Kwaidan
About the Production
Kwaidan is a haunting stage interpretation of three Japanese ghost stories adapted from American writer Lafcadio Hearn, taking place both in ancient times and our modern world. Kwaidan's tales evoke a beguiled world, one far removed from our pragmatic one. Layered imagery and dazzling puppetry conjure up scenes of mystery, enchantment and fright where crabs with human faces haunt turbulent shores, dead lovers appear in a McDonald’s, a blind minstrel performs before assembled ghosts, and demons call to finish business.
Production Team And Cast
Conceived, Written and Directed by
Ping Chong
Assistant Director
Ariel Goldberger
Production Manager
Liz Lee
Lighting Design
Liz Lee
Set and Production Design
Mitsuru Ishii
Sound Design
David Meschter
Puppet Design
John Ludwig
Voice Recording
Brian Hallas
Stage Manager
John A. Scott
Tour Management
Lisa Booth Management/Deirdre Valente
Cast
David Ige, Pamella O’Connor, Lee Randall, Fred C. Riley III, Don Smith, Roger Babb (Voice Over), Christopher Caines (Voice Over), Ping Chong (Voice Over), Brian Hallas (Voice Over), Jeannie Hutchins (Voice Over)
Performance History
Premiere
Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, GA (June 1998)
Tours
The Jim Henson International Festival of Puppet Theater, La MaMa ETC, New York, NY (September 1998)
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN (September-October 1998)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL (October 1998)
Culver Academies, Culver, IN (October 1998)
Hopkins Center at Dartmouth University, Hanover, NH (October 1998)
Staller Center at SUNY Stony Brook, NY (October 1998)
Duke University, Durham, NC (October 1998)
Spoleto USA Festival, Charleston, SC (June 1999)
Nikawa Mirage Hall, Toyama, Japan (November 1999)
Helios, Toyama, Japan (November 1999)
Shinminato Culture Center, Toyama, Japan (November 1999)
Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, GA (August 2000)
Lied Center of KS, Lawrence, KS (August 2000)
The Barbican Centre, London, UK (September-October 2000)
New Victory Theatre, NYC (October-November 2000)
Kennedy Center, Washington, DC (November 2000)
Byham Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA (November 2000)
Freud Playhouse, UCLA Performing Arts, CA (December 2000)
Press
PUPPET FESTIVAL REVIEW; Stories With Good Spirits and Bad, The New York Times, September 23, 1998
'Kwaidan': Fear &, The Washington Post, November 10, 2000
Haunted by Such Human Tales, The Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2000
Bringing Puppets to Life...and Death, The Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2000
Awards
2001 UNIMA Award
Kwaidan Program (1998)