Uchimura Prize
 
 

The International Theatre Institute, in collaboration with its Japanese Centre, awards the annual UCHIMURA PRIZE in recognition of a work or activity bearing a relationship to Japanese theatre.

Background information
The International Theatre Institute, in collaboration with its Japanese Centre, is responsible for awarding the annual UCHIMURA PRIZE created in 1992 in homage to playwright Naoya UCHIMURA, a former president of the Japanese Centre who devoted his life to promoting mutual knowledge and understanding of theatre throughout the world. The Prize, worth approximately 3.000 Euros, is endowed by the Uchimura family. Awarded to an artist or a group, it is intended to encourage dramatic work or theatre activity outside Japan bearing a relationship to Japanese theatre. Candidatures must be submitted through ITI National Centres.

 
Winners of the Uchimura Prize:
1992 ARTA Association de Recherches des Traditions de l’Acteur (France) for the organization of a Kabuki workshop in Paris.
1993 Istvan Pinczes, Debrecen, (Hungary), director, for work accomplished over ten years on theatre projects in relation with Japanese theatre.
1994 Sarajevo Festival Ensemble (Sarajevo) under the direction of Haris Pasovic for its production "The Silk Drums" based on two Noh plays and a Kyogen from Japanese classical theatre.
1995 The Playbox Theatre, Melbourne (Australia) for its production in English of “ The Head of Mary ” by Japanese author Chikao Tanaka, presented in Japan and in Australia.
1996 James R. Brandon (U.S.A.), director and teacher, for his long-term work in Kabuki training and his many Kabuki productions, in particular “ Sukeroku, Flower of Edo ”.
1997 Jointly won by the production “ Yaya ” (Lithuania) by Japanese author Seiichi Yashiro and by Mohamed Driss (Tunisia), author and director of the play Rajel Wa Mra (A man and a woman) based on three of Zeami’s Kyogen plays.
1998 Jointly won by the Uruguayan production "La Grulla del Crepusculo" (The Bird of the Twilight) by the Japanese author Junji Kinoshita, adapted and directed by Luis Vidal Giorgi and performed by the Teatro Circular de Montevideo, and by Anne-Lise Gabold (Denmark) actress, director and teacher, for her diffusion of Suzuki's Training Method for Actors in Denmark and her production of Euripides' "The Bacchants", linking Japanese and ancient Greek theatre traditions.
1999 Awarded to Poh Sim Plowright (U.K.) Director of the Centre for the Study of Noh Theatre, Department of Dramatic Art, Royal Holloway, University of London. "the main function of the Centre is to render an ancient Japanese art accessible to western theatre students."
2000 Awarded to Abel Solares (Austria/ Guatemala) for his play "Kinuta" a modern version of Zeami's Noh and for his work in using Japanese theatre traditions in and international context. Special mention to the play "Sade" presented by the Theatre Abya Yala (Costa Rica).
2001 Awarded to Christina Nygren (Sweden) , specialist of Asian theatre, for her studies of Japanese theatre and extensive work in favour of the promotion of Japanese theatre in Sweden. In 2000, she published a book on popular theatre titled "Ghosts, Generals and Gorgeous Goddesses: Travelling theatre troupes, religious festivals and popular entertainement in contemporary Japan and China."
2002 Awarded to the Romanian theatre company that adapted and produced « The Bloodied Lovers » or « Double Suicide »,a play by the famous Japanese playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon (Directed by Alexandru TOCILESCU, music by Irinel ANGHEL, scenography by Puiu ANTEMIR, costumes by Florinela Popescu FARCASANU; special note as well to the actors)
2003 Awarded to Haukur Gunnarsson (Iceland/Norway), Director and Japanese theatre specialist , in acknowledgment for his dedication to presenting Classical and modern Japanese plays to Norwegian and Icelandic audiences (the first Icelandic national to study theatre in Japan).
2004 Awarded to Dawn Akemi Saito (USA), actress, solo performer, writer and Butoh dancer and choreographer, for her theatre work reflecting facets of Japanese culture, history, and art. Current project: a re-adaptation of her solo piece "Blood Cherries", which fuses text, movement, music/soundscapes and visual imagery.
2005 Awarded to Jérôme Waquiez and his troupe " Compagnie des Lucioles" (France) for “Kakushidanuki /Hagoromo/ Monsieur et Monsieur”, a bilingual three-play performance based on 2 traditional Japanese plays and one contemporary French play performed according to strict traditional Japanese theatre codes. Premiered in 2004 in Paris and at the Avignon theatre festival, the play has toured extensively in France.
2009 Awarded to Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh for their joint production of "Aksho Bosta Chaal" (One Hundred Sacks of Rice). Director: Golam Sarwar. Translation from Japanese: Abdus Selim. The play was the result of a 10-day long workshop on "Samurai" style, organized under the guidance of Japanese instructor Kimura Shinji.