With eighty plus – and counting – productions under our belt, Nagoya Players has seen and survived a lot. The group is now over 40 years old and we’ve had to evolve along with the ever-changing Japanese theater scene. Keeping a community theater going is no easy task, but we’ve been very lucky and blessed to have so many talented writers, actors, technicians, musicians, directors and producers join us in our mission.

We are a learning theater. We welcome all, regardless of stage experience or knowledge. We are also a cross-cultural group. English performance is our primary format, but we also have a deep appreciation for Japanese culture. We have incorporated Japanese language and themes into our shows and activities in the past and will continue to do so in the future. We wish to serve the larger community of Aichi and its neighbors by providing quality entertainment and learning experiences.

The group operates on a not-for-profit basis and is powered by a spirit of volunteerism and community support. We can’t thank enough everyone who has donated their time and energies towards keeping Nagoya Players alive after all these years. The group has thrived because of the sacrifice and dedication of the many volunteer artists who have passed through our doors. Let us also not forget the amazing love shown by the theater patrons in Japan!

Nagoya Players in 2019

Accessibility & Inclusivity’ is our guiding philosophy for the 2019 season. For many years now our productions have been supported by a loyal contingent of family and friends. While this core audience remains vital, we feel we can do more to reach out to the average Joe & Josephine, to grab the interest and attention of everyday Japanese.

English-language proficiency is often a barrier for many Japanese to participate in English events, but it need not be. We’d like to invite in more Englishcurious individuals to participate. With this in mind, we will be performing two shows in 2019 where language proficiency will not be an issue; Aesop’s Fables, March 30-31 and The Gift of the Magi, December 7-8.

We’ve also dubbed 2019 as our, year of the family. We’d like our shows to be experienced by multiple generations together. We’ve carefully selected and tailored our upcoming productions to make them appealing to youth, adults and the aged. We’re very excited about the approach we’ve taken this season and so far it’s proven to be very popular.

Aesop’s Fables & Family-Friendly Theater

Sharing culture and bridging gaps is part of our revamped mission. The hundreds of fables attributed to Aesop are an integral part of Western culture. But their influence has also spread all over the world. These fables are even well-known in Japan. We feel Aesop’s Fables is a show that can be shared and enjoyed by everyone, where language won’t be a barrier and familiarity with the fables will enhance the experience. We wanted a show that parents could watch with their children, and afterwards have an open and meaningful discussion about what they saw. Aesop’s Fables achieves a lot of our goals. The show is simple in nature, but through staging, costuming, music, set design and performance, we have created something visually unique and memorable.

Join Us!

Nagoya Players exists for the future generations of artists. We are building this platform so that those who need a space to explore the performing arts will always have one. But we can’t build it without you. There are a lot of new, young and talented expatriates in Aichi and we welcome you into our community with open arms. At the same time, we are actively encouraging more Japanese to get involved. Not only do we want to make multicultural shows, we want the group to be diverse as well. There’s a lot of work to be done and a lot of fun to be had; please join us in this crazy adventure.

Contact

For more information about Nagoya Players and our shows please visit:

http://nagoyaplayers.org/

Follow us on social media for instant updates:

http://facebook.com/nagoyaplayers

http://instagram.com/nagoyaplayers

Email us:

NagoyaPlayers@gmail.com

— Shawn Mahler, Artistic Director Nagoya Players

Links

Nagoya Players Website

http://nagoyaplayers.org/

Aesop’s Fables

The Gift of the Magi

http://nagoyaplayers.org/shows/the-gift-of-the-magi/

Video Links

http://nagoyaplayers.org/2019/01/shoji-interview/

Interview with Aesop’s Fables ‘Crow’, Atsumi Yamamoto

http://nagoyaplayers.org/2019/02/atsumi-interview/

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