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Intercultural Collaboration as Dialogue in the Performance of Japanese Theatre in the Philippines

Colloquium with Prof. Jina Umali, Center for International Studies, University of the Philippines

Wednesday, May 26, 2010
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Rolfe 3126
UCLA Campus
Los Angeles, CA United States

Professor Jina Umali teaches at the University of the Philippines at Diliman, and is affiliated with the Center for International Studies. Her areas of teaching and research include Southeast Asian Theater, Japan Studies, and Filipinos in Japan. She has collaborated with Noh master artists on a project focusing on Filipinos in Japan. Her recent publication is the collection, Celestial Maidens of Southeast Asia and Japan: A Dialogue of Cultures. It is a record of the various voices and ideas expressed in the lectures, dialogues and performances in the UPCIS Workshops, "Colloquia and Performances on Living Traditions: Celestial Maidens of Southeast Asia and Japan" to show that cultural similarities exist in what may seem to be unrelated cultures of the world.

The Celestial Maiden is an oral literary tradition in Japanese and Southeast Asian folklore. The narratives revolve around the story of a winged maiden who comes down to earth from heaven to take a bath. A mortal falls in love with her and hides her wings to prevent her from going back to heaven. The Maiden is "tricked" into marrying this mortal and bears a child. She discovers the trickery later and years of marital bliss do not convince her to stay on earth. She returns to heaven. The publication is a valuable chronicle of the knowledge shared by its participants - the speakers and reactors; the audience of scholars and students; and more importantly, the culture-bearers, whose appreciation, commitment and dedication continue to protect, preserve, revitalize and transmit the Celestial Maiden traditions to the next generation.

Cost: Free and open to the public.

For more information please contact

Barbara Gaerlan
Tel: 310-206-9163
cseas@international.ucla.edu
www.international.ucla.edu/cseas/

Sponsor(s): Center for Southeast Asian Studies, UCLA International Institute, Asian American Studies Department