Gekidan Kaitaisha
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Gekidan Kaitaicha is Japanese and means "Theatre of Deconstruction". The Tokyo-based group delivers a special mixture of modern dance, absurd texts, and raw expressive performance. The spoken word is not used very much, but when it is, it is in English. Gekidan Kaitaisha enjoys an international reputation and have a wide following in the contemporary arts scenes in major urban centres around the world. They have toured extensively in Asia, Europe and America.
Gekidan Kaitaisha - raw and expressive theatre. Working under the direction of artistic director Shinjin Shimizu they have been creating performances for more than 15 years, merging a variety of theatrical styles.
Gekidan Kaitaisha means "The Theatre of deconstruction". With the performance ´Bye-bye: Phantom´ the Tokyo-based group delivers an amazing mixture of modern dance, absurd texts and raw, expressive performance, where beauty and horror is woven together.
Gekidan Kaitaisha´s work is based on an acute criticism of society, raising issues, such as racism, gender prejudices, sexual hypocrisy and political pretension. By questioning the status quo, giving full credit to the imagined, and trusting it as much as the experienced, the ensemble produces the energy that characterises its work. It can be the energy of a burning fuse or that of a persistent, far-away flame.
Language is applied sparsely - single phrases or words (mostly English) are used by the performers to inspire the audience´s imagination. The performers become objects, falling with no concern for gravity, and drumming their bodies percussively.
In 1986 the Tokyo-based ensemble started to experiment with incorporating mise-en-scene into other genres: electronic music, film, visual arts, and object installations.
Kaitaisha developed and began presenting their theory of "Theatre of Place", utilising different outdoor locations as performance spaces, such as city ruins, streets, riverbanks and parks.
Author: Karin Bergquist
source: http://www.culturebase.net/artist.php?1346
1985: The group was founded by artistic director Shinjin Shimizu.
In 2001, they completed a three month tour of Bye-Bye: The new Primitive performing got critical acclaim in London, New York, Hamburg, Cardiff, etc.
Year First Worked With Greenroom:
2001
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