[Shizuoka Performing Arts Center, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation] SPAC Autumn Season 2025-2026 Opens in October with “Yoroboshi” Directed by Artistic Director Natsuki Ishigami!
Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) Press Release: August 29, 2025 To Members of the Press SPAC Fall Season 2025-2026 Artistic Director Natsuki Ishigami will be directing “Yoroboshi” and opening in October!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/167886/1/167886-1-cdcb3c6c393f3e365c17fe65dda0da5c-1500×605.png
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/167886/1/167886-1-d5098b5ef95a42c14e1b13460018060c-797×1027.jpg photo by Natsumi Makita (F4,5) This year marks the 30th anniversary of the foundation’s founding, and SPAC has appointed playwright Natsuki Ishigami as artistic director for the “SPAC Fall Season 2025-2026,” bringing three works by leading artists to Shizuoka Arts Theatre and other venues. Ishigami has incorporated the message of “Theater for You and Me, Living Today” into her direction for the season, and has commissioned playwright and director Kumiko Ueda and director Junnosuke Tada to create works from the perspective of creative work by “artists as people.” Kicking off the season will be “Yoroboshi,” directed by Ishigami. Ishigami, who has worked on art projects in public spaces on themes of cities and communities, first created and premiered this work at SPAC in 2022 to rave reviews. This work will be re-staged at the Shizuoka Arts Theatre. In addition to the Shizuoka Arts Theatre, the work will also be performed in Numazu and Hamamatsu, making it easily accessible from three areas within the prefecture. The second production of the season is “Hamlet,” in which Kumiko Ueda teams up with SPAC for the first time. After working in the Takarazuka Revue’s directing department, Ueda has been actively directing operas and original plays. Her direction, which transcends the boundaries between art and entertainment, is currently garnering significant attention. The third production, to be released in the new year, is “Galileo: Endless Turn,” directed by Junnosuke Tada, a versatile creator who transcends genres including theater and dance. In 2023, the “Tourist Theater ‘The Dancer of Izu,'” created in collaboration with SPAC, captivated audiences of all ages, and anticipation is building for the next production. In addition to weekend general performances, the “SPAC Fall Season” will also feature weekday performances for junior and senior high school students, creating opportunities for younger generations to experience theater. As a public theater with its own theater company, SPAC will also launch a project (linked to Podcast/note) to connect people in Shizuoka. Please keep an eye out for these projects, along with information on the creative process behind each production. Experience the world’s unevenness through the theater with the “SPACeSHIP Gekitomo!” Junior and Senior High School Student Appreciation Program. During the “SPAC Fall Season,” we invite junior and senior high school students from within the prefecture to the theater on weekdays for each performance. More than 10,000 people attend every year, and the cumulative total number of audience members since 2003 has exceeded 250,000. ＊＊TOPICS＊＊ 1. Rehearsals for “Yoroboshi” begin in September! Please consider covering the production or interviewing us. 2. A press tour for the fall season is scheduled for early October. (Details will be announced in early September.) “Yoroboshi” performance for junior and senior high school students “Hamlet” rehearsal observation interviews with both directors, etc. *Detailed dates and locations for rehearsals and press tours will only be provided to members of the press. Please contact us for details. 3. Podcast & note / A special page will also open (starting in early October) In addition to words from the artists involved in the works, we will also feature conversations between Natsuki Ishigami and people active in alternative settings in Shizuoka Prefecture.
