10 minute read
FEATURE: ZOTTO teaches about Japanese American history
Photo Credit: Martha Wirth Photography
Advertisement
Walk in someone else’s shoes. Imagine the past. Witness historical moments firsthand. This is what an immersive theater experience can feel like, as you watch history unfold before you.
In the play ZOTTO, audiences explore three generations of Japanese American women and their relationship to Denver’s rich yet sordid history as they encounter yokai and obake (Japanese spirits and demons) and other unexpected characters, discover hidden secrets within forgotten spaces, and engage with interactive elements that ask them to consider relationships between intention and impact.
“ZOTTO confronts our ties to the past and emphasizes the joy in collective community healing and the lasting impact of the choices we make, asking what kind of ancestors we want to be for future generations,” said Courtney Ozaki, Japanese Arts Network Founder and Producer/Artistic Director of Zotto.
Audience engagement | In ZOTTO, audience members don’t just sit in one seat. They are engaged by moving from one scene to another. All senses are used whether it is scent, taste, touch, and of course, sight.
ZOTTO is a retelling of a Japanese Ameircan family’s journey having to leave their homes and businesses to resettle in camps all around the US.
Emotions of overwhelming sadness are shared throughout the storyline, while Japanese folklores are weaved into the historical context.
With restricted capacity, audience members were required to wear masks to protect each other and the actresses in close quarters.
Actresses and their performances | The all-women cast evoke all of the emotions of dealing with racism, gentrification, WWII incarceration, redlining and resettlement.
According to Joyce Yuriko Cole who plays Dr. Kitsu/Obachan, “I had to figure out which parts to share of our story because the effects of the incarceration went deep and wide.”
“You want to continue to be honoring of your family while also showing the devastation. Emotional stamina and focus were needed because sharing the traumatic moments of your life repeatedly, was exhausting.”
Cole is one of the descendants of Wyoming-based Heart Mountain incarcerees. While she is now a retiree, her monologue and ability to play two roles in ZOTTO is awe-inspiring.
Set scenes and design | Each set was designed to show the audience the retelling of history. With ornate detail, the doctor’s office, grocery store, and bar allows members of the audience to reimagine walking through these areas.
The grocery shop, for example, featured telephones that audience members could pick up and listen to quick monologues. Others wrote on walls to share memorable family moments. In the background, the bickering between grandmother and daughter then brings the audience back to the present moment of watching a play.
Each actress’ costumes looked like customized tailoring and precise looks for the timeframe of the story. The vintage props were suited perfectly within the performance.
In synchroneity, the lighting and sound effects worked harmoniously together. There was never a moment when the audience could not hear each actress, no matter the location or placement of the activities.
Production and artistic direction | As the producer, writer, and artistic director, Ozaki worked her creative magic to bring to life this hidden story of Japanese Americans during World War II in Colorado. The production took place last November and December at Sakura Square.
Ozaki said, “It was really beautiful to have this group of six incredibly gifted actors and dozens of artists and creatives each bringing a different lived experience with their cultural identities, to ZOTTO.” Her hope is to host an encore run or another version of the show in 2023.
See the following interviews with the actresses and producer to learn more or visit zottofolk.com.
ZOTTO shares the often untold stories of Japanese Americans
Presented by Japanese Arts Network, ZOTTO is an immersive and multi-sensory supernatural Japanese folktale and theatrical journey.
By Mary Jeneverre Schultz
Photo Credit: Nicholas Caputo
Joyce Yuriko Cole
Dr. Kitsu/Obachan
A descendant of Heart Mountain incarcerees, Joyce is a retired choreographer and a grandmother.
AA: What do you hope audiences will take away from ZOTTO?
Joyce: I hope our audience will leave with a desire to be a more positive influence in the world, to choose to walk in understanding and forgiveness, and to recognize the power we all have to influence lives.
AA: What inspires your creativity?
Joyce: I love people’s stories. I think I’m a storyteller at heart and have seen the power of just listening to people. Everyone wants to be seen. It’s when we’re only focused on our story that troubles begin.
AA: What advice would you give to those pursuing a creative life?
Joyce: Be resilient. Don’t let others be your source of identity and value. Walk the fine line of being teachable yet true to what is drawing your heart.
AA: What’s next for you and/or ZOTTO?
Joyce: Huge kudos to the ZOTTO team. They undertook a gigantic project because of a vision and showed remarkable heart, wisdom, compassion, and care throughout the process.
I hope ZOTTO continues because so many are unaware of this part of history. I hope to continue to be a part of it. In the meantime, I want to get back to pastels and being a grandma! My grandchildren keep me young, creative, and grounded.
Min Kyung is from South Korea and moved to the U.S to pursue her dream of being a performer.
AA: What was your experience like participating in ZOTTO?
Minkyung: A distinguishing feature of the show is that after finishing the last scene of one performance, we would jump back to the start and repeat the show from the top.
I wanted each audience group, who would be seeing the piece for their very first time, to have their own unique and immersive experience. So I had to be in the right state of mind to properly engage with the audience and tell the story. I also needed a process to reset back to the beginning properly, since the show ended in such an elevated state for me.
