PRESS RELEASExxAugust 2013
What do life and death mean to humans and robots?
In celebration of the Japan – Vietnam Friendship Year 2013,the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnamproudly presentsthe Android-Human Theatre “Sayonara”in Hanoi on Saturday 31 August 2013.
Internationally acclaimed playwright and director Prof. Oriza Hirata of Osaka University and Seinendan Theatre Company, has been uniquely collaborating with world-renowned robotics specialist Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro Ph. D., also of Osaka University, ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories,in their Android-Human Theatre projects since 2007. Their past plays, in which human actors share the stage with robots, are groundbreaking in arts and sciences.
“Sayonara” [which literally means Good Bye in Japanese] is an innovative short play performed by human actors and a Geminoid F, a humanoid robot that looks exactly like the woman who it was modeled after, developed in 2010 by Prof. Ishiguro’s laboratory.
It was premiered in 2010 at the Aichi Triennale in Japan and since then, it has been staged in a plethora of countries including Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the United States, Australia, Korea and Thailand, winning both general and expert’s extremely high applause.
The original play depicts a scene in which a humanoid-robot recites Japanese, French and German poems to her dying young master. In the latest version of the play, however, Playwright Hirata adds a short episode after the young master’s death. After losing her master, the humanoid-robot is assigned to a new task; mourning for the deceased at the place where humans cannot enter.
The play might be simple and short in length (30 min.) but pregnant and deep in meaning, questioning us, “What do life and death mean to humans and robots?” We do hope the audience will enjoy this extraordinary theatrical event not simply by admiring for the humanoid robot’s acting but by being deeply moved by her.
The play will be held three times at 10:00/15:00/20:00 on Saturday 31 August 2013 at Worker’s Theatre (42 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi), followed by Oriza Hirata’s talk on Android-Human Theatre projects. Both programs will be delivered in Japanese with Vietnamese sub-titles or interpretation. The admission is free but you are required to get free advanced tickets which will be distributed from 16:00 on Friday 16 August 2013 at the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam (27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi / 04-3944-7419). Children under 15 years old are not allowed to attend.
For inquiries and interviews with the director/actors, please contact in advance at:
Ms. Huong (04-3944-7419 ext: 106) / Mr. Yoshioka (0123-384-4138)
The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam
27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam TEL 04 3944 7419
Android-Human Theatre “Sayonara”
Produced by:Osaka University, ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratory
Agora Planning Ltd., Seinendan
Organized by:The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam
Written & Directed by:Oriza Hirata
Developer of the android:Hiroshi Ishiguro
(Osaka University & ATR Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratory)
Cast:
AndroidGeminoid F
MistressMakiko Murata
CarrierTakuya Hoshino
Movement and voice of Android:
Minako Inoue
Robot Technical Director: Takenobu Chikaraishi
(Osaka University Ishiguro Laboratory, Communication Design Center)
Set Designer: Itaru Sugiyama
Technical Manager:Tatsuya Kawamura
Lighting Designer: Aya Nishimoto
Sound Engineer: Yuta Senda
Production Manager: Sachiko Nishio
Date & Time:Saturday 31 August 2013
[Open] 09:30 [Start] 10:00
[Open] 14:30[Start] 15:00
[Open] 19:30[Start] 20:00
Venue:Worker’s Theatre
42 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Ticket distribution at:
[From 16:00 on Friday 16 August onward]
The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam
27 Quang Trung, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
[Opening hours] 09:00 – 18:00 (no closed days)
Remark:Children under 15 years old are not allowed to attend.
Program
Android-Human Theatre “Sayonara”30’00’’
Talk by Oriza Hirata on Android-Human Theatre projects 60’00’’
■ Selected photos for PR
Remarks:
For the usage of the following images for your media, please contact the staffs in charge above. We will provide a bigger size of each image upon your request. Please add the photo credit as “©Seinendan”.