Two quite different stories play out in the rooms of next-door neighbors in this super-realistic stage set

TANINO Kuro is Japan’s most renowned theater creator in the world. Now aged 44, the playwright, director and founder of his Tokyo-based Niwa Gekidan Penino theater company has long been popular in Europe. He is also constantly invited to take his works around the world, with his masterpieces “Frustrating Picture Books for Adults,” “Box in the Big Trunk” and “Avidya: The Ignorance Inn” already performed in countries including Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France and Australia.

In “Fortress of Smiles, RE-CREATION,” which is set in two small, shabby adjoining apartments in a coastal village, lively fishermen meet day after day in one to drink and enjoy themselves — while next door an old lady with dementia is living quietly alone with support from her son and granddaughter. Then as audiences follow the routine lives in these two rooms they become aware that something has actually gradually and quietly changed.

Presented by: The Japan Foundation (JF) (https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/​)

＜Performance Credits＞
Text and Direction: TANINO Kuro
Cast: INOUE Kazuya, FUKUSHIMA O. Pereira Koichiro, OGATA Susumu, SAKAI Hatsune, TANABE Katsuya, NOMURA Masato, HYAKUMOTO Natsue
Produced by: Arche, LLC
Planned by: Niwa Gekidan Penino
Presented by: Arche, LLC., Kinosaki International Arts Center (Toyooka City)
Recorded on September 21, 2019 at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre, Large Studio

＜Subtitling Credits＞
Chinese Translation (Simplified): Yuhan DONG
Chinese Translation (Traditional): NITTA Yukio
English Translation: Susan E. JONES
French Translation: Miyako SLOCOMBE
German Translation: Andreas REGELSBERGER
Russian Translation: Vladlena FEDYANINA

＜Promotional Text＞
TANAKA Nobuko (English), KAWAZOE Fumiko (Japanese)

End date of distribution: 31/3/2022