Theatre of Yugen at NOHspace

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Theatre of Yugen at NOHspace Theatre of Yugen is a San Francisco based ensemble of artists who create works of theater influenced by the Japanese dramatic forms of Noh and Kyogen.

Theatre of Yugen is a San Francisco based ensemble of artists from North America, Europe, and Asia who create works of world theater influenced by the classical Japanese dramatic forms of Noh and Kyogen. Whether the subject matter of our shows is classical or contemporary, and whether our performance is primarily serious or comic, we strive to project the aesthetic quality of yugen, or mysterious elegance, which gives our work a distinctive style and provides a unique experience to our audience. Our ensemble members receive training in the traditional Japanese Noh and Kyogen forms. We also engage with colleagues in the experimental arts community and incorporate other diverse performance styles and artistic media into our work. We are proud to have been part of the San Francisco arts scene for more than thirty years and to have established a national and international reputation through tours across the United States, Europe, and the Far East. Theatre of Yugen is supported by a dedicated staff and an active board of directors. Check out our website www.theatreofyugen.org for up-to-date information about our upcoming events and performances or email us at [email protected] if you have further questions! Hope to see you at NOHspace!

Join us on the journey toward Theatre of Yugen’s 50th Anniversary and help bring Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company, led by J...
09/24/2026

Join us on the journey toward Theatre of Yugen’s 50th Anniversary and help bring Mansaku-no-Kai Kyogen Company, led by Japan's Living National Treasure Mansaku Nomura, to San Francisco in 2027!

We are delighted to invite you to our Fall 2026 fundraiser, THE ROAD TO 50, the exciting launch of Theatre of Yugen’s 50th Anniversary Season campaign! Be among the first to hear about 2027-28 Anniversary Season programs and discover how you can personally participate in and support this milestone celebration throughout the season.

THE ROAD TO 50 will take place at Dragon Horse Restaurant, one of San Francisco’s hidden gems, featuring Japanese izakaya flavors and original cocktails. You’ll meet and connect with Yugen’s ensemble members while enjoying delicious Japanese food, refreshments, and community.

We look forward to celebrating Yugen’s remarkable legacy and making our 50th a truly unforgettable season!

***
WHEN: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
WHERE: DRAGON HORSE RESTAURANT
917 FOLSOM STREET, SAN FRANCISCO
FUNDRAISER TICKETS: $150
TICKET LINK: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36170/production/1290614

***
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
The 50th Anniversary Season Announcement
Celebrate Yugen’s Legacy
Meet & Talk with the Artists
Sushi & Izakaya Flavors
Sake/Wine/Cocktail Selection
Silent Auction

Join us for a rare opportunity at NOHSpace on Tuesday, July 28! Admission is free, and all are welcome. We hope to see y...
07/25/2026

Join us for a rare opportunity at NOHSpace on Tuesday, July 28! Admission is free, and all are welcome. We hope to see you there!

Getting To Noh – A Lecture / Demonstration

Co-sponsored by Theatre of Yugen
With Theatre Nohgaku Company Members and special guest artists

Tuesday, July 28, 2026, 7:00 – 8:00pm

NOHSpace
2840 Mariposa Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

A live introduction to noh chant, dance and musical instruments with performance of excerpts from both traditional and new noh in Japanese and English.

FREE with Reservation
Reserve your spot here:
https://ci.ovationtix.com/36170/production/1281104?performanceId=11831249



Costume designer Margaret Mitchell’s exquisite costumes reflect the two realities of the nursing home and Viennese haute...
07/20/2026

Costume designer Margaret Mitchell’s exquisite costumes reflect the two realities of the nursing home and Viennese haute couture while satisfying the needs of noh-based choreography. The result is a visual feast that complements the subtle poignancy of the masks.

Librettist Newton marvels, “I created this small text, and so many artists have added to it, like seeds blossoming. I often reflect upon how a team of gifted people has made of my humble noh a lavish Gesamtkunswerk”, a creative process where different art forms are combined to create a single cohesive whole.

In a Memory Palace

Libretto by Edith Reisner Newton
Co-Composed by David Crandall & Kevin Salfen
Choreographed & Directed by Jubilith Moore

July 30-31-August 1
San Francisco, CA

August 7-8
San Antonio, TX

inamemorypalace.org











Scenographer Mikiko Uesugi’s set design is informed by the traditional noh stage, including the bridgeway and the agemak...
07/19/2026

Scenographer Mikiko Uesugi’s set design is informed by the traditional noh stage, including the bridgeway and the agemaku curtain, with elements inspired by late 19th- and early 20th-century Vienna, distilled to their essence.

In addition to the set design for the performance In a Memory Palace, Mikiko is also collaborating on the design for the installation, A Memory Palace of Migration.
inamemorypalace.org/community/

She has shared her belief that theatre connects us as humans from all cultures.

In A Memory Palace

Libretto by Edith Newton
Co-Composed by David Crandall and Kevin Salfen
Choreographed and Directed by Jubilith Moore

July 30-31-Aug 01
San Francisco
Z Space

Aug 7-8
San Antonio
Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

inamemorypalace.org









Master mask maker Kitazawa Hideta has created two stunning masks to be worn by the Hedwig Müller character in the play’s...
07/13/2026

Master mask maker Kitazawa Hideta has created two stunning masks to be worn by the Hedwig Müller character in the play’s first and second halves, respectively.
In the first half, Hedwig’s ghost inhabits the body of an elderly resident in a nursing home in modern-day America. In the second half, she appears as a sumptuous beauty reliving the prime of her life in interwar Vienna.

