FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Theatre of Yugen Welcomes New Directors
San Francisco, CA, October 25, 2019 – The Board of Directors of Theatre of Yugen is pleased to announce that Kyoko Yoshida and Miwa Kaneko will be the organization’s new directors. Effective January 1, 2020, they will take on all programmatic and operational responsibilities. Ms. Yoshida has 30 years of experience in nonprofit performing arts management as a producer, presenter and consultant. Ms. Kaneko has worked extensively in commercial theater, including Broadway productions.
“We are honored to be entrusted to manage Theatre of Yugen.” Ms. Yoshida and Ms. Kaneko said in a joint statement. “We are excited to build on the equitable and inclusive directions spearheaded by the current leadership as well as to reflect on and re-develop the founding spirit and vision of Yugen."
Theatre of Yugen was founded in 1978 by Yuriko Doi. It has a long history of producing and presenting unique works that draw on the Noh and Kyogen tradition. Its current mission is to risk blending multisensory experiences designed and realized for all. Byexperiencing the beauty expressed by the Japanese sensibility of “yugen,” Theatre of Yugen envisions a world where physical theatre unifies disparate peoples and disciplines.Yugenderives from the Japanese characters yu, meaning “deep, quiet, or other-worldly,” and genmeaning “subtle, profound, or obscured.”
Nick Ishimaru, Artistic Director, and Shannon R. Davis, Artistic Associate, will step down from the current respective positions at the end of the year. To ensure a seamless operational transition, Ms. Yoshida and Ms. Kaneko have already commenced working at Theatre of Yugen.
Matthew Snelham, the Board President since 2014, stated: “The Board is very appreciative of Nick and Shannon's achievements in pushing the envelope and creating innovative works. We now welcome Kyoko and Miwa who come to us with strong backgrounds in arts management to further support Theater of Yugen's longevity and lead the organization into the next chapter.”
For inquiries regarding programs: info@theatreofyugen.org
NOHSpace rentals: rentals@theatreofyugen.org