Mushroom illustrations by Lia Rey
We welcome you back to our seasonal performances of classical Japanese Kyogen plays in English at NOHSpace! For this Spring, we are excited to present Kusabira (Mushrooms) and Busu (Sweet Poison), performed by our wonderful ensemble members!
Directed by Lluís Valls
Performers:
Anqi Cao, Nick Ishimaru, Meryn MacDougall, Ryan Marchand, Fenner Merlick, Kate Patrick, Lluís Valls, and Tiger Zhou
🍄 🍄 🍄
Program
Kusabira (Mushrooms)
Theatre of Yugen adaptation in 2024 from the original translation by Don Kenny in 2014
A man is troubled by mushrooms growing in his house. No matter how many he pulls out, they keep growing back the next day. He visits a holy Yamabushi, an ascetic monk who lives in the mountains, and asks for a prayer to get rid of the mushrooms. Yamabushi agrees to the request and goes to the man’s house. He starts the prayer immediately, but things don’t quite pan out the way he intends.
Busu (Sweet Poison)
Before leaving the house to their care, the master points to a large jar and says to his servants, 'Don't get close to the Busu (Poison).' But Tarokaja and Jirokaja can not get Busu out of their mind. Finally Tarokaja decides to approach the jar. Busu looks very delicious, and Tarokaja can’t resist the temptation to take a lick...
General Admission: $28 (Regular)
$18 (Community Discount - if the price is a barrier)
From left: Kate Patrick (Master), Ryan Marchand (Tarokaja), Meryn MacDougall (Jirokaja) in Busu (2021)
From left: Lluís Valls (Koken), Meryn MacDougall (Jirokaja), Ryan Marchand (Tarokaja) in Busu (2021)
Artists
ANQI CAO (Apprentice)’s artistic journey straddles the East and West, as she interweaves a spectrum of cross-cultural arts. Her experience involves delivering laughter through improv comedy across China and the US, embodying the elegance of Nihon Buyo under the guidance of Mariko Ohno sensei at Kabuki Academy, as well as harnessing the power of role-play to promote self-growth as a psycho-drama coach. In her spare time, she loves writing bilingual poetry and exploring Taiwanese glove puppetry translations, which marries the introspection of Eastern philosophy with the boldness of Western verse. At Theatre of Yugen, Anqi finds her multifaceted creativity reflected in Yugen's pioneering vision, reinterpreting the intricate poetry and timeless stories of Classical Japanese Nohgaku into innovative, global expressions.
Nick Ishimaru (he/him) is a co-founder of San Francisco-based Kunoichi Productions. Prior to working with Kunoichi, he served as the Artistic Director of Theatre of Yugen from 2016 to 2020. He holds a BA in Performing Arts from Colorado State University, where he directed a kabuki adaptation of Macbeth, a Masters in Drama from San Francisco State University, and did additional doctorate work at the University of Hawaii. He has trained in noh and kyōgen for over 10 years with San Francisco’s Theatre of Yugen, Theatre Nohgaku, and the Kita school noh master Oshima Teruhisa in Tokyo. Ishimaru has also studied kabuki, jingju (Beijing Opera), and nihon buyo (traditional Japanese dance). He has led master classes on various performing arts topics for all levels from elementary school through university, and has presented work at conferences and university lectures both in the Bay Area and internationally.
Ishimaru has directed many productions including The Red Demon, A Noh Christmas Carol, Seen/By Everyone, The True Tale of Princess Kaguya, Fun Home, Never Mind, and Anything Goes. He has performed in A Noh Christmas Carol, Puppets and Poe, The True Tale of Princess Kaguya, Bellini’s Norma, Carmen, Mame, and dozens of English language kyōgen,among others.
MERYN MACDOUGALL is a Bay Area artist. Meryn works in Theatre and Film as an actor, director, and fight director. She has had the joy of working with Theatre of Yugen for the last 6 years. She would like to thank Lluis and the Yugen Community for all the wonderful opportunities and training they have provided. Look for her next project UN/FILTERED an independent film coming to film festivals spring of 2024.
RYAN MARCHAND began performing with Theater of Yugen in 2009. A Los Angeles native, he moved to the Bay Area to attend San Francisco State University, where he first trained in Noh and Kyogen. As a theater maker, he has worked with a variety of companies including Crowded Fire, Shotgun Players, African American Shakespeare Company, Bindelstiff Studios, Kunoichi Productions, and Playwright’s Foundation. Ryan is the current Director of San Francisco Opera’s Department of Diversity, Equity and Community.
FENNER MERLICK is a performing and teaching artist in the Bay Area. Pedagogically rooted in Kyogen and Noh theater, clown, and bouffon, viewpoints, suzuki, butoh, and viewpoints. They studied Theater at UC Berkeley, trained at Dell Arte International, and are a company member of Theatre of Yugen and Kismet Arts Tangent. They have performed with Cutting Ball, Custom Made, foolsFury, Ragged Wing Ensemble, Liar Liar Theater, PACE Gallery in Menlo Park, and won Best of the SF Fringe in 2013 and 2022 for collaboratively created shows. In 2022 they were awarded an excellence in theater award by the SF Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.
KATE PATRICK, currently based in San Francisco, has been an ensemble member with Theatre of Yugen since 2019. Most recently she has appeared as the Crab Spirit in Kani Yamabushi, the Master in Busu, and Corvino in last year's adaptation of Volpone, Act I. This fall she is excited to reprise her role for Volpone, Act II as well as design and build special costume pieces for this production. She has also done costume work for various local theaters including San Francisco Opera, Actors Ensemble of Berkeley and New Conservatory Theatre Center. Previous experience in traditional Japanese theater includes her role as the second Yamabushi in University of Hawai’i, Mānoa’s 2016 production of a new kyogen play, Futari Yamabushi, and a 2017-18 Fulbright Research Grant to study traditional ji-kabuki costumes and practices under Sachie Oguri at the Museum Nakasendou and Aioi-za Theater in Mizunami, Japan. While there she performed in two kabuki classics, Sodehagi Saimon as Hachiman Taro Yoshiie, and Fuji Musume. Kate has an MFA in Costume Design from University of Hawai’i, Mānoa.
Lluís Valls acts, directs, and writes for the theatre. He has studied Noh with Richard Emmert, Akira Matsui, and Teruhisa Oshima (Kita school), Kyogen with Yukio Ishida, Go Iida and Yuriko Doi (Izumi school), and Kotsuzumi Noh drum with Mitsuo Kama (Ko school), as well as training in butoh, Suzuki method, and clowning. A graduate of SFSU, Mr. Valls has been a disciple of founder Yuriko Doi since 1993 and served as Theatre of Yugen’s Joint Artistic Director with Jubilith Moore and Libby Zilber from 2002 - 2008. He has been a main actor for Yugen since 1997 and currently serves as the Director of the Kyogen Company. Lluis is also a founding member of the local Clown company Clowns on a Stick, as well as international Noh troupe Theatre Nohgaku with whom he has toured throughout Europe, Asia and the US.
Tiger Zhou (Apprentice) is an artist, storyteller, and aspiring educator. In college, she worked on multiple theater productions centering on Asian American issues and LGBTQ identities, including Among the Dead, Question 27, Question 28, Heathers: The Musical and The Headlands. As a student, she was cast in a leading role in the staged reading and production of an original adaptation of Guan Hanqing’s Snow in Midsummer. She is working towards a bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies from Stanford University.
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