The Gift to Urashima Taro
Jay Reise’s The Gift to Urashima Taro, a dance piece with music and libretto by Jay Reise, was premiered on August 16, 2015 by Exit Dance at the Newburyport Chamber Music Festival. The story recounts a Japanese folk tale about a fisherman who rescues a turtle, and is then transported by the turtle to the underwater kingdom of the Princess of the Sea. He stays with the princess for a time and upon his return to his village, finds himself many years in the future. The music is scored for shakuhachi and string trio; performers included renowned shakuhachi master James Noryaku Schlefer and Penn’s own David Yang. The director and choreographer was Stephen Haley. The piece was commissioned by the Newburyport Chamber Music Festival.
Photos:
1. Urashima in the Graveyard Confronts the Ghosts of His Parents and Friends