after the quake

From the novel 'after the quake' by Haruki Murakami. Adapted for the stage by Frank Galati
Nov. 19-Dec. 5, 2009

Studio 16, Granville St. at 7th Ave.

after the quake Tickets

Leina Dueck photographed by Ken Bryant. Illustration by Edward Kwong.

Pi Theatre and Rumble Productions present the Canadian premiere of after the quake, directed by Craig Hall and Richard Wolfe.

Please note: Advance tickets for After the Quake are now SOLD OUT.  There may be a limited number of tickets available for sale at the door before each performance. The Box Office will be taking a waiting list at Studio 16 starting 1 hour prior to show time. We recommend you arrive early! Ticket availability cannot be guaranteed.

If you would like to be notified in the event of additional performances, please sign up for our mailing list on our home page.

In 1995, a disastrous earthquake hit Kobe, Japan and the Tokyo subway was hit by deadly poison gas attacks. after the quake is based on bestselling author Haruki Murakami’s stories about life in the wake of disaster. Click here for more information about Murakami.

after the quake takes its audience on a journey where magic and realism collide, in an exploration of disrupted reality. Junpei is a timid writer who enchants Sayoko, the love of his life, by conjuring up stories to soothe the anguish of her young daughter Sala, a girl who is having nightmares of the Earthquake Man. A talking bear makes the very best honey pies, and Katagiri, a bank loans officer, struggles to distinguish between what is real and what is not when six-foot Frog asks for help to fight off giant Worm for the future of Tokyo. Together, these stories explore the emotional aftershocks of disaster, and offer a message of hope and healing.

Studio 16, 1545 West 7th Avenue, at Granville Street. 8pm Tuesday-Saturday, November 19-December 5 (opens November 20)
2pm matinees on Sunday November 22 & 29 and Saturday December 5
Post-show talk-back on Thursday, November 26.

(Please note that our box office at the theatre accepts cash or Visa only.) Free underground parking is available at the theatre from 6:00pm on.

Let us know what you think of the show! Complete this survey for a chance to win a gift certificate to Half Moon Books, Vancouver’s Japanese Bookstore.

Tickets are FREE to the first 20 Pi members at the door for the first week of each of our shows this season! Become a Member.

Read the feature article on the show in the Georgia Straight.

Check out some of the entries to our Quake haiku contest!

Cast:
Sayoko/Nurse: Manami Hara
Narrator/Frog: Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica’s Gaeta)
Takatsuki/Katagiri: Kevan Ohtsji
Junpei: Tetsuro Shigematsu
Sala: Leina Dueck

Set Design by Yvan Morissette | Lighting Design by Itai Erdal | Costume Design by Sheila White | Sound Design by Yota Kobayashi | Stage Management by David (DK) Kerr | Production Management by James Foy | Publicity by Bridge Communications | Illustration by Edward Kwong | Photography by Ken Bryant | Community Liaison Cindy Mochizuki

Check out a scene from the show, starring Tetsuro Shigematsu, Alessandro Juliani, and Kevan Ohtsji.:

Check out our promo video:

Photos from After the Quake: (all photos by Ken Bryant)

National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre, Geist Magazine, The Powell Street Festival, The Bulletin, the Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall, the National Association of Japanese Canadians, and Biz Books are proud to be community partners for this production.

Support Pi Theatre.

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“Wildly original and warm without ever lapsing into sentimentality, after the quake is both a great ride and a testament to the healing powers of imagination…It’s the stuff of dreams.”

Kathleen Oliver,Georgia Straight

“I’ve never seen anything like it. And I loved every minute of it…Playful. That’s what after the quake is. And charming. A feast for the eyes and ears. Mischievous. Tender. Heart-stoppingly romantic as the curtain falls on Junpei keeping watch over Sayoko and Sala.”

Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier

“after the quake is an absolute delight…deservedly the hit of the late fall season.”

Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Plays

after the quake is a stunning piece of theatre. It is rare to experience a show where all these elements integrate so well and are so delicious to watch…A delicate feast for the senses…exquisite…Subtle, tender, and beautiful. I loved it, go see it.

Rachel Scott,Plank Magazine

“after the quake bursts the clouds and reminds me exactly why I love theatre so deeply. This is a perfectly balanced play. You should see after the quake”

Simon Ogden,The Next Stage

“I hadn’t been to a play in a really long time. As in I can’t even remember the last time I saw living, breathing actors on stage in front of me instead of projected, cold onto a screen. The experience is so different, I had forgotten what a thrill live theatre can be. Especially good live theatre. But after the quake isn’t just good live theatre–it’s excellent, delicate, surreal, hilarious, and thought-provoking. It makes me want to go see more plays in this city. All in all, this is a production that Murakami himself, I’m sure, would deem as worthwhile of his book.”

Jake Tobin Garrett,BeyondRobson.com

“The show is a must-see for anyone feeling that need to reach out, looking for a connection with some one. And fans of Murakami will feel like they’re experiencing his work for the first time while watching after the quake. Which is quite the treat, indeed.”

Trevor Record, Ubyssey

“I urge you to see after the quake … after all, honestly if a regular jane like me can be so enthusiastic about the play, then it’s definitely accessible to your videogame-hollywoodblockbuster-realitytelevision mind.”

Tamiko Ogura, schemamag.ca

“For the first time, I felt as though a part of me was being expressed on stage… This was also the first time I sensed a feeling of intimacy with the rest of the audience. I didn’t really speak with anyone other than the friend I went with, but the seating at Studio 16, as well as the delivery of the narration, made me feel like we were gathered around to be told a story, as opposed to being seated to watch a show. This coziness was an added bonus given the weather we’ve been having.”

Larry Hoser, dosomethingdifferentbc

“All the performers—most in multiple roles—are superb…And what a delight—in a city as densely populated with Asian Canadians as this one—to finally see a critical mass of said citizens represented on our stages.”

Peter Dickinson, Performance Place and Politics

“One of the best plays I’ve seen this year.”

Ed Farolan, Review Vancouver

“Murakami is a genius.”

Chicago Tribune

“An offbeat, whimsical tale of frustrated love, seismic activity, and a heroic, man-size frog.”

Joel Brown
boston.com

“An elegant, economic, gently hypnotic piece of theater…all the elements reflect and satisfy a yearning for solace and safety.”

New York Times

“Haruki Murakami brought to life…adapted by Tony Award-winner Frank Galati into this brilliant stage production, which delicately weaves Murakami’s distinct tales into a single story of great love, great ordinariness and great fear.”

Jonathan Donaldson
weeklydig.com

“It’s an incredible gift wrapped in a very unusual package…a seductive theatrical invitation into the slightly off-kilter, pop-culture-rich world of Japanese author Haruki Murakami…surreal at times, quite fanciful and filled with sharp turns and dangerous curves…”

Contra Costa Times