Director’s Statement:
After my success in the Smith College Theater Department with
the one-act “Striptease,” by Slawomir Mrozek, I proposed
an adaptation of this classic by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the 18th
century “Shakespeare” of Japan. Only one student annually
could “win” a budget for a full-length production
at the Hallie Flanagan Studio Theater. In 1995, I was awarded
this privilege, which allowed me to design and direct a full-scale
production as my honors thesis in my senior year (1996). The production
included 11 wonderful actresses, some of whom have gone on into
successful performing arts careers, costumes specifically made
for the production, a set of my design which changed for every
act, and highly original lighting design by Eriko Fukuoka.
Continued...
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