Geisha

The mysterious world of the Japanese geisha has inspired considerable curiosity, not to mention a host of novels and now a major motion picture. Groundbreaking Asian director Ong Keng Sen, who directed Silver River at the 2000 Spoleto Festival, explores this mythical idealized female in an original cross-cultural work entitled Geisha. An adventuresome blend of tradition and contemporary performance, Geisha brings together the legendary Japanese kabuki performer Gojo Masanosuke with the African American actress Karen Kandel. Their performances are enhanced by Mitsushi Yanaihara’s wondrous costumes and the traditional music of the three-stringed shamisen along with a soundscape from computer sound artist Toru Yamanaka.