The four theater interns from Korea were a bit shy earlier this week, but last night they approached me wanting to try their hands at the shakuhachi.

Update:

The first critical review of Love Cripple from nytheater.com:
Martin Denton, May 27, 2010
Great Jones Variations is a 75-minute program of original short theatre works of various types that together comprise a thrillingly appropriate homage to Ellen Stewart, the remarkable woman who founded La MaMa E.T.C. and co-founded the Great Jones Repertory Company (with Elizabeth Swados and Andrei Serban). In these five pieces, artists of every stripe who consider themselves “MaMa’s babies” give back in the way they and she understand best, by creating adventurous new works that defy categorization but all speak resoundingly from the heart.

“Love Cripple…filled with startling images, perhaps none so thrilling as Yung’s creation of a musical instrument right before our eyes.”

Read the entire review here: http://www.nytheatre.com/nytheatre/showpage.php?t=grea10326

Theater interns mopping the stage before the show.
My artistic mandate is to spread the beauty of the shakuhachi experience through live contemporary performance. I’ve been doing this since 1996 and have reached thousands of audiences throughout the US and in Asia, Europe and the Balkans. My goal is to pave a road for the audience member to eventually wander into traditional shakuhachi music. Throughout the years, I’ve realized that not only are audiences moved by the flute, but also my fellow performers, collaborators and backstage crews.

5/26. We opened Love Cripple last night as part of La Mama E.T.C.‘s Variations production. The whole evening went amazingly well with an enthusiastic audience response. I’ve been focusing on the direction and performance so I unfortunately didn’t document the process well, but I did catch some candid shots.
Here’s a shot from the dressing room last night before the show. I make and play the shakuhachi as part of the show. Jinwon, an actor from Korea who performs in another piece was fascinated by the shakuhachi and wanted to try it. After a few blows and simple direction, he was able to get a sound in seconds! Jinwon said that he plays the Piri Korean reed flute.  Notice the PVC blanks in the corner of the counter behind the blond wig. A new flute is made in every show.

Rolando is a sound designer from Brazil. He approached me during my warm up to try his hand at making a sound. He also got a sound within seconds with very little instruction!

Three more shows! See the schedule below.
Continuing the year-long celebration of our Founder ELLEN STEWART, five Great Jones Rep members direct five short pieces in tribute to Ellen!!
Great Jones Variations

Ellen Stewart Theatre/The Annex

May 27 - 30, 2010
Thursday - Saturday at 7:30pm
Sunday at 2:30pm

Tickets $20
purchase tickets online

The Great Jones Repertory Company
Five short pieces directed by George Drance, Ozzie Rodriguez, Elizabeth Swados, Zishan Ugurlu and Perry Young.
Music by Elizabeth Swados, Ellen Stewart, Michael Sirotta, Yukio Tsuji, Heather Paauwe and Richard Cohen

Five long-time Great Jones Repertory members conceive and direct five short pieces consistent with the style and form of La MaMa’s longest repertory resident company. These pieces are inspired by the theatrical vision of Ellen Stewart where universal human emotions are told through a dynamic collaboration of drama, music, movement, multi-media and spectacle.

THE HOURSE OF ATREUS: 2:00 AM
Conceived and directed by Zishan Ugurlu

Featuring: Michael Lynch (Agamemnon), Matthew Nassar (Orestes), Valois Mickens (Clytemnestra), Kat Yew (Iphigenia), Allison Hiroto (Iphigenia)

LOVE CRIPPLE
Conceived and directed by Perry Yung

Featuring: Renouard Gee, Kat Yew, and Perry Yung

NARCISSUS
Conceived and directed by Elizabeth Swados

Featuring: George Drance, Sara Galassini, Onni Johnson, and Valois Mickens

APPOINTMENT IN TIME
Conceived and directed by Ozzie Rodriguez

Featuring: Jin Won Lee, Michal Gamily, Renouard Gee, Sara Galassini, Eugene the Poogene, and Shigeko Sara Suga and Ching Valdez-Aran

TOWER OF BABEL
Conceived and directed by George Drance

Featuring: Arthur Adair, George Drance, Onni Johnson, Matt Nasser and Shigeko Sara Suga

Great Jones Rep technical artists:
Sets: Juan Maeda and Mark Tambella
Lights: Federico Restrepo and Juan Merchan
Sound: Tim Schellenbaum

Great Jones Musicians: Michael Sirotta, Yukio Tsuji, Heather Paauwe and Richard Cohen.