Theatre of Yugen's Jubilith Moore
Workshop/Retreat at NACL
December 14-16, 2007

Deep Time-- A Weekend Workshop and Retreat

Combing the theoretical with the practical Jubilith Moore, co-artistic director of San Francisco's Theatre of Yugen, will lead a weekend retreat focused on the traditional Japanese theatre forms of Noh and Kyogen for western performers and educators. This Workshop is open to all.

Often described as the art of performance, Nohgaku refers to both the Japanese traditional theatre forms of Noh (drama) and Kyogen (comedy). As the longest continuously performed theatre in the world, Nohgaku has been kept vibrantly alive as each generation rigorously works to further cultivate it. Combining the elements of song, dance, mask, space and time, it is a total stage art created by hand. The principles inherent in Nohgaku are time-tested, unique and come together to create a highly refined stage aesthetic. Participants will be introduced to the traditional training methods in chant (utai / kouta) and dance (shimai / komai), as well as offered a detailed practicum of stock characters, which fill the Kyogen repertoire.

Meticulous body and verbal articulation, as well as a tremendous amount of concentration and focus, characterize the Nohgaku performer's work and are valuable tools for the Western performer, director and choreographer. By focusing on the specific, the underlying foundational elements of the exceptional aesthetic experience of Nohgaku will be revealed.

NOH
Noh is a highly refined, richly symbolic and beautifully stylized dance-drama written in lyric poetry. It is tragic theater, deeply philosophical and concerned with man's spiritual beliefs and moral codes. Theatrical elements include a simple, elegant setting, elaborate costumes, two-three main characters, a chorus and a musical ensemble of three drummers and flutist.

KYOGEN
Completely absorbed in speaking, with satirical humor, Kyogen addresses such worldly concerns as greed, vanity and the pleasures of outwitting someone. These short comedies are cast with stock characters of servants and masters, wives and husbands, and feuding Buddhist priests.

The Workshop Schedule:

Friday: 7-9 pm
Saturday: 10 - 5pm, 7 - 9 pm
Sunday: 10 - 1pm.

The Fee
$225 this includes workshop, housing, and meals.
$125 for workshop only (if you choose to sleep off-site).

Register
Please send us a letter (e-mail or post) with your name, address, phone number, along with a short description of yourself and interests. A $50 deposit will be required to hold your spot. Call Tannis at 845-557-0694 for more information.

With Theatre of Yugen she has performed in Janine Beichman's Drifting Fires; the modern Noh play, The Well of Ignorance (or Down the Dark Well) by Dr. Tomio Tada; a Noh adaptation of William Butler Yeats' Purgatory; in several productions of Noh Christmas Carol; September 2001 in Erik Ehn's Crazy Horse, later remounted for a Japan-US tour and renamed The Moon of the Scarlet Plums it was honored by being invited to be a part of the Aichi World Expo 2005; and a variety of roles in the company's repertoire of Kyogen comedies.

Since the spring of 2002 she has worked collectively with Theatre of Yugen's Joint Artistic team to create the original experimental pieces: The Clay Play; Norton, I; Frankenstein; Don Q and The Old Man and The Sea, which she adapted and directed. Jubilith also performed the role of the Old Man in the collaboration between Theatre of Yugen and Theatre Nohgaku, At the Hawk's Well National Tour 2002. With Theatre Nohgaku she performed the role of the Waki in the world premiere touring production of Greg Giovanni's Pine Barrens and most recently was in the chorus of the world premiere touring production of David Crandall's Noh in English play entitled Crazy Jane. This past Fall she collaborated with composer Cordell Ho on his composition based on Iphigenia at Aulis by Euripides entitled iPH, which was presented as part of Theatre of Yugen's Noh Pressure Cooker.

Other noteworthy roles are Cecelia in Smartmouth Theater's production of Erik Ehn's Tailings; Mina in Stephen Dietz' Dracula performed with the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble; the role of the Ghost in Woman's Will's production of Hamlet (the melancholy dame), and Portia in their Merchant of Venice.

Jubilith has taught Theatre of Yugen's Winter Training Session since 2003 in addition to several other seasonal training sessions and workshops. She has assisted Richard Emmert in his American based Noh Training Project on a number of occasions since 2002. She has also been an Artist-in-Residence at San Francisco's School of the Arts high school since 1998 where she offers an introduction to Nohgaku.

WHAT STUDENTS of JUBILITH SAY

I thought it was a very good introduction to an art form about which I previously knew very little. Jubilith is one of the most giving, insightful and fun instructors with whom I've had the pleasure of working - and I ain't just sayin' that to say it, she rocks._ Sofia Amad

It was a real pleasure to meet you today and to be able to learn so much from you. Thank you for giving so generously and so joyously of yourself. Your abiding and abundant love of Noh and Kyogen informs your every movement and the way you impart your impressive knowledge of these enigmatic (to us in the West) Japanese theatre forms. I LOVED each and every second of your workshop. You "cracked open" a whole new world for me. Thank you. Janice Brenner

Our instructor Jubilith was very knowledgeable on the form and tradition of Noh. She was also warm and supportive. I learned a great deal in just a few weeks. It was a time where I could grow as a person and an artist. I look forward to taking the course again next year._ Judy Halebsky

Jubilith was always ready. She had a clear structure she was working from. She always seemed like she knew where we where going and how to get there. I do feel I was given a strong basic understanding of the form and movements of Kyogen. I have a defined place of focus and calm now that didn't exist before. It did wonders for my voice as well. I resonate deeper and feel more control vocally. Nathan Holguin

The instructor [Jubilith Moore] was impressive not only in her craft, but also in her ability to accommodate students' different skill levels and learning styles. - Edith Newman