production has striking visual appeal. The storytelling incorporates lots of stylized movement, shadow puppetry, and pleasantly fragile songs, along with text from Akutagawa and convincing performances by the four actors in multiple roles. Rex Marin admirably endows each of the three central characters -- the samurai, the apprentice, and the old traveler -- with distinct personalities, while Hana A. Kalinski, Stephanie Silver, and Kazue Tani provide strong ensemble work. The musical underscoring and accompaniment by composer-guitarist Kato Hideki add dramatic emphasis, as do Ueno's honeycomb-like stage platform design and his moody lighting. For more pictures and information on Yara's After the RAin