The Strange Library at Z Below, November 20, 2024

Z Space and Word for Word present The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
Z Below
470 Florida St, San Francisco, CA 94110-1413 USA
7:00 PM, Wednesday, November 20, 2024

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Promo art for tonight's show

Doh! I didn't keep track of the time … libraries can be so engrossing! My recollection is that we arrived about 6:45 PM, milled about briefly, then entered the strange world of this production. There wasn't much of obvious interest to the lobby displays, but it's entirely possible that I missed out on spotting more than one secret delight. The gallery of banned books was a claustrophobic little nook, with barely enough room for one large patron to investigate: perfect for private study of forbidden knowledge? The show ended soon after 8 PM, and while the lobby may have been redecorated for post-show investigations, I didn't stick around to find out: fresh air was calling!

• Julie Kuwabara: Sheep Man;
• Chuck Lacson: maid, librarian, Ibn Armut Hasır (a Turkish tax collector);
• Jed Parsario: the Boy;
• Vivienne Truong: Mother;
• Ogie Zulueta: Old Man.

• Lisa Hori-Garcia: Co-Director;
• Keiko Shimosato Carreiro: Co-Director;
• Karen Runk: Stage Manager;
• Tina Mosier: Assistant Stage Manager;
• Justin Schlegel: Production Manager;
• Mikiko Uesugi: Scenic Design;
• Lana Palmer: Sound Design / Projections;
• Jim Cave: Lighting Design;
• Laura Hazlett: Costume Design;
• Leah Hammond: Prop Design;
• Ai Ebashi: Dramaturgy;
• Nick Ishimaru: Choreography.

It took me a few minutes, but eventually I was able to drop my preconceptions and slip into the bizarre world of Haruki Murakami's the Strange Library as performed by Word for Word. I particularly enjoyed how fragments of the text were passed among the performers: the aural effect of that effort was surprisingly delightful, and the smooth cadence of their delivery evidenced proof of much practice together.

Mary Lou Herlihy posted a review for the Bay Area's Theatrius blog that includes several excellent photos.

Lily Janiak posted a review of the show to SFGate that also includes a few photos.

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!