Akaji Maro

Akaji Maro

Born in Nara Prefecture in 1943. After a period of activity in the theater company “Budo no Kai,” he established the underground theater group “Jokyo Gekijo” with Juro Kara in 1964 and was active as a demonish actor while studying under the butoh pioneer Tatsumi Hijikata. In 1972 Maro established Dairakudakan in pursuit of a new type of fusion between theater and butoh. Since then he has established a style of works that take a positive view of manifestations of the body and emotions that step outside the norms of society as being part of human nature and revives them on stage as specters. These works are staged with spectacle and humor to counterbalance their inherent melancholy in a style that Maro calls Temputenshiki. He has also continued activities as an actor, staring in numerous movies. Since his overseas debut at the American Dance Festival in 1982, Maro has continued to give numerous overseas performances.

Dairakudakan:
http://www.dairakudakan.com/