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Hover over image for link to Chisato Minamura's Web Site
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VibraFusionLab has worked since 2015 with Chisato Minamimura
2022 will bring Chisato back to Canada with performances at:
2022 will bring Chisato back to Canada with performances at:
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Coming to Theatre Passe Muraille.....finally!
Scored In Silence and VibraFusionLab is proud to be a collaborator on the production. Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts and everyone who has stuck with us through the pandemic to finally bring this amazing UK performance to Canada. And thanks to Theatre Passe Muraile for making this happen and for being an incredible model for accessible theatre in Canada. Enjoy this production with 55 Vibrotactile straps by Woojer for each audience member, provided by VibraFusionLab. |
Jim Ruxton's instructions on how Chisato's costume becomes a vibrotactile wearable.
Reviews May 7, 2022
REVIEW: Scored in Silence at Theatre Passe Muraille/#beyondTO
By Aisling MurphyContent warning: this review contains mention of forced sterilization and trauma.
I did not expect to spend Thursday night with a vibrator strapped to my stomach.
Nor did I expect to love it so much.
The device in question is a state-of-the-art Woojer vibrator, actually, one connected to Theatre Passe Muraille’s sound system to transmit vibrations directly into its wearer’s body. The vibrations correlate with the sounds in the surrounding space — imagine standing next to a subwoofer turned all the way up at a rock concert, and you’ve got the right idea. According to a pre-show tutorial which took place after the audience settled, the sensation approximates how the Deaf community experiences sound — through touch — and every single audience member is offered a Woojer belt, regardless of hearing ability.
Scored in Silence, the first offering in the kick-ass #beyondTO festival lineup, is a feast for the senses, a jolt to the stomach (literally, see above), a prayer for a community relegated to the edges of society. Just last month the show graced the stages of CoMotion Festival at Harbourfront Centre, and prior to its appearances in Canada it was workshopped and performed extensively across the UK. London-based performer and director Chisato Minamimura guides audiences through a forgotten history of Hiroshima — the Deaf one. Through ASL and mime, Minamimura recalls the Deaf survivors terrified of the sudden blast with no context, the powerful connections formed between survivors, the forced sterilization of the Deaf community in Japan, who, according to the government, were now doubly prone to instilling problematic genes into their offspring. Minamimura has embarked on an ambitious excavation of the Deaf history of Japan in 1945 — the research is thorough and well articulated in performance.
Scored in Silence is gorgeous in its rejection of any one single aesthetic — it’s dance, it’s animation, it’s mime, it’s spoken-word. A universe of performance styles meet in a fifty-five minute symphony of remembrance: it’s stunning work.
Minamimura, though firmly at the apex of her solo show, does not act alone: she’s joined by Dave Packer’s dreamy projected illustrations, which morph to represent planes, fields of grass, and, chillingly, the bomb itself. The illustrations are whimsical and gnarled, complicated and pure: they’re everything at once, a whole world in drawings projected upon a delicate, gossamer screen, behind which Minamimura can perform. Videos of Hiroshima survivors appear intermittently, framing Minamimura’s work with more tangible contexts and personalities.
Willie Elliot’s soothing voice narrates portions of the performance which unfurl in ASL — Scored in Silence is a visceral, total experience for a wide gamut of audience members, hearing and not. It’s certainly an intense performance: the Woojer vibrations are fascinating and potent, but nearly become overwhelming when the bomb lands in Japan. The performance defies mere description: it must be felt.
To return to Theatre Passe Muraille’s physical space post-pandemic on opening night was nothing short of joyful: the venue’s commitment to accessibility shines through every programming, hospitality, and logistic choice. I arrived early (a rare occasion) and lurked in a corner of the lobby until the show started, and in doing so, witnessed a member of the Deaf community happen upon the theatre, communicate in animated ASL with TPM staff about the show, and be welcomed inside free of charge. Someone who otherwise might have missed out on the glorious Scored in Silence got to see the work because of TPM’s accessibility measures — how wonderful to see those measures’ success up-close.
Scored in Silence is a melancholy and shimmering piece of performance, a triumphant start to the #beyondTO festival (which also offers, in lieu of a traditional paper program, a fantastic pre-show zine written by Robyn Grant-Moran). Be sure to check out this performance, and then the rest of the festival — Theatre Passe Muraille is back and better than ever.