#1 100th anniversary of Yukio Mishima’s birth “Yoboshi” Direction: Natsuki Ishigami Written by Yukio Mishima (from “Modern Nohgaku Collection”) Cast: Yoneji Ouchi, Yuya Daido Mumon, Seira Nakanishi, Yasuka Fuse, Kotaro Yagi, Miyuki Yamamoto Shizuoka Performance> Shizuoka Arts TheaterOctober 4th (Sat), 5th (Sun), 18th (Sat), 19th (Sun), performances start at 1:30 PM each day Numazu Performance> Numazu Civic Cultural CenterJanuary 31st, 2026 (Sat), performance begins at 1:30 PM Hamamatsu Performance> Hamamatsu City Hamakita Cultural Center Saturday, February 7, 2026, 1:30 PM Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Yukio Mishima’s birth, the “Autumn Season” kicks off with his masterpiece play “Yoroboshi”! What is the “scenery of the end of the world” that the blind young man, Toshinori, speaks of? “Yoroboshi” (1960) is one of Yukio Mishima’s “Modern Noh Plays,” a collection of modern adaptations of Noh texts. This short but striking play was directed by playwright Natsuki Ishigami, who has worked on art projects in public spaces on themes of cities and communities. It premiered in 2022 at the BOX Theater in Shizuoka Performing Arts Park during the SCOT Summer Season (Toyama), receiving rave reviews for its innovative stage setting, with audience seating surrounding the play on all sides. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Yukio Mishima’s birth, and the play will open the season at the Shizuoka Arts Theatre.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/167886/1/167886-1-ca2988ceeeec812e641ad7d0d81c26af-1000×667.png 2022 SPAC “Yoboshi” Photo by K. Miura A family court mediation is taking place over the custody of Toshinori, a beautiful young man who was separated from his parents and lost his sight due to war damage. While the case remains unresolved, a conversation between Shinako, a member of the mediation committee, and Toshinori, alone, begins to shake the heart of Toshinori, who is consumed by despair. The loneliness and anguish of a young man is a story that also reflects Mishima’s own “lonely soul.” The heartfelt words scattered throughout the story, coupled with Ishigami’s direction that brings a
multilayered perspective, resonate with us living today. Director Profile Natsuki Ishigami Playwright. She works on theater and art projects both in Japan and abroad that showcase alternative behaviors in cities and communities. His directing work includes project director of the performing arts division of “Culture City of East Asia 2019 Toshima,” guest curator of ADAM Artist Lab 2019 (Taipei), and planning and direction of Shizuoka City Machiha Theater’s “Today’s Theater” (2021). At SPAC, he wrote and directed “Yoroboshi” (written by Yukio Mishima) in 2022, “Oen no Koi” (based on Junichiro Tanizaki’s “Oen Murder”) in 2023, and the snack-included tour performance “Kachikachi Yama no Daidokoro” (The Kitchen of the Hard Mountain) for the “Fujinokuni⇄Sekai Theater Festival 2024.” ●Related events: Pre-talks, pre-performances, etc. will be held. ＜Pre-Performance＞ Students majoring in the theater department of the Shimizu Minami Prefectural High School’s arts department will perform a performance about the life of Yukio Mishima. Performers: 2nd-year students majoring in theater at Shimizu Minami High School, Arts Department Dates: [Shizuoka Performance] October 4th (Sat) and 5th (Sun), starting at 12:45 PM each day (approx. 15 minutes) Venue: Shizuoka Arts Theater, 2nd Floor, Cafe Cinderella [Free, no reservations required] *People without tickets for the day can also attend. ● Viewing Support: SPAC offers a variety of support services to ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy theater with peace of mind. • English subtitles [Saturday, October 4th and Sunday, October 19th] [Free, reservation required] • Audio guide (Japanese only) available for rental [Free, reservation required] [Shizuoka performances: October 5th (Sun) and 18th (Sat)] Guide: Tomomi Ouchi (SPAC actor) • Parent-Child Room [Shizuoka/Numazu Performance] [Reservation Required] • Childcare Services [Saturday, October 4th] [1,000 yen, reservation required] and more ●Ticket Price [All Seats Reserved] [Shizuoka Performance] General advance tickets on sale now! [Numazu and Hamamatsu Performances] General advance tickets on sale from Sunday, November 9th! General: ¥4,600, Disability Discount: ¥3,200,
