Joker in the Forest
Katsura Kan
NEW YORK BUTOH FESTIVAL 2005: PERFORMANCE
“I have been in Thailand from 1997-2000, mainly researching the minority tribe (the Karen hill tribe) in northern Thailand near the border of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). I was very much attracted to the process of training elephants by a Karen trainer who was originally a good hunter. These trainers seem to be like shamans who recognize that the elephant is not just an animal. Wild elephants are spirits from the tropical rain forest. The shaman’s training reminds me of a ‘dance of the forest’. They respect the WILDNESS. Therefore, Karen trainers have a ceremony of how to throw away their humanity for a while which is also very interesting. This is an advantage for the shaman because they become a ‘joker’ in the game. In this way, I tried to create Joker in the Forest — which may be very spicy.”
Documentation
![2005 [printed matter]](https://photos.smugmug.com/NYBF/2005/Printed-Matter/i-rZ3V9pv/0/M7pQGWJvzsmmfg9bwvsfp8tc4nN8PdtGpbVs4D8cD/Th/PMB.PRG.2005.4002.1%20%5B2%5D-Th.jpg)
(U.S. Premiere)
Object Identifier
AMP.PRG.2005.4002.8ID number
4002.8Year Created
2005Language
EnglishCurated Filters
Space / Location
Premiere Venue
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY10/21/2005, 10/23/2005
155 First Avenue - NY, NY
Premiere Venue specific dates
- 21/10/2005
- 23/10/2005
Choreographer/Performer:
Kan Katsura
Lighting Designer:
Scott Bolman
Sound Designer:
Francior Sardi
Poem Reading:
Gabriella Daris
Music:
Xenakis on Drums
NikBaertsch on Piano
Special Thanks to Joseph Housil.
Festival Videographers : Shige Moriya and Catalina Santamaria
CAVE NY BUTOH FESTIVAL TEAM
Directors
Ximena Garnica Gomez
Jeff Janisheski
Producer
Zachary Grace Model
Associate Producers
Gabriele Schafer
Audra Lang
Curators/Founders
Ximena Garnica Gomez
Jeff Janisheski
Juan Merchan
Zachary Grace Model
Fundraising Associate/Panel Coordinator
Tanya Calamoneri
Publicist
Aaron Rosenblum
Box Office Manager
Kristin Narcowich
Festival Bookkeeper
Shiho Kondo
CAVE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Artistic Director/Founder
Shige Mariya
Executive Director
Ximena Garnica Gomez
CAVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Shige Moriya
Vice President
Zachary Grace Model
Treasurer/Secretary
Ximena Garnica Gomez
Officer
Juan Merchan
Thanks to the partnering venues and their staff who have helped to make this 2005 festival a success:
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY
Production Manager·
Marc Marcante
Technical Director
Richard Reta
Special Thanks to Joseph Housil
CAVE NY BUTOH FESTIVAL TEAM
Directors
Ximena Garnica Gomez
Jeff Janisheski
Producer
Zachary Grace Model
Associate Producers
Gabriele Schafer
Audra Lang
Curators/Founders
Ximena Garnica Gomez
Jeff Janisheski
Juan Merchan
Zachary Grace Model
Fundraising Associate/Panel Coordinator
Tanya Calamoneri
Technical Director/Lighting Designer
Scott Bolman
Web Master/Festival Photographer
Joshua Weiner
Publicist
Aaron Rosenblum
Workshop Manager
Christine Coleman
Box Office Manager
Kristin Narcowich
Festival Bookkeeper
Shiho Kondo
Merchandise Coordinators
Hiromi luchi
Michelle Danna
Graphic/Web Designers
Yumi Asai (postcard and brochure)
Leila Cardenas (festival logo and website)
Hiromi luchi (festival T-shirt)
Sean Zwier (poster and program cover)
Festival Videographers
Shige Moriya
Catalina Santamaria
Stage Manager
Fred Hemminger
Assistant Stage Manager
David Boylan
Stage Crew
Tanya Calamoneri
Scott Piscitelli
David Slaza
Translators/Assistants
Tara Hassel
Chie Otsuka
CAVE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Artistic Director/Founder
Shige Mariya
Executive Director
Ximena Garnica Gomez
Executive Assistant
Audra Lang
Bookkeeper
Shiho Kondo
CAVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Shige Moriya
Vice President
Zachary Grace Model
Treasurer/Secretary
Ximena Garnica Gomez
Officer
Juan Merchan
THEATER FOR THE NEW CITY
Production Manager·
Marc Marcante
Technical Director
Richard Reta
Thanks to the partnering venues and their staff who have helped to make this 2005 festival a success.
Thanks to the following individuals for their assistance:
Anna Belous; Dance Theater Workshop and Megan
Sprenger; Kurt Gottschalk; Johanna Mochidome;
Allen Model; and Teiko Seki and Bob Guthrie.
We extend our deepest thanks to our box office staff,
technical staff, and all CAVE volunteers, without whom
the festival and CAVE’s programs would not be possible.
And to Shige — thank you!
