Day 96 - Pine Trees and Skype

Today I had a great production meeting with Mikiko, our scenery designer, and Poe, our production manager.

Meeting is an interesting word - we didn’t meet at all.

Mikiko is in Japan, Poe is in Brooklyn and I am in Manhattan. The meeting happened by Skype.

What a great world we live in, we could see each other, talk for an hour, send files, and all for free. We take this for granted now but a few years ago such a meeting would have cost a lot! There is a generation of younger people who may never have heard the term “long distance phone charges…”

So much happens when you meet creative people. As I was describing a possible set up for the theatre and the stage Mikiko had been sketching with a pencil and paper and held up a sketch for the camera - exactly matching what I had been imagining. This was in a matter of minutes. Impressive.

And so comforting to know that we are on the same page.

Or same Skype screen, as it were.

People are going to love our “Yose” （寄席）or Japanese Rakugo theatre, right in the heart of Broadway. I can’t wait!

We are going to have a Matsubame (松葉め）which is a traditional pine tree used for various Japanese theatrical arts - particulartly for Noh (能楽） and for Bunraku (文楽）puppet theatre.

Mikiko is going to consult an expert in the painting of these pine trees, as there are different schools of painting, and in fact the style of pine tree in Tokyo (Edo) and Osaka (Kamigata) can be quite different in themselves. I had not known about this, which gives you an idea of the eye for detail Mikiko has - it is truly amazing.

I can’t wait to hear about the information, history, and other significant details about theatrical decorative pine trees which Mikiko’s contact will provide. That is another post to look forward too!

But more than that - I am mostly looking forward to what our theatre will look like come opening night in April!