IU theatre department to perform Japanese-inspired play

The IU Department of Theatre and Drama will draw upon Japanese traditions for its production of “Language of Angels,” which opens Friday.

The first performance will be at 7:30 p.m. at the Wells-Metz Theatre in the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center with additional performances scheduled next week.

Inspired by the ancient traditions of Japanese Noh theater, the play, written by Naomi Iizuka, is extracted from a time-honored Japanese ghost story. The setting is reimagined in the open territory of North Carolina, where the central character, Celie, disappears in a cave on the edge of town. The plot focuses on the lives of her surviving friends and their journey to reconcile the guilt of their collective past.

For IU faculty member Adam Noble, this will be a debut effort as a director at IU. However, Nobel is familiar with Japanese theater. As a professor of movement for the Department of Theatre and Drama, he has had training in a Suzuki style of movement created by Japanese theater director Tadashi Suzuki.

There will be additional performances at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and March 29 through April 2. There will also be a matinee performance April 2 at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the IU Auditorium or Lee Norvelle Center box office or online at the Department of Theatre and Drama’s website. Admission is $22 for adults, $15 for students and $16 for senior citizens. Student rush tickets are available for $10 with a valid IUB student ID on the day of the performance.