Welcome to Amaterasu Za,
New York’s unique Japanese-English bi-lingual theater company.
Our new website is still under construction.
In Japanese mythology Amaterasu is the name of the goddess of the Sun
(literally meaning ‘that which illuminates’), and Za means ‘theater’.
Vision:
Founded in 2018, our goal is to bring bi-lingual productions of classic and contemporary Japanese plays to English and Japanese-speaking audiences, and to develop theater, film, and video projects based on contemporary and classic American and English works influenced by traditional Japanese art forms to stir the heart, open the mind, and illuminate our shared humanity.
We perform some work in English and some in Japanese, and always provide projected cross-translation, giving English speakers access to new and classic plays from Japan and giving Japanese speakers an opportunity to hear Western stories as well as Japanese ones in their own language.
Mission:
Amaterasu Za features talented bi-lingual theater artists. Through our productions and ongoing training in Japanese-influenced movement and theater techniques, Amaterasu Za hopes to foster a deeper understanding between cultures, and a deeper understanding for Japanese-Americans and Japanese living in the US of their own cultural heritage that is so underrepresented and misunderstood in popular culture.
Our Values:
Artistic Excellence
Cross-Cultural Understanding
Community
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion