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OVERVIEW OF THE 9TH THEATRE OLYMPICS

The 9th Theatre Olympics
Co-hosted by Japan and Russia
Theme: Creating Bridges

Japan Program August. 23 (Fri) ‒ September 23 (Mon), 2019
Artistic Director Suzuki Tadashi
Hosting Sites Toga
TOGA ART PARK of Toyama Prefecture

Kurobe
Unazuki International Hall “Selene”
Maezawa Garden Open Air Stage (YKK)
Russia Program June 15 (Sat) - December 15 (Sun),2019
Artistic Director Valery Fokin
Hosting Site St. Petersburg
Alexandrinsky Theatre, and more

THE 9TH THEATRE OLYMPICS

Owing to the global development of the system of information and communication, people everywhere can now feel and know closely about other than their own cultures. Compared with the olden times when people experienced everything on the spot and thus nurtured wisdom required for coexistence with other human beings, our world is permeated by something completely new, a change which enables us to know and understand things without actually ‘being there’. The change has been brought about by means of thorough exploitation of 'non-animal' energy (electricity, oil, nuclear power etc.) and is necessarily going to increase in the future.
It is, however, dangerous to trust this ‘non-animal’ energy too much, which claims to connect people with each other with maximum speed. For it can lead to the forgetting or weakening of the rich possibilities of ‘animal’ energy stored up in the bodies of human individuals. Human cultures have bloomed and borne fruits through the refined uses of ‘animal’ energy. It is precisely in this way that performing arts, such as theatre, dance, and opera, have become a heritage of humankind irreplaceable by such media as television or film.
The same applies to sports. Both performing arts and sports provide the ground for better understanding of and deeper caring for human beings by means of bringing people together to the very spot where they are taking place. No matter how enormous and necessary the system of communication by ‘non-animal’ energy may become for our actual life, it would be suicidal for humankind to forget or ignore the values embodied by performing arts and sports.
Needless to say, the way people train, refine, and enjoy the ‘animal’ energy varies from nation to nation, from place to place. But it is those very differences that preserve and assert the cultural identities and raisons-d'être of each nation. The greater the amount of ‘non-animal’ energy, which tends to reduce our lives to uniformity, the greater the contribution which performing arts are expected to make to the quality of human life in the future. The significance of cultural projects in these technological days lies in the fact they help to make possible shared experiences of similarities and differences inherent in various nations.
It is the belief of the International Committee of the Theatre Olympics that the powerful existence of performing arts must prove a sign of profound encouragement and hope for truly global communication.

Suzuki Tadashi
Artistic Director

THEATRE OLYMPICS CHARTER

1.

This entity shall be entitled Theatre Olympics, and sub-titled Crossing Millennia, which implies the cross-fertilization of the past with the future.

The ancient theatre at Delphi

2.

An international committee shall be formed. This committee is responsible for planning and management of all activities undertaken by Theatre Olympics.
The members of the committee are:
Theodoros Terzopoulos ( Chairman / Greece )
Nuria Espert ( Spain )
Antunes Filho ( Brazil )
Tony Harrison ( England )
Yuri Lyubimov ( Russia )
Heiner Müller (Germany )
Tadashi Suzuki ( Japan )
Robert Wilson ( USA )

3.

The members of the committee shall not only be responsible for expressing opinions in the planning stages, but shall also work interactively, thus making this organization unique.

4.

In principle the committee shall meet once a year.

QUARTET
(Directed by Teodoros Terzopoulos)

5.

Additional members of the committee, recommended by one of the existing members, must gain a two- thirds approval.

The Trojan Woman (Directed by Suzuki Tadashi)

6.

The committee shall be chaired by Theodoros Terzopoulos.

7.

The administrative headquarters of Theatre Olympics shall be located in Athens, Greece.

8.

The first several Theatre Olympics events shall be held, in principle, in the countries of the committee members. The committee member whose country hosts the Theatre Olympics event shall be responsible for its artistic direction. This host committee member shall plan the theme and programming for the Theatre Olympics event and submit his or her proposal to the committee for approval.

Krapp's Last Tape
(Directed by Robert Wilson)

9.

In each host country, a national committee shall be formed to meet that countryʼs respective needs so that the success of the Theatre Olympics event is ensured. This national supportive committee shall consist of prominent figures in that countryʼs cultural life.

Toga Sanbo

10.

An official logo shall be used in each of the Theatre Olympicsʼ activities.

11.

The content of the Theatre Olympics event:

  • a. Every few years a Theatre Olympics event shall be held, presenting high level productions as well as symposiums and workshops.
  • b. In addition to the above, ongoing projects including conception, production, and education programs shall be held in various places.
  • c. The preservation and documentation of historical work in the performing arts. Although texts remain as writing, a system needs to be created by which directorial work and actual productions can be preserved.
  • d. Creation of an international network of theatre artists.
  • e. Training and encouragement of younger artists.

Marat/Sade
(Directed by Yuri Lyubimov)

June 18th, 1994 Athens, Greece

The Founding Members of Theatre Olympics International Committee

  • Theodoros Terzopoulos

    1945~, Greece

    Profile

    A director, a representative of Attis Theatre, a founding member of the International Institute of the Mediterranean Theatre, and a former member of the board of the North Greece National Theatre. As a director, he has worked all over the world. As an artistic director, he worked at the Delphi International Theatre Festival and the Mediterranean Sea Theatre Festival. As a theatre organizer, he plays an important role in Europe.

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  • Suzuki Tadashi

    1939~, Japan

    Profile

    A director, founder of the Suzuki Company of Toga (SCOT). He organized the first international theatre festival in Japan, the Toga Festival, in 1982. He presented his works in many countries and co-produced many co-works with famous artists. His acting method, the Suzuki Method of Actor Training, has been adopted in many countries. His modern interpretation of classics such as Greek tragedies and his unique pieces based on his actor training have influenced theatrical artists around the world.

