Press for Theater and Film Work
The 24 years we lived in Japan, we received lots of press. Here is a translation of two articles published 20 years into our time, when we showed our first film:
Hokkoku Newspaper, Japan April 30, 2003
Two American women, Patty Christiena Willis and Mary Lou Prince, who have lived in Kanazawa, Japan for 20 years are presenting a concert and film, three performances on May 8 and 9 at the Kanazawa Art Hall. Three years ago, a mysterious incident in a small village near their house inspired Willis to create this new film called "Feast of Light". The film was edited by filmmaker Tara Alexander and the music was composed by Prince.
Prince and Willis came to Japan 20 years ago, Willis to study medieval literature, Prince to study koto and shakuhachi (Japanese harp and bamboo flute). After many years of study and travel, they bought and renovated a 100 year old farmhouse outside of Kanazawa city. The beautiful architecture of their farmhouse and its natural surroundings in the foothills of the Japanese Alps, near the Sea of Japan, are the setting for this film and the inspiration for Prince's music.
"Light in the Woods", Prince's newly released CD of original solo piano music, was recorded last month in Toyama. This music will be featured in the first half of the performance with readings of Willis' poetry and lighting designed by Miamukai. Two works from the CD were used in "Feast of Light", Willis' film. This story of a Buddhist priest's search for his friend who was lost in the woods is a journey to healing after bereavement.
Both of these works are, in the artist's words, a culminating artistic expression of "these 20 years that we have spent with you."
“...Their work shows the power of the folk tale to create wonder.” Los Angeles Times
The Sunday Times (of London) hailed Prince and Willis’ performance as “the East-West highlight of the [Edinburgh] Festival.”
Hokuriku Chunichi Newspaper, Japan May 3, 2003
Prince came to Japan after studying musical composition at an American university where she first heard the sounds of the shakuhachi and koto. When she came to Japan she wanted to study both instruments with the purpose of being able to compose new music for them. In 1986, the first performance of her music for Japanese instruments was held at the Ishikawa Prefectural "Noh" Theater stage.
Willis studied medieval European literature in graduate school and was introduced to medieval Japanese literature in a comparative literature course. Of particular interest to her was the literature written by women in 12th century France, and she was amazed to find a wealth of women's literature written during that same period by women in Japan. A Japanese medieval heroine who reminded Willis of herself as a child became the inspiration for a theater work called "When the Woman Who Loved Insects Hid", scored by Prince's music for shakuhachi and koto and performed in festivals in Japan, Edinburgh Scotland, and New York.
When speaking of their 20 years in Japan, both Prince and Willis say that, in the words of the grandmother in the neighboring farmhouse who greeted them on their first visit, "I thank you for the mysterious connection that has brought us to this place".
Much later, settled in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona, we wrote the theater work "Man from Magdalena."
In November of 2007, Manuel Jesús Córdova Soberanes, a migrant crossing the border, rescued an injured nine-year-old boy whose mother had just been killed in an automobile accident in the desert. Only eight hours from reaching his destination in Tucson, Soberanes halted his journey to help the boy. He later told reporters that he was thinking of his own four children when he decided to stay with the boy throughout the night. “I could never have left,” he said, “never.” This event inspired the musical theater work Man from Magdalena, the story of a stranger who reveals himself as an angel in our midst.In January of 2010, The Arizona Daily Star called it: “a riveting story of deep human kindness and compassion...It is a wonderful story for both sides of the border.”
“…the tale takes hold of your heart and mind…the music stays with you. An extraordinary piece of art, theater born in their own backyard that is worthy of being seen and heard by millions.” Carol St. John, Tubac Villager
“…perfectly harmonized cellist and chorus, reminiscent of the ancient Mexican storytellers. The original music so perfectly complemented the moving story that, at times, I forgot to breathe.” Diane Meyer, published in the Green Valley News and Sun
“Arizona electricity hovered in the air at the premiere showing of "Man From Magdalena". The audience was stunned. Original, moving, completely professional, amazing…” Cathy Anderson, published in the Green Valley News and Sun
To date, this play has financed over $210,000 of microloans to Central America and Mexico.
In 2016, I began performing "Midwife," a one person play inspired by my great great great grandmother Patty Bartlett Session's diaries. Proceeds from this play have been given to the Shoshone language program of the Northwest Band of the Shoshone.
We love this!