“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. “
-George Bernard Shaw
CITA’s aim is to produce adaptations of writings and short stories through reinterpretation of classic texts to major devised pieces of theatre with style, passion and world-class artistic excellence in order to entertain, challenge and enrich audiences in Tokyo, Japan and abroad.
The objectives of the company are to –
(a) Provide world-class theatre for Tokyo residents and visitors by presenting plays in Tokyo chosen from the world repertoire and wherever practicable, to present those plays to audiences outside Tokyo;
(b) Present a quality of performance and production that acts as a benchmark for Japanese theatre;
(c) Contribute to the advancement of Japanese theatre through the development of artists and theatre workers and the support of other theatre companies and performing arts organizations;
(d) Build an audience for live theatre in Japan; and
(e) Operate a cost-effective and creative theatre company with the financial capacity to implement its aims now and in the future.
(f) Through the achievement of these objectives, the company will support others in contributing to and expanding the cultural life of Tokyo.
We aim to continue exploring life in a more concentrated form.
There is more new work on the horizon and our focus first is on the critical and crucial nature of dramaturgy and how this is changing the way in which we explore different stories/themes.
Creatively the necessity of speech in the work is of great consideration.
The structure of the work may at times resemble a collage of images and actions that are multi layered in the significance. There is a sense of story, but whether we deal with narrative chains of cause and effect so much as journeys of emotional understanding depend very much on the material we choose.
Structural signposts employed are often visual, physical and musical rather than verbal.
A key principle is: Seeing what is most alive. In rehearsals this becomes very clear; when stories or play texts are stood up they work. The meaning is revealed in the body. All questions are reduced to one question. Not what does it mean, but how does it come alive?
Effects can be particularly intense if the group includes people with different backgrounds. We believe, with an international company, a deep understanding can be reached between people who seem to have nothing in common.
“I regard play as a form of art.”
-Sir Herbert Read. Poet, soldier and art critic. 1893-1968
