„Please Cry“ was inspired by the story of nurses who, after years of being made to feel that crying during war was shameful, were finally allowed to cry on the day the war ended, when life-or-death decisions had to be made.
During the creative process, Megumi Eda reflected on conversations with her own grandmother, also a nurse during the war, and how these untold experiences shape family histories. Living in Berlin, Eda realized that the trauma of war is not just a thing of the past, but an enduring legacy passed down through generations, like an unbroken chain.
The piece contrasts female memory with the male perspective through a prologue by performer Tomoya Kawamura, whose grandfather narrowly escaped death as a kamikaze pilot during World War II. In collaboration with composer Reiko Yamada, contemporary dance and live music intertwine to create a powerful narrative.
Concept, Performance, Video: Megumi Eda
Performance: Tomoya Kawamura
Composition, Sound: Reiko Yamada
Language: Japanese/English
Length: 50 min
A co-production by Megumi Eda and DOCK ART funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe.
Thank you to: Nathan Buck, Midori Kondo, Mamoru Kondo, Aiko Eda, Giorgi Eda, Yoshiko Chuma, Karole Armitage, Bill and Janet Buck, Jenny Haack, Yuko Kaseki, Peter Pleyer, Antoine Reserbat-Plantey, Maciej Lewenstein, and Noa Charles & Mona Aiko Buck
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