Felon An American Washi Tale performed in conjunction with the installations of Freedom Libraries in prison housing units across the country. Additional performances at Stella Adler, Yale Cabaret, Yale Law School, DOC, Seattle Arts and Lectures, and universities across the country. www.freedomreads.org/freedom-talks
Asian Cultural Council (ACC) InDialogue - poet-lawyer Reginald Dwayne Betts, and Recycling: Washi Tales collaborators, Japanese paper artist Kyoko Ibe and theater maker Elise Thoron (ACC 2008, 2010, 2015) explore their work together on Dwayne's solo performance of his recent book of poems Felon, and Freedom Reads, bringing micro-libraries of 500 books to prison housing units across the country.
Click here for a description of Felon: An American Washi Tale, the event, and a video of the proceedings.
July 2020
"Between Eye and Light" - an interview with Kyoko Ibe by Elise Thoron in Hand Papermaking (Volume 35, Number 1.) Click here to view a PDF of the interview.
November 10-18, 2017
Recycling:Washi Tales performances and workshops in conjunction with an exhibition of Kyoko Ibe's work. Stockton University, Galloway, New Jersey. Below is video of the performance by State of the Arts NJ:
March 24 & 25, 2016
Recycling:Washi Tales performances at Asia Society, New York. Click here for pictures from the performances. Trailer below:
Video by Hiro Odaira
February 24 - March 6, 2016
Creative Residency at The Saison Foundation Studios, Tokyo - developed The Tale of Gampi, a new Kyogen based tale and rehearsed for Asia Society performances in New York, with two open rehearsal run-throughs for Japanese audiences.
June 2015
ABLE 2015 Summer Conference: ART IN COMMUNITY – Lectures and presentation of Recycling:Washi Tales in Tokyo by creators Kyoko Ibe & Elise Thoron - about its educational and cultural impact. Click here for pictures.
May 2015
Recycling:Washi Tales receives Asian Cultural Council grant for Japanese premiere of Washi Tales in Nara, 2016.
Click here for a blog entry from LACMA curator Hollis Goodale about Kyoko and the performance.
March 27 - 29, 2011
Photos by Isaac Bloom documenting workshop culminating in presentations of work-in-progress at New York Theatre Workshop during Japan Festival 2011. (Japan Foundation: Performing Arts Japan Collaboration Grant) Click icon for photos.
March 14 - 21, 2011
Photos by Valerie Oliveiro documenting the Creative Residency at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois. (Japan Foundation: Performing Arts Japan Collaboration Grant) Click icon for photos.
November 18, 2010
Presentation of an excerpt of the piece at Japanese Ambassador's residence in New York in celebration of Japanese-American cultural exchange with Asian Cultural Council and Japanese Consulate. Click icon for photos.
October 27 - November 9, 2010
Kyoko Ibe and Elise Thoron go to Egypt to plan tour of Recycling: washi tales and collaboration with local choreographer to add a "Papyrus Tale". (Japan Foundation, Cairo; Assuit University)
August 9-17, 2010
American actor, director in Tokyo to continue work with full company at Saison Foundation studio space. Preparatory work June 15 –July 16 in New York with Karen Kandel, Elise Thoron and puppeteer Caroline Reck in Mabou Mines studio. (Asian Cultural Council Fellowship). Click icon for photos.
December 1-7, 2009
New York Theatre Workshop (NYTW) – initial workshop to begin developing performance, culminating in presentation of work at NYTW. Additional Noh drumming workshop in school. Kyoko Ibe in USA as a Special Advisor for Cultural Exchange Agency of Cultural Affairs Government of Japan, Asian Cultural Council.Click icon for photos.
April-May, 2009
Asian Cultural Council Fellowship – writer/director Elise Thoron traveled to Japan for two months to work with paper artist, Kyoko Ibe, developing script and staging. Elise observed paper making in various sites in Japan, and met with a wide range of performers and musicians.
Supported in part by Asian Cultural Council, Agency for Cultural Affairs Government of Japan, Japan Foundation, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, New York Theatre Workshop, Awagami Foundation.
