Mr Oriza Hirata: Japan’s Promising Playwright and Director
A very promising playwright / director in Japan, Mr. Hirata owns Komaba Agora Theatre where he is the artistic director.He is also the director and management board member of Theatre InterAction (Engekijin Kaigi) and executive board member of JAWOC (Japan Organizing Committee for the 2002 FIFA Cup Korea / Japan).
The five day Contemporary Performing Arts workshop conducted by Mr. Oriza Hirata proved to be an eye-opener for many students from the Akademi Seni Kebangsaaan. His lectures about his innovative theatrical style shed new light to students who are passionate about theatre and its works.
For the first time in Malaysia, from the 24 – 28 February, Mr. Hirata gave lectures about his innovative theatrical style to these students. After these lectures, the students were divided into three groups to come up with a short play that was to be the showcase on 28 February 2003 at Galerie Petronas, Suria KLCC. The participants then came up with a 10 minute play encompassing the innovative theatrical styles that were taught to them by Mr. Hirata. For many of the participants, it was their first workshop and they enjoyed it tremendously. The personal approach he used in the workshops provided participants with clear understanding of his theatrical concepts. They believed that learnt valuable lessons from Mr. Hirata’s workshop and hoped to use the techniques in future performances.
(24 – 28 Febuary 2003)
Mr Oriza Hirata: Japan’s Promising Playwright and Director
A very promising playwright / director in Japan, Mr. Hirata owns Komaba Agora Theatre where he is the artistic director. He is also the director and management board member of Theatre InterAction (Engekijin Kaigi) and executive board member of JAWOC (Japan Organizing Committee for the 2002 FIFA Cup Korea / Japan).
The five day Contemporary Performing Arts workshop conducted by Mr. Oriza Hirata proved to be an eye-opener for many students from the Akademi Seni Kebangsaaan. His lectures about his innovative theatrical style shed new light to students who are passionate about theatre and its works.
For the first time in Malaysia, from the 24 – 28 February, Mr. Hirata gave lectures about his innovative theatrical style to these students. After these lectures, the students were divided into three groups to come up with a short play that was to be the showcase on 28 February 2003 at Galerie Petronas, Suria KLCC. The participants then came up with a 10 minute play encompassing the innovative theatrical styles that were taught to them by Mr. Hirata. For many of the participants, it was their first workshop and they enjoyed it tremendously. The personal approach he used in the workshops provided participants with clear understanding of his theatrical concepts. They believed that learnt valuable lessons from Mr. Hirata’s workshop and hoped to use the techniques in future performances.
Showcase presented by participants after the workshop
Mr. Hirata has been in theatre for 20 years, ever since he was in university. Previously, he has conducted theatrical workshops in Australia, Korea, France, Ireland, the US and Canada. With both his parents in the theatre and movie arena, that’s where he got the passion and inspiration to come up with innovative theatrical styles in the performing arts. Last year, together with the participants from Korea, he came up with a performance, and he hopes to do the same with participants from other countries in the near future.
On the last day, 28 February 2003, there was a video screening of “Tokyo Notes”, a stimulating play that is organized around static space, absence, and silence as it is around naturalistic movement, the characterizations of its massive cast, and devices such as overlapping dialogue and regional accents. The play presents a strong sense of “Quiet Theatre” that has become a style that Mr. Hirata is known for.
Then came the showcase by the participants in the workshop. The three different groups of students showed the skills they learnt from the Mr. Hirata. The last item for the day were talks by Mr. Hirata and Dr. Hatta, the Director General of Istana Budaya.
