TAJ presents American premiere

– Theatre Arts Japan, woken’ glacier theatre company and MONO theatre company are proud to announce the U.S. premiere of Hideo Tsuchida’s award-winning play it is said the men are over in The Steel Tower (Original English title: The Happy Lads), translated by M. Cody Poulton and adapted by Matthew Paul Olmos, March 2 – 18, 2007 at the TBG Theater (312 W. 36th St.).  Ronit Muszkatblit  directs.  The press opening is March 3, 2007.

On the front lines of a war, four members of a vaudeville troupe seek refuse in a steel tower, where they meet a runaway soldier. With gunfire all around them, they do their best to keep their humanity as well as create a new comedy routine. it is said the men are over in The Steel Tower takes a humorous look at the nature of conflict, rules versus freedom and the ability to create our own ray of sunlight in the face of darkness.

it is said the men are over in the Steel Tower is a collaborative Japanese-American theatrical cultural exchange project presented by Theatre Arts Japan, which is dedicated to the staging of modern Japanese theater in the U.S.; the experimental woken' glacier theatre company in New York; and the MONO theatre company in Japan.  This unique production is the culmination of an 18-month process; which included a Japanese play reading series from which it is said the men are over in The Steel Tower was selected, the adaptation and development of the play for its US debut, and a workshop with Kyoto-based playwright Hideo Tsuchida.  Artists from Japan and the U.S. worked together for 18 months to develop this play and adapt it for the American audience.  The project was initiated by Theatre Arts Japan.  As part of the exchange project, Japan’s most prominent set designer Tomoyuki Ikeda was invited to create the sets for it is said the men are over in The Steel Tower.  Mr. Ikeda was awarded the 2006 Kisaku Ito Award, Japan’s top honor for stage design.

Playwright Hideo Tsuchida formed the troupe B Kyu Practice (now MONO) in 1989. He has handled all of the troupe's writing and directing since 1990. His entertainment spectacle style is much in demand for commercial theaters such as Bungakuza and Seinenza.  Mr. Tsuchida specializes in situation comedies on the theme of universal human sadness. He received the OMS Drama Award for It is said the men are over in The Steel Tower (Original English title: The Happy Lands).

it is said the men are over in The Steel Tower will run March 2 – 18, 2007, opening on March 3, at TBG Theater (312 W. 36th St., 3rd Floor).  The preview is Friday, March 2 at 8:00 pm.  Performances are March 2 – 4, Friday through Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm, and March 7 – 18, Wednesday through Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm.  Tickets are $18 and available at www.smarttix.com or (212) 868-4444.  For more information, visit www.TheatreArtsJapan.org.In Israel, director Ronit Muszkatblit worked for Multi Media Inc. and Isaac Productions, for which she produced the performances of the English Royal Ballet, the Vienna Opera Ballet and the Bands Garbage and K's Choice on their Israel tour. Ms. Muszkatblit received her MFA in directing from the Actor's Studio Drama School.  She joined post theater in 2001, and produced 301/302 in Stuttgart and Berlin. Her work was last featured during the Actor's Studio Repertory season where she directed six plays, among them Heiner Muller's Quartet, and Eduardo Machado's Fabiola.Adapter Matthew Paul Olmos received his B.A. in playwriting from UC-Santa Barbara, where he received a Corwin Award for Best Full-Length Play, The Tragedy of Catalina’s Lover.  He then attended UCLA’s School of Film, Theatre and Radio where he was given the GOP Award for Graduate Playwriting.  Finally, he earned his MFA in Playwriting from The Actor’s Studio Drama School.  As a playwright, he has been produced several times in Santa Barbara and was part of the THAW festival at HERE in NYC.  His children’s play, Cingo Amigos, was produced at Colegio de St. Augustinos in Spain. He is both a founder and the Artistic Director of woken’ glacier theatre company.

ABOUT THEATRE ARTS JAPAN
Currently there are more than 3,000 theatre companies performing in Japan.  While there are occasional Japanese performances in the United States, most are short term. By translating and producing Japanese plays in the United States, Theatre Arts Japan hopes to introduce modern Japanese theatre, culture and points of view to American audiences. Our aim is that with enough exposure these modern Japanese plays will break into the theatre of America, not to be seen as only Japanese theatre, but as theatre in itself.  Thus, we endeavor to further the colors of the already multicultural theatre of the U.S., and fully create a true collaboration between Japanese and American theatre cultures.   The Arts Cure Magazine raves, “Theatre Arts Japan is to be highly commended for opening up new worlds to American theatergoers.”

ABOUT WOKEN’ GLACIER THEATRE COMPANY
woken' glacier theatre company is a company of international theatre artists dedicated to creating new and introducing unfamiliar theatrical pieces which expose the many forms of abuse found both socially and politically in the world around us.  Our process is a revolving collaboration between actor, director and writer which synthesizes the methods of Stanislavsky with more physical/non-linear techniques of Viewpoints, Martial Arts and Suzuki.  Previous works include the beautifulest room, seal sings its song, and The Seventh Disorder.The project is supported in part by The Japan Foundation, The Saison Foundation, and the Asahi Beer Arts and Culture Foundation.

it is said the men are over in
The Steel Tower

Original English Title: The Happy Lads
By Hideo Tsuchida | Directed by Ronit Muszkatblit
English Translation by M. Cody Poulton | Adapted by Matthew Paul Olmos
Starring: Christopher Loar*, Moti Margolin, Josh Peters and Andy Schneeflock

TBG Theater
312 West 36th St., 3rd Fl. | New York, NY 10018
Between 8th & 9th Avenue | Subway: A, C, E, 1, 2, 3 to 34th Street-Penn Station 

LIMITED ENGAGEMENT MARCH 2 – 18, 2007
Preview: March 2 at 8 pm | Opens March 3 at 8 pm
March 2 – 4, Friday & Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 3 pm
March 7 – 18, Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday at 3 pm Artistic Director: Eriko Ogawa | Managing Director: Futoshi Miyai
Producing Director: Yukako YamazoeSet: Tomoyuki Ikeda | Sound: Udi Pladott | Costumes: Bianca Toscano
Lighting: Rie Ono | Choreography: Lisa Giobbi | Production Stage Manager: Kanako MoritaTickets: $18 at www.smarttix.com or (212) 868-4444
Running Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes (no intermission)
For more information:  www.TheatreArtsJapan.org 

Press Tickets: March 3, 7, 8, 9 at 8 pm and March 4 and 11 at 3 pm.*Appears courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association.  Equity Showcase (Pending Approval).For more information or press comps, contact Lanie Zipoy of Avec Promotions at (646) 284-3517  or lanie.zipoy@gmail.com.