The Japanese Theatre of the Deaf, which has received global acclaim for its performances of kyogen in Japanese Sign Language and which is run by the actress Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s Totto Foundation, will stage the Kita School Noh piece “Kurozuka” at the Kita Noh Theatre with simultaneous interpretation in sign language, as well as perform a kyogen standard.
This is the second outing for a special performance aimed at bringing hearing and non-hearing people together to enjoy Noh. Taken up a notch this time around is the production’s ambitious experiment — and Noh theater first — of having the thrilling Ai kyogen interludes played by actors using sign language.
This combined use of sign language interpretation and electronics company Pioneer’s “Listening Through the Body” technology offers one answer to helping hearing-impaired people enjoy theater.

1. Commentary (with sign language interpreter)
2. Kyogen in Japanese Sign Language (program in selection process)
3. Noh “Kurozuka” (with sign-language interpreter)