Japan Theatre Tour


March 13/14 - March 25/26, 2007 - call: 1-310-394-9779 ext. 3 for details (final dates to be determined when airline tickets are purchased) There is no better way to spend Spring Break than with the Santa Monica Playhouse Tokyo Theatre Adventure - the only one of its kind for globe-trotters and cultural exchange enthusiasts age 9 and up! See world-famous performers, study in specially designed joint workshops with members of Tokyo’s renowned Model Language Studio, perform a mini-play written expressly for tour members, see traditional and contemporary sights, enjoy a very special feature - Japanese language study - make a world of new friends, and bring back enough memories (and souvenirs) to keep your heart singing for years to come. Click the photo to see more pictures from the Japan Theatre Tour 2007.
“Thank you for living me at your house. Next time please come to Japan and my house. I miss you so much already.” Itsumi Kataoka “It was a wonderful exchange experience, especially for the young people. They worked very hard. They were ambassadors and also had enough time to do their homework. It was a very important learning trip for them and they will bring back many exciting stories to share.” Masakazu Ota, President, Model Language Studio
A Spectacular Theatre Experience and Cultural Exchange!! Masa Ota, president of Model Language Studio, and recipient of Japan’s prestigious Highly Acclaimed Culture and Education Award for innovation in the field of theatre education and language study, will create a play for tour members to perform in Japan. The play, based on the language arts process 'Super Stage', will involve problem-solving, improvisation, performance art, pronunciation, context and conversation.
“The things that I experienced in Japan are things I'll never forget.” Wendi Glodery “We will cherish the wonderful memory with each of you forever.” Toru Yamamoto, Tour Leader
	*Hands on Workshops !!!* Tour members participate in specially designed workshops, collaborating with members of Tokyo’s Model Language Studio in an effort that can be called nothing short of amazing, participating with their Japanese counterparts in an exploration of ideas, shared emotions, language arts, cultures, music and traditions. Members will also see the world-famous players of Kabuki-za, classic Japanese theatre at its finest, an art form emphasizing skill over beauty, over 400 years old.
“This is what real education is all about!” Dorry Tooke, parent and educator *“I miss Japan so much. What a wonderful experience I had there. And, I shared it with the best people to share an experience with.”* Celia Ruskin (age 10)
Sight Seeing, See Them All !!! Sight-seeing will include several of the following: world-famous Kamakura and the Big Buddah at Hase; the Edo Tokyo Museum, complete with replica Edo Village; Akihabara, the world’s largest electronics town; Harajuku, Takeshita-dori and the Oriental Bazaar; Sensoji, Asakusa Kannon Temple; Shinjuku, a subway station that’s an entire city unto itself and more!
Program price includes air fare, all ground transportation, workshops, theatre tickets, entrance fees, lodging and most meals. 310.394.9779 ext. 673

Santa Monica Playhouse, a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 educational corporation founded in 1960, provides exciting and entertaining dramatic and comedic, classic and contemporary live theatrical productions, Family Theatre musicals, birthday and tea parties, year-round and summer theatre workshops and educational programming for young people, teens and adults, create-a-play classes and Mommy and Me events for pre-schoolers, daytime and after school enrichment classes and in-service in public and private schools, cultural exchange, international touring, and community outreach, as well as theatre rental space for productions, seminars, solo shows, concerts, recitals, lectures, meetings and more.