Saitama Gold Theater's final performance
『Water Station』

2021
December 19 (Sun) – 26 (Sun)

Saitama Hall / Large Hall

Shogo Ota

Kunio Sugihara

Shoko Ishii, Kayo Ishikawa, Oogushi Miwako, Mitsuyo Obuchi, Hiromu Kassai , Masako Kamimura, Gasho Kitazawa, Reiko Sato, Kazuko Tauchi, Kiyoshi Takahashi, Tae Takizawa, Masatake Takei, Yoshie Tanikawa, Ritsuko Tamura, Toshiko Tsumura, Yoichi Toyama, Keiko Hayashida, Natsue Hyakumoto, Annu Watanabe
/ Himawari Inoue / Yutaka Oda

Saitama Arts Foundation

Japan Foundation for Regional Art-Activities 

Subsidy for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts, Agency for Cultural Affairs(Project to strengthen the functions of theaters and music halls) 

Japan Arts Council

Shogo Ota

Born in 1939, Jinan, China. Directed the Tenkei Theatre from 1970 to 1988.
In 1978, he won the Kishida Kunio Drama Award for “Komachi Fuden”. While starting his theatrical career in the tumultuous 1960s, he established his own style of “silent play” that eliminates all dialogue. His masterpiece, “Water Station,” has been called a trilogy of silent plays, and his works are still being performed all over the world. He is also the author of numerous theories and essays on directing, including “Flight and Suspension” (1975) and “Theater of the Naked Form” (1980). After the dissolution of Tenkei-Theater, he served as Artistic Director of Shonandai Cultural Center, Fujisawa City, and as Professor of Arts at Kinki University. He was deeply involved in the establishment of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Kyoto University of Art and Design (now Kyoto University of the Arts) in 2000 and the Center for Performing Arts Research at the same university in 2001. Passed away at the age of 67.

Sugihara Kunio
Born in 1982, Tokyo and raised in Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Director and stage designer. While a student in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Kyoto University of Art and Design (now Kyoto University of Arts), launched his own production company, KUNIO, in 2004, and has since directed “Angels in America,” “Hamlet,” and revived a masterpieces by Shogo Ota “Clear Land” and “Water Station,” a former teacher at the university. Has participated in Kinoshita Kabuki from 2006 to 2017, directing 11 plays, including “Kurozuka,” “Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan: A Full Performance,” and “San-nin Kichizo. Recent directing works include “Super Kabuki II『Oguri』” (co-directed with Ennosuke Ichikawa), “Greeks”, “Shojo Kamen” by Tristone Entertainment, “Playtime” (co-directed with Tetsuya Umeda) by Theatre Cocoon Live Streaming, “Orestes and Pyrades”, etc. In February and March of 2021, directed the opening series of PARCO Theatre “Yabuhara Kengyo”, and in April of the same year, directed the corner of “Shibuya de Aimasho” for COCOON PRODUCTION 2021. In 2018, received the 36th Kyoto Prefecture Cultural Award Encouragement Prize.

Saitama Gold Theater
Based on Yukio Ninagawa’s idea, “Is it possible for people who have aged to encounter a new self through physical expression based on their personal histories?”, 48 members were selected by audition from over 1,200 applicants in April 2006. Since the first performance of “Picnic on the Boat” (written by Ryo Iwamatsu and directed by Yukio Ninagawa) in June 2007, it has been ambitiously presenting new works written by leading playwrights. Has been invited to Paris (2013, 2014), Hong Kong (2014), and Romania (2016), and has had successful performances abroad. In 2018, he performed “Ware Ware no Moromoro Gold Theater Spring 2018” (composition and direction: Hideto Iwai) as an extra performance. In the same year, participated in the World Gold Festival 2018, an international performing arts festival focused on the elderly, and presented two outdoor performances: the wandering play “Yomichi ni hiha kurenai” Urawa version (written and directed by Naoki Sugawara) and “BED” (written and directed by David Slater). In 2019, will present a reading of “Nina’s Cotton,” a new work written by Takahiro Fujita of Mum and Gypsy, in collaboration with Saitama Next Theater. Currently, there are 33 members (8 men and 25 women) ranging in age from 70 to 95, with an average age of 81.7 (as of the end of September 2021).

Himawari Inoue
Born in 1997, Shizuoka Prefecture. 2019 Graduated from Kyoto University of Art and Design (now Kyoto University of Arts), Department of Performing Arts. Since entering university, has been active in a wide range of theater productions, dance productions, music videos, and radio dramas based in Kyoto and Tokyo. Main stage appearances include KUNIO14 “Water Station” (2019), KUNIO15 “Greeks” (director and art director: Kunio Sugihara), “Throwable Stones”, Highbay “Hickey Cancun Tornado” (writer and director: Hideto Iwai), and “Mayoiga in the Cape” (writer and director: Roba Shimori).