Japan Society Will Offer a Behind-the-Scenes Look At The Live Staging Of MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO

Puppet artist extraordinaire Basil Twist sits down to talk about his creative role in Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Shakespeare Company's upcoming staging of the beloved Studio Ghibli animated feature film, My Neighbor Totoro, in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV. Twist is known for surprising audiences with his infinite creativity, from 88 magical Japanese screen doors (Dogugaeshi) and dancing fabrics in an on-stage water tank (Symphonie Fantastique) to a gigantic rock creature in his most recent work (Book of Mountains & Seas). In this event, Twist will share backstage images and describe the process of creating real-life versions of the film's fantastical creatures for the live staging of My Neighbor Totoro set to premiere at London's Barbican this fall.

Join us for a special, separately-ticketed 35mm screening of this beloved classic anime on November 4 at 7pm, in Japanese with English subtitles.

The conversation takes place at Japan Society, located at 333 East 47th Street in Manhattan. Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased online at japansociety.org or by phone at the Japan Society Box Office, Monday through Friday between 9am and 5pm at 212-715-1258. View Japan Society's up-to-date visitor policies and safety protocols by clicking here. High resolution images are available for download in the gallery below.