CRS Oberves Tohoku Earthquake/Tsunami One-Year Anniversary: Big Apple Playback Theatre Performance to Benefit Japan

In observance of the one-year anniversary of the Tohoku, Japan earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear disaster, CRS welcomes back Big Apple Playback Theatre for a bilingual event to remember, share and act out stories from the survivors, family members and friends of those living in the disaster area.  Drama Therapist and Big Apple Playback member Mizuho Kanazawa and Plabyack Theatre Japan founder Kayo Munakata will work with Big Apple Playback to ensure that non English-speaking Japanese will be able to fully express themselves and understand what's being shared by English speakers. 

Japanese people living here at the time were initially unable to reach their families in the disaster zone or even to find out if they were still alive or if their homes were still standing. Those who were abroad had to fight feelings of helplessness and panic, even as their friends and family in Japan were too busy dealing with everything to be paralyzed by fear. Aftershocks and news reports, relocating and shopping for basic supplies, finding family members, etc. forced them to focus on the present. Here, little by little, we tried to focus our own minds on recovery, on grounding ourselves and providing peaceful, loving long-distance support to those in Japan to boost their spirits and get them through the long days.

A year after the catastrophe, many thousands of people are still missing, tens of thousands are still displaced, and the extent of the radioactive contamination is still very uncertain and the danger ongoing. By sharing these experiences, we can remind ourselves that we are all going through the seem things and facing the same challenges. The next time there is a crisis, we can help one another to act with love rather than to react with fear. When we give in to fear, we are cut off from our source and feel small, powerless, unwilling to try. But when we remember that our true nature is infinite, unharmable loving spirt, then we can think and act without hesitation to help our brothers and sisters, and work miracles together.

One third of the proceeds from full-price ticket sales will go to the Japan Playwrights Association, to support Tohoku theatre companies affected by the disaster.

PLAYBACK THEATRE is spontaneous theatre based on stories told by audience members. Life stories are shared, cast, and then enacted on the spot by a team of actors/dancers and a musician. Be they comic or tragic, our life stories are full of important moments worth sharing and remembering. Telling our stories to each other in a theatrical context is both redemptive and invigorating. Listening to the stories of our community is crucial as we strive towards a world without hate and violence. The objective of Big Apple Playback Theatre is three-fold: to invite dialogue, build community, and to create compelling theatre. It therefore lives on the cusp between art and social change and provides opportunity for laughter, reflection, and connection.

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