| Orpha Phelan is an opera director. In 2001 she was asked by the Britten
Festival to direct Sumidagawa, the noh play on which Benjamin Britten based
his opera Curlew River. Thus began her fascination with Japanese noh
theatre.
For the past five summers, Orpha has trained in noh theatre in the USA,
under the guidance of Japan's National Living Treasure, Akira Matsui, and
world renowned noh expert, Richard Emmert. She was invited to Japan for
seven months in September 2003 by the Japanese government, on a Bunka Cho
fellowship, to further her study of traditional Japanese theatre. There she
had intensive lessons with Noh master Omura Sadamu in the dance and chant
of noh theatre and with Mitsuo Kama in the music of the ko-tsuzumi.
Orpha is offering performance-based training in the dance, chant, music and performance history of noh. In the past, she has worked with a range of ages, from primary school children to postgraduates. The workshops are of particular interest to students studying drama, world theatre, literature, and Japanese, though exposure to Japanese culture through this ancient art form is rewarding for all, wherever their interests lie. No prior experience is necessary. |
