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About The Show
KAIDAN (怪談) are traditional Japanese stories of ghosts (yūrei) and supernatural beings (yokai), that are over 300 years old. These spooky tales are shared in the hottest months of the summer, during the Obon season, when spirits of the dead return to visit the living. Kaidan are believed to help people cool off by sending a shiver down their spine. Join us in a candle-lit room for these frightening yet melancholy stories of the unseen world that reflect the culture and history of Japan. Selected stories from Lafcadio Hearn's KWAIDAN and Hyaku Monogatari Kaidan (One Hundred Ghost Stories), KAIDAN will be performed by bicultural performers accompanied by live, traditional Japanese music and a sumi-e (Japanese ink painting) performance, with the audience's imagination to share the chilling experience.
This show includes descriptions of violence, death, and suicide. It is recommended for ages 13 and up.
Remaining Performance Schedule
Wednesday, August 12 at 7:30 - West of Lenin, Lenin 203 N 36th St , Seattle Plenty of seats left
[Nick Mendoza, Misaki Teranishi, Hiroko Nagatomo, and Asako Tateishi]
Saturday, August 15 at 8:30* - Aire Craft Festival, (at Jacob Two Trees Troll) Rainier Trail, Issaquah Free to the public (donationa encouraged) no seat limit
[Nick Mendoza, Misaki Teranishi, Alana Pascual, Hiroko Nagatomo, and Mako]
Friday, August 28 at 7:30 - Hugo House, 1111 East Olive, Seattle Limited seats available
[Nick Mendoza, Misaki Teranishi, Alanah Pascual, Naho Shioya, Hiroko Nagatomo, and Asako Tateishi]
Saturday, August 29 at 7:30 - Hugo House, 1111 East Olive, Seattle Almost sold out
[Nick Mendoza, Misaki Teranishi, Alanah Pascual, Naho Shioya, Hiroko Nagatomo, and Mako]
*Aire Craft Festival is the first of its kind in Issaquah with street performances, flying trapeze, aerial acts with hang gliders, and theatrical performances. The KAIDAN performance at this festival will be an abbreviated 30 minute version of the full show and free to the public.
All other performance tickets are $25. You can purchase tickets in advance below or at the door. Most venues seat only 40-50 people so we encourage advance reservations. If you are unable to complete an online ticket purchase that means we only have 10 tickets left, which can be purchased at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.
Due to the nature of this production, we sought the guidance of Seattle Koyasan Shingong Buddhist Temple and received the proper prayers to prevent the conjuring of spirits and to ensure the safety of the space, the performers, and the audience. The cast will also perform a private ritual before each performance.
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The Stories
Mimi Nashi Hoichi 耳なし芳一 (1782)
Nopperabo のっぺらぼう (1767)
Rokuro-kubi ろくろ首 (1810)
Yotsuya Kaidan 四谷怪談 （1825)
Sara Yashiki 皿屋敷 (1720)
Ubazakura 伯母桜 (1820)
The Story Tellers
Nick Mendoza (all performances) is a movement artist and actor settling into his first year in Seattle. Originally from Iowa, Nick predominantly practices streetstyle and social dance, such as house, breakdancing, salsa, and bachata. He has acted onstage and on-camera. While Nick loves horror movies and scary stories, he has never had a paranormal experience.
Alanah Pascual (8/7, 8/15, 8/28 & 8/29) is a multi-hyphenate Filipina Latina actor from San Diego, CA. Alanah has performed at: Union Arts Center, ArtsWest, Taproot Theatre, Seattle Public Theater, Seattle Shakespeare Company, Book-It Rep, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, and more. Along with acting, Alanah is a Producer with Pork Filled Productions (PFP). She has directed with PFP and Shattered Glass Project, Movement Directed with Dacha Theatre, was the Associate Director at Seattle Shakespeare, and Assistant Directed with ACT. Her original play, Call My Mom, premiered in 2022 at the Strawberry Jam Director’s Festival. @alanah_del_ray.
