Kenji Higashi

Kenji Higashi

Playwright and director. Born 1964 in Fukuoka Prefecture. In 1999, he formed the theater company Gekidan Sajiki Douji and served as its representative. Many of his plays are set in coalmining towns like Chikuho in Fukuoka where he was born. His plays using dynamic movable sets and the power of group performances have won high acclaim. One of his representative works is the trilogy of coal mine plays Dorobana (2006, Mud Flower), Obake no Taiyo (2011, Ghost’s Sun) and Oyogu Kikansha (The Swimming Locomotive). Higashi was shortlisted for the Kishida Drama Award three years running with Shanshan kageboshi (Living Shadows) in 2004, Furaibo raijin yashiki (The Vagabond Thunder God Mansion) in 2005, and Umineko gai (Umineko Town) in 2006. His play Umineko gai won the Award of Excellence of the 2005 National Arts Festival of the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Kanto Division). Higashi won the individual artist award of the 47th Kinokuniya Theater Prize for the Bungakuza Atelier production of the play Umi no Megane (Sea Glasses) and the Gekidan Sajiki Douji production of the play Oyogu Kikansha and its directing, he won the 20th Yomiuri Theater Awards Best Director Prize for the Tom Project production of Mangetsu no Hito yo (You people of the full moon) and Oyogu Kikansha . Oyogu Kikansha was also the winner of the 16th Tsuruya Namboku Memorial Drama Award.

Gekidan Sajiki Douji
https://www.sajikidouji.com/