Volunteer organizations come and go, often depending on who runs them. Many times a group will cease to exist when the person who held it together leaves Japan. Fortunately, there are still many people who give their time to volunteer organizations. Their number, however, has decreased as more professional women have been sent to Japan and wives have been able to continue their careers here.
That seemed to have happened to one of Tokyo's enduring traditions, the Tokyo Theater for Children. Recently I received a copy of an old brochure, though it looked new. It did not seem dated (people dressed as Cinderella, a velveteen rabbit or an evil witch are rarely dated by their costumes) so I was surprised to see friends who had left Tokyo years ago. It is an impressive brochure. Productions were always lavishly costumed and stage sets spectacular.
The last woman to keep Theater for Children going was Susan Inman, but when she left Japan last spring it seemed that the final curtain had gone down. Now there has been a reprieve, and this is a plea for general community support. You can learn more by phoning Kathy Vignali at (03) 3449-4190 or Jude Kaye, (03) 3405-3645, or attending a coffee hosted by Kaye Sept. 24. The next production will be "Aladdin," which she will be directing. She hopes many people, both men and women, Japanese and foreign, will become involved. The productions are first presented to an international audience at the American Club and then, when arrangements can be made, move on to schools and children's hospitals bringing unprecedented pleasure to youngsters who may never have seen live performances presented with such enthusiasm.