God Bless Baseball

Japan/Korea
Toshiki Okada

God Bless Baseball
February 12 & 13, 2016 . 8PM
God Bless Baseball
God Bless Baseball photo by Moon So Young

Event Attributes

Presented By

Presented By: 
Estimated Length: 
1 hour and 40 minutes
Intermission: 
None
Program Notes: 

What does the sport of baseball mean to you? Visionary playwright/director Toshiki Okada (chelfitsch Theater Company) explores this iconic American symbol in his newest play God Bless Baseball.

Incorporating Okada’s distinctive style of hyper-colloquial speech and exaggerated commonplace gestures, the play positions the U.S. as parent and Japan and Korea– where baseball is deeply rooted in popular culture – as brothers heavily influenced by the parent. Featuring Japanese and Korean actors with a stage set by acclaimed visual/video artist Tadasu Takamine, this baseball culture triple-play is sure to be a home run.

Toshiki Okada's God Bless Baseball U.S. tour is supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in the fiscal year 2015, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, The Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN Program and the Asian Cultural Council.

God Bless Baseball is commissioned by Asian Culture Complex - Asian Arts Theatre; co-produced by >strong>Asian Culture Complex- Asian Arts Theatre, Festival/Tokyo, and Taipei Arts Festival; additional commissioning support provided by FringeArts, Philadelphia, Japan Society, New York, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, and Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University; research and workshop support by Doosan Art Center; in cooperation with Kinosaki International Arts Center, Steep Slope Studio and Sample.

Toshiki Okada God Bless Baseball U.S. tour is funded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in the fiscal year 2015, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, The Japan Foundation through the Performing Arts JAPAN Program, and the Asian Cultural Council. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. This engagement is also made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Video of Toshiki Okada performing at Holland Festival