2022-2023 ZOTTOぞっと:
An Immersive Japanese Folktale
November 18-December 11, 2022 / March 17-26, 2023 / July 6-30, 2023 at Sakura Square
An immersive and multi-sensory supernatural Japanese folktale and theatrical journey. Produced by the Japanese Arts Network, Theatre Artibus, Luster Productions, Starry night productions and Control Group Productions.
Yuri (Minkyung Cecillia Kim) and the Kappa (Tiffany Ogburn) in The Burlington Hotel photo by Martha Wirth Photography
ZOTTO is an immersive and multi-sensory supernatural Japanese folktale and theatrical journey. 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 was my first time working in a producing capacity as an agent of the Japanese Arts Network. It was an incredible experience to work with a creative team to bring this meaningful story to life. I wore many hats during the show run, with my official roles and credits as assistant producer, dramaturg, set designer (concept, fabrication and original artwork), scent designer, gift shop curator, writer of in-world materials and Instagram content creator.
To the credit of our sold-out shows and positive audience reviews, the July 2023 remount was supported by the Denver Center for Performing Arts.
Please read our official show report for full cast, crew, and production team details.
set design gallery:
The photos below depict the areas of ZOTTO that I worked most heavily on and feature elements that I hand crafted: the Yurei Room, a portion of the Ancestor Realm and The Burlington Hotel.
photos by Martha Wirth Photography and myself.
In-World Magazines
As a true immersive, the set and props of ZOTTO were fully accessible to the audience to explore. To enrich the Waiting Room experience I wrote, edited and designed the following publications. Each magazine is rich with Japanese cultural references and yokai lore.
Itadakimasu:
Kit & Caboodle:
Beyond the Foothills:
This set of illustrations were featured in The Burlington Hotel room. They document the progression of the Nikkei American experience leading up to the setting where our character Yuri tells her story. I made them so that they create a single morphing image when put together - like a roll of film. From farming and fishing, to the devastation of Pearl Harbor, the announcement of Executive Order 9066, leaving home and the barracks of the incarceration camps. The alchemical symbol of the sun darkens by the end of the progression and we are left in isolation, the ties between families severed and surrounded by barbed wire.
Burlington Hotel Drawings:
photos by Martha Wirth Photography
