Obon: Tales of Rain and Moonlight
About the Production
Obon: Tales of Rain and Moonlight weaves together three Japanese ghost stories to create a realm of mystery and strange beauty, a place where dark humor and ancient truths converge. The title refers to the annual Obon festival, in which the Japanese remember and honor the dead, a metaphor that underlies the work. Obon includes tales by Lafcadio Hearn with others drawn from the beloved classic collection of Japanese ghost stories Ugetsu Monogatari, first published in the 18th Century. Obon is the 2nd of Ping Chong's full length puppet theater works. It serves as a sequel to Kwaidan.
Production Team And Cast
Conceived, Written and Directed by
Ping Chong
Stage Manager
Stacey Roberts
Music
Guy Klucevsek
Set and Lighting Design
Randy Ward
Sound Design
David Meschter
Projection Design
Jan Hartley
Prop, Masks and Puppet Design
Atsushi Yamato
Cast
Jodi Eichelberger, Aya T. Kanai, Jennifer Kato, Fred C. Riley III, Sam Word with the recorded voices of Esther Chae, Ping Chong, Brian Hallas, Jennifer Kato, Michael Rohd, Jeffrey Rose, Louise Smith and Ching Valdez
Performance History
Premiere
Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle, WA (December 2001)
Tours
Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, SC (May 2002)
Seattle Repertory Theater, Seattle WA (November 2002)
Tokyo, Toyama, Kani, Ritto, and Tsukuba in Japan (Summer 2003)
Partners
Seattle Repertory Theatre
Spoleto Festival USA
Conversation & Company, Tokyo Japan
Funders
Japan-US Partnership for the Performing Arts
The Japan Foundation
Asian Cultural Council
The Jim Henson Foundation.
Japan – US Friendship Commission.