Naho Shioya (8/1, 8/28 & 8/29) is an artist, educator, and consultant working at the intersection of creativity, justice, and systems change. As a theatre artist, she has performed internationally across Asia, Canada, Europe, and the U.S. In the Seattle area, her acting credits include productions with ArtsWest, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, A Contemporary Theatre, Seattle Public Theater, On the Boards, and more. She has also toured with the Seattle-based experimental, multidisciplinary arts group Aono Jikken Ensemble (AJE), performing in France, Peru, Poland, and Canada. Naho is also the founder and principal of SOZO Evolution, where she guides individuals and organizations in imagining new possibilities, creating intentional pathways, and evolving toward equity, justice, and transformative change.
Misaki Teranishi (all performances) is a Japanese actor who came to Seattle two years ago. Since then, she has performed in a variety of productions throughout the Seattle area while completing her studies in Drama & Theatre Arts. Her previous shows were Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus (Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, TYA Production), Eurydice (Penguin Productions). She is passionate about creating meaningful stories through live performance and is grateful to be part of this production.
Collaborating Artists
Asako Tateishi (8/12 & 8/28) is a Taiko, Japanese flute, and shamisen player, and the founder of Japan Creative Arts and The School of TAIKO. Since 2009, she has been based in Seattle, delivering music programs, instructing students of all backgrounds, and producing cultural events. Her extensive performance experience includes serving as a resident International Artist at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT, as well as appearing at various major festivals across the U.S. She also studied the traditional piece “Hana Hachijo” under Chieko Kojima, an honorary member of KODO. In addition to her musical career, Asako brings a unique background from Japan as a professional motorsports sportscaster and pit reporter. Her extensive experience in event planning, production, and making split-second decisions to engage audiences in live, unscripted environments enables her to effectively deliver and deeply connect Japanese culture with communities in the U.S.
More info: www.japancreativearts.com
Mako (8/1, 8/7, 8/15 & 8/29) is a traditional Okinawan music performer who plays in the Northwest area, particularly in Seattle, WA. As a solo artist she presents unique Okinawan heartfelt melodies singing and playing the sanshin, the traditional Okinawan 3 stringed instrument. She also leads a group known as Mujuru performing music, dance, and storytelling of Okinawa. Mako is dedicated to sharing her music throughout the Seattle music community by participating in various events both intimate and grand. She is a member of a musical troupe Ukwanshin Kabudan, based in Honolulu where she grew up to help perpetuate the tradition of the music and dance of Okinawa. Contact: munjuru@aol.com Mako.and.munjuru@gmail.com
Hiroko Nagatomo (all performances) is a Japanese artist based in Seattle, Washington. Born in Miyazaki, Japan, she studied painting at Musashino Art University and later expanded her practice into calligraphy and bokushō, abstract ink expression, after meeting her calligraphy mentor, Keishu Nagai, at the age of 28. Her work explores the power, movement, and subtle beauty of the line through painting, ink, three-dimensional work, and live performance. Her live sumi-e performance brings together ink, movement, music, and the spirit of the moment. neueartspace.com
The Creator/Director
Mimi Katano is the Founding Artistic Director of ZTPP and is thrilled to work with this group of artists in creating KAIDAN. Her directing credits include: Seattle Opera (School Tour), Union Arts Center (Wooden O'), 5th Avenue Theatre (ETC Tour), Seattle Public Theatre, Centerstage Theatre, Live Girls! Theatre, 14/48 Projects, Boston’s Wheelock Family Theatre, and Youth Theatre Northwest. Mimi is a two-time Gregory Awards nominee for Outstanding Direction, and the production of Vietgone, which she directed in 2024, was the recipient of Outstanding Production of the Year. mimikatano.com.
Thank you sponsors and collaborators
This show is sponsored in part by The Estate of John and Ellen Hill, Robynne Thaxton,
and in partnership with:
