A dance at the border of this world and the next, In a Memory Palace draws on the stillness of Noh as the spirit of a once‑celebrated Viennese couturier reaches across time. Live music, video, and masked performance evoke interwar splendor echoing into a present‑day American room where a long‑unspoken story seeks release. Founded in 2000, Theatre Nohgaku brings Noh to the wider world by creating new works in languages other than classical Japanese. In a Memory Palace deepens this exploration, merging the formal structure of traditional Noh with a story that opens into Western theatrical aesthetics and multimedia expression.
Performances
July 30 - August 1, 2026
Z Space’s Steindler Stage
“A Memory Palace of Migration” is an In a Memory Palace community art project. An audio and video immersive installation built of true stories of movement contributed by and reflective of each community in which the installation is presented.
July 28 - August 1, 2026, 11am - 6pm
Z Space lobby (450 Florida Street, San Francisco, CA 94110)
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Performance Discussions with members of the In a Memory Palace cast and creative team
Free with Performance Ticket
Z Space (450 Florida Street, San Francisco, CA 94110)
Post-performance on Friday July 31, 2026, at approx. 8:15pm
Pre-performance, moderated by Jay Ilan on Saturday August 1, 2026, at 5:30pm
To Noh and Beyond
An In a Memory Palace workshop and performance series
Writing New Noh: Architectures of Poetry and Time – A Writer’s Workshop
With Theatre Nohgaku Founding Company Member David Crandall
Sunday, July 26, 2026, 10:00am – 1:00pm
Conference Room 2 at JCCCNC, 1840 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
A workshop for English-speaking writers, musicians, performers and the intellectually curious who seek insight into how noh are constructed. Emphasis will be placed on the underlying building blocks of noh called shōdan, which consist of both verbal and musical elements. After an explanation of some of noh’s textual characteristics, participants will be invited to write small sections following traditional norms. The instructor will then chant some of these sections with drum patterns so that participants can hear how their work would sound in a typical noh setting.
Tickets: $50 | Limited to 8 participants
Getting To Noh – A Lecture / Demonstration
With Theatre Nohgaku Company Members and special guest artists
Co-Presented with Theatre of Yugen
Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 7:00 – 8:00pm
NOHSpace, 2840 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
A live introduction to noh chant, dance and musical instruments with performance of excerpts from both traditional and new noh in Japanese and English.
Free | Reservations suggested
Composing Noh in Waltz Time – A Music Performance and Discussion
With co-composers David Crandall, Dr. Kevin Salfen, members of the In a Memory Palace cast. Moderated by Jay Ilan
Friday July 31, 2026, 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Koret Auditorium at the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Noh is usually performed on a bare wooden stage and accompanied by a chorus, drums and flute. Theatre Nohgaku crafts new noh in English, but In a Memory Palace expands the traditional noh ensemble by including cello, piano, and piccolo to evoke the opulence of early twentieth-century Vienna. The result is perhaps the most integrated conversation ever attempted between noh and European concert music.
Free | Reservations suggested
Post-performance Discussion
With members of the In a Memory Palace cast and creative team
Friday, July 31, 2026, at ~ 8:15pm
Z Space, 450 Florida St. San Francisco, CA 94110
Free for In a Memory Palace ticket holders
A Practice of Stillness in Time – A Movement Workshop
With Theatre Nohgaku Founding Company Member Jubilith Moore
Co-sponsor Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC)
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Issei Memorial Hall at the JCCCNC, 1840 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
A workshop for actors, directors, dancers, musicians, and academics interested in learning about a non-Western performance tradition. Offering a multifaceted live experience, it introduces noh movement and chant and explores some of noh’s underlying theatrical tenets to suggest how they might inform contemporary work.
Tickets: $50 | Limited to 25 participants
Pre-performance Discussion
With members of the In a Memory Palace cast and creative team, moderated by Jay Ilan
Saturday, August 1, 2026, at 5:30pm
Z Space, 450 Florida St. San Francisco, CA 94110
Free for In a Memory Palace ticket holders
Questions about To Noh and Beyond Workshop and Performance Series? Please email Jubilith Moore of Theatre Nohgaku at moorenohgaku@theatrenohgaku.org.