Director Jubilith Moore writes, “The mask in noh is absolutely central. In noh the central figure generally appears in the first act disguised and in the second act as their true self. The performer will wear two different masks, and yet it is always clear that it is the same character. Noh embraces the idea that we are souls with a body, rather than a body with a soul.”

Theatre Nohgaku presents
the world premier
In A Memory Palace

Libretto by Edith Newton
Co-Composed by David Crandall and Kevin Salfen
Choreographed and Directed by Jubilith Moore

July 30-31 Aug 01
San Francisco
Z Space

Aug 7-8
San Antonio
Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

inamemorypalace.org








The meaning of luggage and baggage carries profound symbolic and emotional weight. Share your migration story of Luggage...
07/13/2026

The meaning of luggage and baggage carries profound symbolic and emotional weight. Share your migration story of Luggage & Baggage here:
inamemorypalace.org/community/

For an immigrant, luggage holds what we could save, and baggage is what we cannot leave behind. Read more here: inamemorypalace.org/community/ -nine-themes

“A Memory Palace of Migration” is assembled from community contributions. Help us build our Memory Palace by sharing your story of migration and Theme 5: Luggage & Baggage.





What happens when the wild and wonderful ideas of elementary school students meet the playful world of Kyogen? Join us f...
05/22/2026

What happens when the wild and wonderful ideas of elementary school students meet the playful world of Kyogen? Join us for this special staged reading of Finding a Friend, an original Kyogen-inspired work developed by Fenner Merlick and Lluís Valls in collaboration with the 4th- and 5th-grade students of Clarendon Alternative Elementary School’s Japanese Bilingual Bicultural Program!

Presented as part of Theatre of Yugen’s Crazy for Words educational program, the project celebrates imagination, laughter, and collaborative storytelling inspired by the 650-year-old Japanese comic theatre tradition.

Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 2pm
Theatre of Yugen’s NOHSpace (2840 Mariposa Street, SF)

Admission Free with Registration: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36170/production/1278030

Program
Performance of Classical Kyogen In English “Busu (Sweet Poison)”
& Special Staged Reading of an Original Kyogen Play “Finding a Friend”

Featuring Joe Galang, Fenner Merlick, Lluís Vall

Hope to see you there!

June 5 & 6 at NOHSpace, join us for Memento Forest — Katami, a multimedia dance project fostering intergenerational conn...
05/08/2026

June 5 & 6 at NOHSpace, join us for Memento Forest — Katami, a multimedia dance project fostering intergenerational connections and healing through mementos that were left behind. Directed and performed by Marina Fukushima, it begins in the wake of her father’s passing and unfolds through community dialogue and workshops. Through objects, memory, and ritual, it asks how we carry katami (mementos) and what we leave for those who follow, tracing absence into connection and collective healing.

June 5 - 6, 2026, 8PM
At Theatre of Yugen’s NOHSpace (2840 Mariposa Street, SF)
Tickets: $25/$15 https://www.usjapanctn.net/upcoming.html

Collaborating Artists:
Artistic direction, choreography, video, performance: Marina Fukushima
Scenography, video, archive process: Isak Immanuel
Drawing, performance for video: Michiko Fukushima
Mementos, metal sculpture, appearance for video: Hiroki Fukushima

Memento archive collaborations for video: Community participants from the “Memento Archive Workshop - First Rainbows” held at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC) and Kokoro Assisted Living.

Produced and presented by the U.S./Japan Cultural Trade Network, Inc. (CTN), in association with Theatre of Yugen, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, and Asian Improv aRts.

Supported in part by: California Arts Council and Zellerbach Family Foundation

Photo by Isak Immanuel

Our final spring performance today at 2PM is now SOLD OUT -- thank you so much for your incredible support! Please direc...
04/26/2026

Our final spring performance today at 2PM is now SOLD OUT -- thank you so much for your incredible support! Please direct message us or email [email protected] to join the waitlist. 😀

Opening this Thursday, April 23!! We are delighted to welcome you back to our seasonal performances of classical Japanes...
04/22/2026

Opening this Thursday, April 23!! We are delighted to welcome you back to our seasonal performances of classical Japanese Kyogen in English. We are excited to present Futari Daimyo (Two Lords) and Busu (Sweet Poison), performed by our wonderful ensemble!

Yugen’s productions bring forward the wit, rhythm, and precision at the heart of Kyogen, grounded in our ongoing training in this centuries-old art and continued exploration of its timeless vitality - where cleverness turns the tables and surprises unfold with playful delight. Join us and experience the laughter that reminds us of our shared humanity across time and culture!

Directed by Lluís Valls

Featuring Joe Galang, Nick Ishimaru, Ryan Marchand, Fenner Merlick, Kate Patrick, and Lluís Valls

Thursday, April 23, 8PM
Friday, April 24, 8PM
Saturday, April 25, 5PM
Sunday, April 26, 2PM

At Theatre of Yugen’s NOHSpace (2840 Mariposa St., San Francisco, CA 94110)

TICKETS: General Admission $30 (Regular) & $20 (Community Discount - if the price is a barrier)

https://ci.ovationtix.com/36170/production/1270272

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2840 Mariposa Street
San Francisco, CA
94110

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