Submitted by ArtSpring
Hiromoto Ida is not afraid to turn inward. The director/actor/choreographer makes that clear in his new dance-theatre play, Vacant Lot, which takes the ArtSpring stage on Oct. 17 as part of the ArtSpring Presents series.
In Vacant Lot, a long-married couple, embodied by Ida and Lindsay Clague, returns to the empty lot where their family home once stood. As they share memories of the life they built there, they reflect on the swiftness of time and the ephemerality of human existence.
Blending movement and stillness, dialogue and silence, Vacant Lot transports the audience to a plane where past and present momentarily dance together before rushing by, leaving a house-sized void in their wake. Artfully peppered with comedic scenes that “tickle the soul,” the play’s heart rests in a lifetime of moments that are both fleeting and infinite.
Ida’s unique talent lies in transforming deep, personal reflection into universal theatre. His dedication to the existential is woven into the very fabric of his Nelson-based company, Ichigo-Ichieh New Theatre, which he started in 2006. The company takes its name from the Japanese concept of “Ichi-go, ichi-e” (one time, one meeting), which reminds people to treasure every gathering because no specific moment shared can ever be replicated, even if the same people meet again.
Salt Spring Island audiences may remember Ida from Birthday Present for Myself, which came to ArtSpring in 2023 and centred on a man raising a glass of sake to himself on his last birthday. In Vacant Lot, Ida furthers his masterful exploration of what it means to look back on a life gone by, turning a loving eye to the past while honouring the sacredness of the present.
Ida has spent 19 years creating movement-based performance art in Nelson. He has also appeared on screen; recently, he played the role of Kiyama in the FX series Shogun.
The curtain goes up this Friday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, visit purchase.artspring.ca or the ArtSpring box office.
ArtSpring is grateful to Salt Spring Coffee for sponsoring this performance.