Theatre of Yugen

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By: James Im - Oct/9/2009 5:07 PM

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Theatre of Yugen

Theatre of Yugen is an experimental ensemble dedicated to the pursuit of the intangible essence called yugen through its exploration of dramatic and literary classics and the crafting of new works of world theater. Our investigation stems from a discipline of Japanese theatrical aesthetics—primarily the classical forms of Noh drama and Kyogen comedy. Through training, creating, presenting, collaborating and performing we aim to foster intercultural understanding and keep theatrical discipline vital.

Yu — deep, quiet, other worldly
gen — subtle, profound, dark

Founded in 1978 by Yuriko Doi to bring traditional Japanese aesthetics to American audiences. In the fall of 2001 Yuriko handed off the Artisitc Directorship to three long-time company members Jubilith Moore, Lluis Valls and Libby Zilber.

Dijana Milosevic (Guest Collaborator, Director)
A graduate of the Faculty of Special Psychology at the University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia, worked with autistic children before continuing in theater directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at the same University. In 1991, she co-founded Dah Teater in Belgrade, the first theater laboratory in her country and has been actively involved in it through directing and devising all its performances. In 2007 she and her theater were recipients of prestigious Otto Rene Castillo Award for political theater. She tours with her company, gives workshops and teaches around the world. She also writes for theater magazines and publications.

Erik Ehn (Artistic Associate - Theatre of Yugen / Playwright)
Erik is married to Patricia Chanteloube-Ehn. Erik’s work includes Maria Kizito, The Saint Plays, Heavenly Shades of Night Are Falling, No Time Like the Present, Wolf at the Door, Tailings, Beginner, Ideas of Good and Evil, and an adaptation of Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury. He is an Artistic Associate at San Francisco’s Theatre of Yugen, recently writing and directing a Noh-inspired Frankenstein with them (2003, 2004) which received 2 BATCC awards (Costumes, Lighting) and 3 other nominations. Additional work with Yugen includes Crazy Horse (2001), which combined Noh forms with Native American music and dance. Remounted in 2005 as Moon of the Scarlet Plums, the new bi-lingual production opened at Expo Hall at the World’s Fair in Aichi, Japan. His plays have been produced in San Francisco (Intersection, Thick Description, Yugen), Seattle (Annex, Empty Space), Austin (Frontera), New York (BACA, Whitney Museum), Atlanta (7 Stages), San Diego (Sledgehammer), Chicago (Red Moon), the Lincoln Center Festival (NY); elsewhere. He has taught at the U of Iowa, Naropa, UC San Diego, UT Dallas, and Cal Arts (graduate), as well as U San Francisco, SF State, Santa Clara, and Skidmore (undergrad). He currently is Dean of the Theater Department and Head of Writing for Performance at Cal Arts.

Jubilith Moore (Co-Artistic Director – Theatre of Yugen / Performer)
A graduate of Bard College, Jubilith is one of the Artistic Directors of Theatre of Yugen and has been with the company, and a student of Yuriko Doi, since 1993. She has also studied Noh with Richard Emmert and Akira Matsui (Kita school). While under a Japan Foundation Fellowship in Tokyo, she continued training with Richard Emmert and had the honor of studying with Kanze School Noh master Shiro Nomura, Kyogen master Yukio Ishida (Izumi school) and Kotsuzumi Noh drum with Mitsuo Kama (Ko school.)

With Theatre of Yugen she has performed in Janine Beichman's Drifting Fires; the modern Noh play, The Well of Ignorance (or Down the Dark Well) by Dr. Tomio Tada; a Noh adaptation of William Butler Yeats' Purgatory; in several productions of Noh Christmas Carol; September 2001 in Erik Ehn's Crazy Horse; September 2005 for the Japan-US tour of The Moon of the Scarlet Plums; and a variety of roles in the company's repertoire of Kyogen comedies.

Since the spring of 2002 she has worked collectively with Theatre of Yugen's Joint Artistic team to create the original experimental pieces The Clay Play (2002), Norton, I (2003), the acclaimed Frankenstein (2003, 2003), toured to Japan in Moon of the Scarlet Plums (2005), adapted and directed The Old Man and The Sea (2005), ruled the stage as the Duchess in Don Q (2006), and was a core actor in last summer’s all-day theatre event The Cycle Plays.

Other noteworthy roles are the Old Man in the collaboration between Theatre of Yugen and Theatre Nohgaku, At the Hawk's Well National Tour 2002, Cecelia in Smartmouth Theater's production of Erik Ehn's Tailings; Mina in Stephen Dietz' Dracula performed with the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble; the role of the Ghost in Woman's Will production of Hamlet (the melancholy dame), and Portia in their Merchant of Venice. Jubilith has taught Theatre of Yugen's Winter Training Session since 2003 and assisted Richard Emmert in his American based Noh Training Project. She has also been an Artist in Residence at San Francisco's School of the Arts since 1998.

Jubilith manages Theatre of Yugen's repertoire touring and educational outreach.

Lluis Valls (Co-Artistic Director – Theatre of Yugen / Performer)
Originally from Iqualada, Spain, Lluis moved many times before settling in San Francisco and graduating with a BA in Dramatic Arts from SFSU, where he studied Suzuki Method with Dr. Yukihiro Goto. Lluis has worked since 1993 with theatre director Yuriko Doi performing on tour in the company's repertoire of Kyogen comedies and in many of the mainstage productions, most notably Erik Ehn's Crazy Horse; the modern Noh play The Well of Ignorance (or Down the Dark Well) by Dr. Tomio Tada, and Yuriko Doi's Noh adaptation of Yeats' Purgatory. His favorite role was as Garcia Lorca in the Kabuki/Flamenco fusion Blood Wine, Blood Wedding.

Since 2002 Lluis has worked collectively with the artistic team to create the original experimental pieces The Clay Play (2002), Norton, I (2003), The Old Man and The Sea (2005), Frankenstein (as the Doctor in 2003, as the creature in 2004), toured to Japan in Moon of the Scarlet Plums (2005), adapted Don Q (2006) and was a core actor in last summer’s all-day theatre event The Cycle Plays (07/07/07).

Lluis' other notable roles include: Agamemnon in Clytemnestra by Tadashi Suzuki, Banquo in Shogun MacBeth, Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Yerba Buena Gardens, and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet with SF Shakespeare Festival. Lluis has also directed Purgatory by Yeats, The Great American Cheese Sandwich by Burton Cohen, as well as directed, produced and performed in The Architect and the Emperor of Assyria by Fernando Arrabaal with his own company, Anhinga Productions.

In his spare time Lluis studyies languages, guitar and contemporary and classical Catalan theatre. His translations include Dotze Treballs by Lluisa Cunille, and Estrips by Toni Cabre.

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