Yoshi Oida

Stage direction

Yoshi Oida, actor, stage director and author, currently living in Paris, was born in Japan. He obtained a master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Keio, Japan. He is the holder of two prestigious French cultural distinctions: Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1992), and Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2007).

In 1968, as an actor, he met with the world-famous stage director, Peter Brook, to whom he had been recommended by Jean-Louis Barrault. Their first work together was an experimental production of Shakespeare’s T he Tempest, in Brook’s adaptation, at London’s Round House. The production was then presented, in the French translation of Jean-Claude Carrière, at the drama festival in Avignon, France, and on a subsequent international tour. As a stage actor, Yoshi Oshida appeared in numerous productions mounted by Brook, including among others Orghast (by Ted Hughes; Iran, 1971), Conference of Birds (by John Heilfern; New York, 1973), The IKS (from the book by Colin Turnbull; Paris, 1975), The Mahabharata (adaptation by Jean-Claude Carrière; Avignon Festival and international tour, 1985), The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat (from the book by Olivier Sachs; France and international tour, 1993), Qui est là? (Peter Brook’s experimental stage production; France and European tour, 1995), or Tierno Bokar (performed in Germany, Spain, Brazil, and France, 2004). In the course of his career as a stage actor, he has also worked with other directors, such as Jossy Wieler (Yutsuya Ghost Stories, by Tsuruya Nanboku; Tokyo, 2005), or Simon McBurny (Shun-Kin, by Junichiro Tanizaki; 2008).

Yoshi Oida has appeared in many films, including most notably Peter Brook’s The Mahabharata (1988). The film, The Pillow Book (directed by Peter Greenaway) was shown at the Cannes Festival (1996); The Eyes of Asia (directed by J.M. Grilo) was entered for competition at Locarno (1996); and Felice, felice (directed by Peter Delpeut) was among the entries at Rotterdam (1998). In 1999, he was cast in the film The Autumn Flowers (directed by Shunshuke Ikehata) which won the Grand Prix at the Bénodet Festival in France, along with the Mainichi Best Actor in a Supporting Role Award for Yoshi Oida. He has to his credit a relevant literary output reflecting on his acting career: his books, An Actor Adrift (1992), The Invisible Actor (1998), and The Actor’s Tricks (2008), written in English, have been translated into a number of other languages.

Since 1975, Yoshi Oshida has devoted himself to stage directing. His first production was the Japanese ritual play, Hannya Shingyo (by Shogo Ota and Takuro Endo), which was staged in Paris, New York, Amsterdam, and during a tour in Canada. Japanese culture has served as a constant source of inspiration for his work, as documented by, among other productions, Amé Tsuchi (text by Mutso Takahashi, based on Japanese mythology; Paris and international tour, 1978), Interrogations (utterances of Zen masters, and koans; Avignon Festival and international tour, 1978), Über den Berg Kommen, Germany, plus European and Indian tour, 1983), Fiore di Riso, Fiore di Fango (to Japanese Kyogen theatre texts; Italy, 1989), The Hunting Gun (based on the novel by Yasushi Inoue; Germany, Switzerland, 1994), The Woman in the Dune (from the novel by Kobo Abe; Germany, Switzerland, 1995), and Madame de Sade (by Yukio Mishima; Germany, 1996). In 1997, he presented in Berlin his production of Han-Jo, stage variations on Noh, Kyogen and modern theatre texts (by Yukio Mishima). In 1982, he mounted, in Paris and in Rennes, his production of Isabelle Famchon’s adaptation of the illustrious Tibetan Book of the Dead, which he subsequently reworked and presented newly under the title, The Guide of the Other World, in Italy and on a European tour (1986).

He has staged a formidable list of works by European authors: among others, he directed his own adaptation of Dante’s The Divine Comedy (Italy, 1982), Samuel Beckett’s Endgame (Netherlands, 1997), Brian Friel’s Molly Sweeney (Germany, 1997), Albert Camus’ Le Malentendu (Germany, 1999), or Jon Fosse’s Dream of Autumn (Austria, 2001). Beyond that, he has reworked a number of dramas as dance productions; his ballet adaptation of Jean Genet’s play, Les Bonnes (Stuttgart, Germany, and European tour, 2001) earned him, in London, 2002, the prestigious Time Out Award for best theatre production.

He has mounted on stage numerous works of music, including among others Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde in Arnold Schoenberg’s arrangement (France, Luxembourg, 2002), and Franz Schubert’s Die Winterreise (Germany, Mexico, 2007). He has also staged an impressive roster of operas, such as Benjamin Britten’s Curlew River (France and European tour, 1998; US tour, 2003), Igor Stravinsky’s The Nightingale (France, 2000), Guo Wenjing’s The Village of the Wolf Club (France, 2000), Giovanni Verrando’s Alex Langer (to the libretto of Vito Ugo Calabretta; Italy, 2003), Philippe Manoury’s chamber opera, La Frontière (to the libretto of Daniel Langer; Paris and French tour, 2003), Nabucco (Italy, Finland, Belgium, 2006), and Benjamin Britten’s Death in Venice (Aldeburgh Festival, UK, Bregenz Festival, Austria, 2007). In May 2009, Death in Venice will be presented in Lyon, France, and in October in Toronto, Canada.