HIROSHIMA AND HUMAN SURVIVAL IN THE FACE OF ALL ODDS
Futarikko Theatre Company presents the Canadian premiere of The Face of Jizo
On Friday March 21st, experience life in Hiroshima three years after the atomic bomb with Mitsue Fukuyoshi, a 23-year-old Hiroshima survivor learning to live and love again. The Face of Jizo deals in intimate detail with the trauma faced by survivors of the atomic bomb, reminding us of the inhumanity of nuclear weaponry.
First produced in 1994 under its Japanese title, Chichi to Kuraseba (If I Lived with my Father), The Face of Jizo was written by well-known Japanese playwright Hisashi Inoue and translated into English by Roger Pulvers in 2003. The play's English title refers to Jizo, the Japanese Buddhist guardian deity of children.
The Face of Jizo is presented by Futarikko Theatre Company, which was formed in 2002 in Kochi, Japan. Founding member Ayumi Hamada brought the spirit of Futarikko to Canada in 2006, with the goal of introducing Canadian audiences to Japanese contemporary plays. The Face of Jizo is Futarikko's third show, following three successful runs of The Lady Aoi in 2007 at venues including the Nanaimo Japanese Festival and UVic's Student Alternative Theatre Co.
Ayumi Hamada has been studying and performing theatre in Victoria for three years. She has received numerous awards at theatre festivals in Kochi, including Best Actress. Ayumi is designing costumes and acting in The Face of Jizo as part of a directed studies program at the University of Victoria. Working with Ayumi on The Face of Jizo are a Canadian team including actor David Christopher, artist and sound designer Min Huh, lighting designers Emily Kevis and Darcy Stoop, director Alyssa Knox, as well as numerous volunteers.
Vancouver Saving Article 9 is also displaying an exhibition of historical photographs and paintings in the theatre. Members of Vancouver Saving Article 9, a group which advocates for the preservation of the article in Japan's constitution which renounces war, will be available to speak with audience members after the show. Futarikko presents The Face of Jizo in solidarity with the Vancouver Peace Philosophy Centre and Saving Article 9's efforts to remind the public about the tragedy of the atomic bombs and to advocate peace.
The Face of Jizo will be performed twice, at 3pm and 8pm, at Metro Studio, 1411 Quadra at Johnson. Tickets will be available at the door, or contact Aya at ayalan@gmail.com.