Sinag Arts Foundation and the Japan Foundation Manila Office are holding a technical directing workshop from Feb. 29 to March 2 at the Peta Theater Center (PTC) in Quezon City, with Japanese technical director Koga Yuji facilitating the workshop.
International lighting designer Shoko Matsumoto will be coordinating and interpreting. Matsumoto is the lighting designer of Philippine Educational Theater Association’s current jukebox musical using the songs of Francis Magalona, “3 Stars and A Sun.”
She was active in the Manila theater industry in the late ‘90s and 2000s, doing the lighting design of productions such as Gilda Cordero-Fernando’s “Luna: An Aswang Romance,” Trumpets’ “Little Mermaid” and “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe,” Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal” and Peta’s “Belong Puti,” among others.
Matsumoto has trained lighting directors such as Roman Cruz and Joseph Matheu and technical directors such as Ian Torqueza.
Yuji has 40 years of technical directing expertise. He founded his own technical directing company Words in Tokyo and handles plays, musicals and dance shows. He has trained in Broadway and worked on off-Broadway productions.
On the first day of the workshop, Koga will discuss the technical set-up of “3 Stars and a Sun,” which is playing at the PTC’s Peta-Phinma Theater.
On the second day, he will discuss the varying responsibilities and expectations of a technical director in Japan, the USA and the Philippines, and teach how a technical director conducts a script analysis.
A hands-on component in the afternoon will feature a demonstration of Kabuki stage magic techniques such as quick curtain drops and use of trapdoors.
On the last day of the workshop, Yuji will have an open forum with participants, and another hands-on session in the afternoon on quick set-change techniques.
The Peta Theater Center has events and shows that are separate from the season line-up of the theater company Peta. To know more about its venues for rent and line up of programs and events for 2016, like PETATheaterCenter on Facebook.com.
Workshop fee is P4,000, which includes meals. Contact 0917-5260534. PTC is at Eymard Drive, New Manila (street at the back of Quezon City Sports Club), Quezon City.