Under-25/University/Vocational School Students: ¥2,200, High School Students and Under: ¥1,100 SPAC Association Individual Membership: ¥3,900 *Preschool children not allowed ●Inquiries and Ticket Purchase [All Performances]＊ SPAC Ticket Center TEL: 054-202-3399 (10:00-18:00, excluding holidays) Online reservations: https://spac.or.jp/ticket Ticket sales: Shizuoka Arts Theatre ticket counter (10:00-18:00, excluding holidays) [Numazu Performance] *In addition to the above Numazu Civic Cultural Center Ticket Corner Tel: 055-933-2059 (Reception hours: 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM) [Hamamatsu Performance] *In addition to the above Act City Ticket Center: In-store sales only (Reception hours: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM) HCF Online Shop
https://www.hcf.or.jp Organized and produced by: SPAC – Shizuoka Performing Arts Center, co-organized by the Fujinokuni Art Festival Co-organized by: Numazu City Board of Education, Numazu City Promotion Corporation, Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Sponsored by: Hamamatsu City Cultural Promotion Foundation Supported by: Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Cultural Arts Promotion Subsidy (Theater, Concert Hall, etc. Functionality Enhancement Promotion Project) | Japan Arts Council
#2 “Hamlet” [New] Shizuoka Arts TheaterNovember 9th (Sunday), 15th (Saturday), 22nd (Saturday), 23rd (Sunday/Holiday), 29th (Saturday), December 6th (Saturday), 7th (Sunday) Starts at 13:30 each day Directed by: Kumiko Ueda Written by: William Shakespeare Translation: Shoichiro Kawai (Kadokawa Bunko “New Translation of Hamlet, Revised and Enlarged Edition”) Cast: Ittoku Abe, Go Takashima, Yumi
Sakakibara, Ken Sugiyama, Morimasa Takeishi Momoyo Tateno, Sayako Nagai, Maki Honda, Haruka Miyagishima, Koji Yamazaki Ryo Yoshimi, Yoichi Wakamiya
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/167886/1/167886-1-12b013e2a05ca466b56a45777f194f3c-1289×1659.jpg (C)matron2023 “Theatre is a mirror held up to nature” (Hamlet) —
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/167886/1/167886-1-50a4a5186f3cdb18b304888ca5c636e3-1000×667.png 2022 National Co-Production Opera Leoncavallo: From the Opera “Pagliacci” (C)2-FaithCompany Director Kumiko Ueda, currently garnering attention for her energetic work both in Japan and abroad, will make her first appearance at SPAC. Ueda, who bridges the gap between popularity and artistry and is committed to creating a production that “first-time audiences can enjoy,” is teaming up with SPAC for the first time for a production of Shakespeare’s classic play. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, rushes back to his homeland after hearing of his father’s sudden death, only to find that his uncle, Claudius, has inherited the throne and his mother has remarried him. A ghost appears before Hamlet, who is stunned after losing everything, and says, “It was your uncle who killed me. Get revenge!” This ambitious work uses the actors’ bodies as a medium to simultaneously depict human love, hate, justice, existence after death, and the laws of the universe and nature. General advance sale begins: September 14th (Sunday)
#3 “Galileo ~ENDLESS TURN~” [New] Shizuoka Arts Theater January 18th (Sunday), 24th (Saturday), 25th (Sunday), February 1st (Sunday), 14th (Saturday), 15th (Sunday), March 7th (Saturday), 2026 Starts at 13:30 each day Script and direction: Junnosuke Tada Written by: Bertolt Brecht Starring: Moesui Ishii, Tomomi Ouchi, Koichi Otaka, Hisae Kageyama, Ippei Kasugai Yukio Kato, Wakana Kawamura, Kotoko Kiuchi, Katsuhiko Konagaya, Yui Sakurauchi, Yuzu Sato Mariko Suzuki, Mari Suzubayashi, Kenji Nagai, Maki Nakano, Yudai Makiyama, Keita Mishima Souichiro Yoshiue, Kiyokae Watanabe, Takahiko Watanabe
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/167886/1/167886-1-844c1722ab1d959a2880e40aacaeaf5e-1502×1941.jpg (C) Toru Hiraiwa When and by whom was what we now take to be common sense first proposed?
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/167886/1/167886-1-7617aae19fa988a448b10e641bccdd87-1000×667.png 2023 / SPAC Autumn → Spring Season 2023-2024 “The Dancer of Izu” (C) K. Miura This masterpiece by Bertolt Brecht depicts the life of Galileo Galilei, who advocated heliocentrism at a time when the geocentric model was accepted as the norm, and his own life during the Nazi era. In today’s world, where information is overflowing and the question of what to believe is a pressing issue, what is the “truth” that this work depicts? Junnosuke Tada, who captivated many young people in 2023 with his innovative, pop-style and immersive “tourist theater” production, “The Izu Dancer,” addresses young people living today with this historic masterpiece. A crowd play starring 20 SPAC actors. General advance sale begins: November 9th (Sunday) Contact Us SPAC-Shizuoka Performing Arts Center Public Relations: Sakamoto, Keimi, Nishimura, Murakami TEL: 054-203-5730 (Shizuoka Arts
Theater)/E-mail: koho@spac.or.jp