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  • Robert Wilson

    1941~, U.S.A

    Profile

    A director. His works, synthesizing performing arts, music, art, and architecture, have shocked world audiences. Working as a visual artist on one side, he also founded the Watermill Center, NY, to encourage international collaboration among artists. He leads the world with his art practice that embraces many different genres of art.

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  • Nuria Espert

    1935~, Spain

    Profile

    A renowned director and actress of contemporary Spanish theatre. She gained international fame as a director of Yerma, written by Federico Garcia Lorca. In addition to leading her own theatre company, she has worked in Spain’s National Theatre, directed operas, and presented her pieces in many different countries.

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  • Antunes Filho

    1929~2019, Brazil

    Profile

    He is a representative of Grupo di Teatro Macunaima. As a top Brazilian director, he has been working in America and in European countries. In addition to creating his own works in Brazil, he has also contributed to the development of South American theatre by introducing foreign performing arts and by educating younger artists.

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  • Tony Harrison

    1937~, UK

    Profile

    A prominent English poet, playwright, and director. Most of his plays became a part of the repertory of England’s National Theatre. His many works are about Greek tragedies, and he raises pointed criticism about the role of classics in modern society.

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  • Yuri Lyubimov

    1917~2014, Russia

    Profile

    In 1964, he founded the Taganka Theatre in Moscow, now known as the world’s center for contemporary theatre. As a permanent director, he presented shocking pieces on the stage of the Taganka Theatre. He fled from his country in 1984 and returned to the Taganka Theatre in 1989. During his exiled period, he directed many plays and operas in Europe. His works have greatly influenced to world theatre.

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  • Heiner Muller

    1929~1995, Germany

    Profile

    A playwright and director. He is described as one of the most important playwrights of the 20th century. He worked as an artistic director at the Berliner Ensemble, founded by Bertolt Brecht. Although his works based on Greek tragedies and Shakespeare were banned in his own country East Germany for a long time, they were still performed at many festivals over the world.

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History of The Theatre Olympics

  Country City Theme Period Artistic
Director
No. of Participating
Countries/Works
1st
(1995)
Greece Delphi
Athens
Epidaurus
Tragedy August 19th
- 27th, 1995
Theodoros
Terzopoulos
9 works
from 7 countries
2nd
(1999)
Japan Shizuoka Creating Hope April 16th
- June 13th, 1999
Suzuki
Tadashi
42 works
from 20 countries
3rd
(2001)
Russia Moscow Theatre for the
People
April 21st
- June 29th, 2001
Yuri
Lyubimov
97 works
from 32 countries
4th
(2006)
Turkey Istanbul Beyond the
Borders
May 11th
- June 6th, 2006
Theodoros
Terzopoulos
38 works
from 13 countries
5th
(2010)
Korea Seoul Sarang : Love
and Humanity
September 24th
- November 7th, 2010
Choi
Chy-rim
48 works
from 13 countries
6th
(2014)
China Beijing Dream November 1st
- December 25th, 2014
Liu
Libin
46 works
from 22 countries
7th
(2016)
Poland Wroclaw The World as a
Place for Truth
October 14th
- November 13th, 2016
Jaroslaw
Fret
86 works
from 14 countries
8th
(2018)
India New Delhi and
other 16 cities
Flag of
Friendship
February 17th
- April 8th, 2018
Ratan
Thiyam
465 works
from 35 countries
  • 1st (1995)
    Country
    Greece
    City
    Delphi, Athens and Epidaurus
    Theme
    Tragedy
    Period
    August 19th - 27th, 1995
    Artistic Director
    Theodoros Terzopoulos
    No. of Participating Countries
    9 works from 7 countries
    閉じる
  • 2nd(1999)
    Country
    Japan
    City
    Shizuoka
    Theme
    Creating Hope
    Period
    April 16th - June 13th, 1999
    Artistic Director
    Suzuki Tadashi
    No. of Participating Countries
    42 works from 20 countries
    閉じる
  • 3rd(2001)
    Country
    Russia
    City
    Moscow
    Theme
    Theatre for the People
    Period
    April 21st - June 29th, 2001
    Artistic Director
    Yuri Lyubimov
    No. of Participating Countries
    97 works from 32 countries
    閉じる
  • 4th(2006)
    Country
    Turkey
    City
    Istanbul
    Theme
    Beyond the Borders
    Period
    May 11th - June 6th, 2006
    Artistic Director
    Theodoros Terzopoulos
    No. of Participating Countries
    38 works from 13 countries
    閉じる
  • 5th(2010)
    Country
    Korea
    City
    Seoul
    Theme
    Sarang : Love and Humanity
    Period
    September 24th-November 7th, 2010
    Artistic Director
    Choi Chy-rim
    No. of Participating Countries
    48 works from 13 countries
    閉じる
  • 6th(2014)
    Country
    China
    City
    Beijing
    Theme
    Dream
    Period
    November 1st-December 25th, 2014
    Artistic Director
    Liu Libin
    No. of Participating Countries
    46 works from 22 countries
    閉じる
  • 7th(2016)
    Country
    Poland
    City
    Wroclaw
    Theme
    The World as a Place for Truth
    Period
    October 14th-November 13th, 2016
    Artistic Director
    Jaroslaw Fret
    No. of Participating Countries
    86 works from 14 countries
    閉じる
  • 8th(2018)
    Country
    India
    City
    New Delhi and other 16 cities
    Theme
    Flag of Friendship
    Period
    February 17th-April 8th, 2018
    Artistic Director
    Ratan Thiyam
    No. of Participating Countries
    465 works from 35 countries
    閉じる