In my past experiences, performances usually ended with a curtain call and bow. A single performance of a play or a musical was a journey, and had a flow. However, ZOTTO had no curtain call and no applause, and so constantly looping back to the start of the story brought you back deeper and deeper into the story every time. I learned that I needed my own post-show ritual to let Yuri go at the end of the day.
I would like to acknowledge how much joy I’ve felt working with an all-female cast, with people of color, and with people who possess open minds and hearts. There’s been a constant warmth I felt inside from working alongside all of these talented and creative individuals.
AA: What do you hope audiences will feel from this immersive experience? Minkyung: ZOTTO is a unique performance in the sense that everyone can walk away with a different experience. While my hope is that everyone who attended learned about Japanese American history, I also hope that this piece gave them a chance to reflect on their own lives. I believe that each scene of-
Photo Credit: Martha Wirth Photography
Minkyung ‘Cecillia’ Kim
fered the audience a way to relate what was happening in front of them with their own lives, in their own ways.
I also hope that this production gave audience members a safe space to process some potentially raw and vulnerable emotions.
AA: What advice do you have for fellow artists/actors?
Minkyung: It’s no secret that living an artist’s life can be difficult; it’s full of rejection, challenges, and doubt. However, if this is what you really and truly want to pursue, I would say work your butt off, but have fun, and believe in yourself.
In my career as an actor, I’ve faced so much frustration, fear, and heartbreak, but I earnestly believe that this is my path, and I’m going to keep walking down it. I’d also say never stop learning, and to keep challenging yourself.
AA: What are your future projects?
Minkyung: This January, I’m performing in a musical called ‘Say My Name’, a story about a Korean immigrant preparing for a citizenship test.
The whole team that’s worked on ZOTTO made something special. I truly believe that ZOTTO will be back one way or another, and I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for it to come back.
Courtney Ozaki
Producer/Artistic Director
ences will walk away from experiencing ZOTTO feeling that they were able to connect to parts of themselves that may have been below the surface but needing to be seen. I hope that this show will help us to have greater empathy for one another, and to consider - as the show states - what kind of ancestors we want to be for future generations.
I also hope that people will leave the show asking questions and seeking-out more opportunities to learn about cultural experiences of Japanese and other marginalized communities in Colorado and beyond to better understand the parts of our histories that we can learn and grow from.
AA: What surprised you about ZOTTO? Courtney: I knew that going into this production it was going to be emotionally challenging as I worked through my own relationship with generational trauma and processed what my family’s experience was like as incarcerees in Poston, Arizona and Crystal City, Texas during WWII - but I hadn’t considered what it might feel like or put me through to relive this generational story multiple times a week - or night, for that matter.
I also was acutely aware of how much we were asking of our performers, with a show like this putting them through these emotionally raw and vulnerable states over and over again.
AA: How did you bring ZOTTO to life?
Courtney: I have dreamt about creating a show like ZOTTO which engages audiences in immersive and experiential storytelling for most of my life. I am very fortunate that my mind and heart were cultivated by opportunities to experience the magic of the arts by supportive parents (Teri and Charles Ozaki) who recognized its importance.
I am a third and fourth generation Japanese American, and I started the Japanese Arts Network (JA-NE) several years ago to create opportunities that uplift Japanese culture and history through artistic engagements like this one, and to provide platforms for Japanese and other marginalized artists to share their voices and experiences.
ZOTTO was initially born from the convergence of my professional experience as a producer with a passion for immersive theater, a love for community, and a strong connection to my identity and cultural roots. The journey continued by engaging incredible producing partners (Theatre Artibus, Luster Productions, Control Group Productions, Starry Night Productions) and many artists/creatives whose values of community-focused and artistically adventurous work aligned with my own.
AA: What are you working on next?
Courtney: The Japanese Arts Network has many projects on the table for 2023 with
AA: What do you hope your audience will walk away with?
Courtney: My greatest hope is that audiincredible partners. Personally, I will be looking to find a balance between sharing Japanese culture with communities and audiences in meaningful ways, and also strengthening and cultivating an ecosystem of support for independent creative producers in Colorado (particularly those of us working within experiential and immersive theater).
I am excited to be producing a dance theater production called IKKAI Means Once: A Transplanted Pilgrimage with choreographer Yayoi Kambara which will premiere in the Bay Area in February, and I also look forward to exploring ways to share the ZOTTO story in 2023 - whether it’s an encore run, a virtual reality version of the show, or something else.
AA: Anything else to add?
Courtney: I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with this incredible cast of female-identifying actors - most of whom also identify as Asian American or women of color.
Thank you to Sakura Square for providing a space for us to create work like this. I plan to continue providing spaces and opportunities for people of color and marginalized people to be heard and seen, and I encourage other creators and theater makers to do the same.
This was a heart-filling experience, and I am grateful to all of the artists, producers, production team, supporters, and partners that made this work possible. Learn more about the Japanese Arts Network and connect with them at