REVIEW: Scored in Silence at Theatre Passe Muraille/#beyondTO
By Aisling MurphyContent warning: this review contains mention of forced sterilization and trauma.
I did not expect to spend Thursday night with a vibrator strapped to my stomach.
Nor did I expect to love it so much.
The device in question is a state-of-the-art Woojer vibrator, actually, one connected to Theatre Passe Muraille’s sound system to transmit vibrations directly into its wearer’s body. The vibrations correlate with the sounds in the surrounding space — imagine standing next to a subwoofer turned all the way up at a rock concert, and you’ve got the right idea. According to a pre-show tutorial which took place after the audience settled, the sensation approximates how the Deaf community experiences sound — through touch — and every single audience member is offered a Woojer belt, regardless of hearing ability.
Scored in Silence, the first offering in the kick-ass #beyondTO festival lineup, is a feast for the senses, a jolt to the stomach (literally, see above), a prayer for a community relegated to the edges of society. Just last month the show graced the stages of CoMotion Festival at Harbourfront Centre, and prior to its appearances in Canada it was workshopped and performed extensively across the UK. London-based performer and director Chisato Minamimura guides audiences through a forgotten history of Hiroshima — the Deaf one. Through ASL and mime, Minamimura recalls the Deaf survivors terrified of the sudden blast with no context, the powerful connections formed between survivors, the forced sterilization of the Deaf community in Japan, who, according to the government, were now doubly prone to instilling problematic genes into their offspring. Minamimura has embarked on an ambitious excavation of the Deaf history of Japan in 1945 — the research is thorough and well articulated in performance.
Scored in Silence is gorgeous in its rejection of any one single aesthetic — it’s dance, it’s animation, it’s mime, it’s spoken-word. A universe of performance styles meet in a fifty-five minute symphony of remembrance: it’s stunning work.
Minamimura, though firmly at the apex of her solo show, does not act alone: she’s joined by Dave Packer’s dreamy projected illustrations, which morph to represent planes, fields of grass, and, chillingly, the bomb itself. The illustrations are whimsical and gnarled, complicated and pure: they’re everything at once, a whole world in drawings projected upon a delicate, gossamer screen, behind which Minamimura can perform. Videos of Hiroshima survivors appear intermittently, framing Minamimura’s work with more tangible contexts and personalities.
Willie Elliot’s soothing voice narrates portions of the performance which unfurl in ASL — Scored in Silence is a visceral, total experience for a wide gamut of audience members, hearing and not. It’s certainly an intense performance: the Woojer vibrations are fascinating and potent, but nearly become overwhelming when the bomb lands in Japan. The performance defies mere description: it must be felt.
To return to Theatre Passe Muraille’s physical space post-pandemic on opening night was nothing short of joyful: the venue’s commitment to accessibility shines through every programming, hospitality, and logistic choice. I arrived early (a rare occasion) and lurked in a corner of the lobby until the show started, and in doing so, witnessed a member of the Deaf community happen upon the theatre, communicate in animated ASL with TPM staff about the show, and be welcomed inside free of charge. Someone who otherwise might have missed out on the glorious Scored in Silence got to see the work because of TPM’s accessibility measures — how wonderful to see those measures’ success up-close.
Scored in Silence is a melancholy and shimmering piece of performance, a triumphant start to the #beyondTO festival (which also offers, in lieu of a traditional paper program, a fantastic pre-show zine written by Robyn Grant-Moran). Be sure to check out this performance, and then the rest of the festival — Theatre Passe Muraille is back and better than ever.
Review: Scored In Silence unpacks hidden war storiesChisato Minamimura's multimedia show about the effects of the A-bomb on Deaf people kicks off the #BeyondTO Festival
BY GLENN SUMI
May 7, 2022
SCORED IN SILENCE by Chisato Minamimura (Theatre Passe Muraille/Chisato Minamimura/#BeyondTO Festival). Runs to May 7 at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson). Pay-what-you-can-afford ($10-$60). passemuraille.ca. Rating: NNNN
The horrific effects of the atomic bomb on the Japanese have been chronicled in countless ways since August 1945. Now Theatre Passe Muraille’s #BeyondTO Festival lets audiences understand and experience the atrocity from a unique perspective: that of Deaf survivors.
Chisato Minamimura’s Scored In Silence is being marketed as “a solo immersive performance,” and indeed it’s delivered in a fascinating presentation style. Deaf artist Minamimura, clad in a simple white smock, performs behind a screen upon which are projected various images – everything from maps of the countries involved in the second world war to an animated depiction of the plane that eventually drops the first bomb on Hiroshima. (Animation is by Dave Packer.)
Minamimura occasionally interacts with the images; one moment, she’s a cockpit piloting the plane; in another she’s a worker in a rice paddy, pausing to shade her eyes and look up at the strange aircraft in the sky. Minamimura is a beautifully expressive performer, using dance, movement and signing to tell the story. The result is strangely hypnotic – not quite traditional theatre/dance, but not film, either.
Things are enhanced further by the use of something called a Woojer Strap, which audiences can elect to wear around their bodies. At key moments – the starting of plane engines, for instance, and of course the dropping of the A-bomb – the device vibrates and rumbles, suggesting a bit of what deaf people might experience. Interestingly, sometimes the device (Danny Bright is sonic artist) rumbles not to indicate sound but to express a sense of foreboding.
Minamimura has integrated videotaped interviews with several Deaf survivors of the bombs. These contain the most harrowing and affecting details, not just about the confusion and terror deaf people felt during the event – unlike their hearing counterparts, they couldn’t get information by word-of-mouth or radio reports – but the alienation and ostracization they felt afterwards. Deaf survivors were doubly stigmatized because of their disability and the fact that they were perceived as tainted because of the bomb. One interview subject didn’t fully realize what had happened until they viewed the Hiroshima Peace Memorial nearly a decade later.
One of the most powerful moments occurs when we hear the story about a deaf barber who wanted to expand his business but was continually rejected for a bank loan – his disappointment evoked by the image of an enormous hand pounding down on Minamimura.
Today, nuclear arms devices continue to proliferate around the world, edging us closer to an even more horrific tragedy. Scored In Silence is a humane, inclusive and moving look at some of the personal costs of such destruction.
@glennsumi
BY GLENN SUMI
May 7, 2022
SCORED IN SILENCE by Chisato Minamimura (Theatre Passe Muraille/Chisato Minamimura/#BeyondTO Festival). Runs to May 7 at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson). Pay-what-you-can-afford ($10-$60). passemuraille.ca. Rating: NNNN
The horrific effects of the atomic bomb on the Japanese have been chronicled in countless ways since August 1945. Now Theatre Passe Muraille’s #BeyondTO Festival lets audiences understand and experience the atrocity from a unique perspective: that of Deaf survivors.
Chisato Minamimura’s Scored In Silence is being marketed as “a solo immersive performance,” and indeed it’s delivered in a fascinating presentation style. Deaf artist Minamimura, clad in a simple white smock, performs behind a screen upon which are projected various images – everything from maps of the countries involved in the second world war to an animated depiction of the plane that eventually drops the first bomb on Hiroshima. (Animation is by Dave Packer.)
Minamimura occasionally interacts with the images; one moment, she’s a cockpit piloting the plane; in another she’s a worker in a rice paddy, pausing to shade her eyes and look up at the strange aircraft in the sky. Minamimura is a beautifully expressive performer, using dance, movement and signing to tell the story. The result is strangely hypnotic – not quite traditional theatre/dance, but not film, either.
Things are enhanced further by the use of something called a Woojer Strap, which audiences can elect to wear around their bodies. At key moments – the starting of plane engines, for instance, and of course the dropping of the A-bomb – the device vibrates and rumbles, suggesting a bit of what deaf people might experience. Interestingly, sometimes the device (Danny Bright is sonic artist) rumbles not to indicate sound but to express a sense of foreboding.
Minamimura has integrated videotaped interviews with several Deaf survivors of the bombs. These contain the most harrowing and affecting details, not just about the confusion and terror deaf people felt during the event – unlike their hearing counterparts, they couldn’t get information by word-of-mouth or radio reports – but the alienation and ostracization they felt afterwards. Deaf survivors were doubly stigmatized because of their disability and the fact that they were perceived as tainted because of the bomb. One interview subject didn’t fully realize what had happened until they viewed the Hiroshima Peace Memorial nearly a decade later.
One of the most powerful moments occurs when we hear the story about a deaf barber who wanted to expand his business but was continually rejected for a bank loan – his disappointment evoked by the image of an enormous hand pounding down on Minamimura.
Today, nuclear arms devices continue to proliferate around the world, edging us closer to an even more horrific tragedy. Scored In Silence is a humane, inclusive and moving look at some of the personal costs of such destruction.
@glennsumi