Conversation & Performance—Recycling: Washi Tales

Recycling: Washi Tales brings to life through performance, the human stories contained in sheets of handmade Japanese paper (washi).  In Japan, authentic beauty is found in the old, and washi is made when existing paper is disassembled, beaten into pulp, and stretched anew on bamboo frames. This evening event begins at 7pm with a conversation between paper artist Ibe Kyoko and curator of Japanese Art Hollis Goodall followed by the 8 pm performance Recycling: Washi Tales. In the performance, a papermaker cradles old documents in her hands. As she creates new undulating sheets onstage from these records of history, four narratives emerge: life in a 19th-century village, a tragic betrayal for a young wife, the austere elegance of the tea ceremony, and a loss transformed into everlasting life. An extraordinary ensemble of performers and musicians, including 15th generation Noh drummer, Shonosuke Okura, Biwa player Shisui Arai, vocalist Makiko Sakurai, performer Karen Kandel, and actor Sonoko Soeda, in a world created by distinguished paper artist, Kyoko Ibe. This event is held in conjunction with the installation, Washi Tales: The Paper Art of Ibe Kyoko, on view September 1 through November 28, 2011.

Bing Theater | Tickets: $25 general admission; $20 LACMA members, seniors 65+ and students with ID. Tickets: 323 857–6010 or purchase online | Ticket price includes admission to the 7 pm conversation, 8 pm performance, and installation | Please arrive early to view the installation as galleries will be closed after the event.

Learn more about Washi Tales.

Image: Actor Sonoko Soeda on the set of Recycling: Washi Tales New York Theater Workshop. Photography by Isaac Bloom, New York.