A journey across cultures, carried through puppetry
U.S. × Japan × Southeast Asia
A Work in Motion
Two travelers meet.
They walk together for a while.
Time shifts. Memory folds.
They part, and continue on.
Shank’s Mare is a puppetry performance about crossing paths—between people, places, and histories. It is created by Yara Arts Group and Tom Lee, a Chicago-based puppet artist, director, and performer, in long-term collaboration with Japanese Master Puppeteer Koryū Nishikawa V.
At its core is Kuruma Ningyō, a form of puppetry developed in Hachioji in the 19th century. Performed by a single puppeteer seated on a wheeled cart, it allows one artist to bring a puppet fully to life. The Nishikawa Koryū Troupe has sustained this tradition across generations. Today, Koryū Nishikawa V continues that lineage—ensuring it is not only preserved, but lived.
For many of us working outside Japan, this tradition represents something deeply meaningful: a connection to craft, discipline, and a way of passing knowledge forward. Shank’s Mare carries this lineage into new contexts with care and respect, shaped through apprenticeship and partnership.
Where It’s Going
In October 2026, Shank’s Mare travels to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, to be part of the 10th Anniversary of Pesta Boneka, an international puppetry festival bringing together artists from around the world.
At a time when it is increasingly difficult for non-commercial work to travel internationally, this opportunity is both rare and urgent.
What Will Happen There
This is not simply a performance.
We will collaborate with Southeast Asian and global puppeteers selected by the festival, sharing techniques, methods, and ways of thinking through rehearsal and performance. The work will evolve through this exchange—built together rather than presented as something fixed.
Why It Matters
This project is about how traditions live on.
Not by being held still, but by being shared—across generations, across cultures. It reflects a belief that knowledge, when passed forward with care, can build a future that is more connected and more generous.
Why We Need Your Support
Your support makes this possible—and Yara Arts Group will match all donations.
Funds will support:
- Travel for artists
- Fair compensation for artists
- Collaborative rehearsal and exchange
Join our event in Chicago to help us carry this tradition forward!
Tom Lee/Yara Arts Group and Asian Improv aRts Midwest/Shubukai present
Evening with a Puppet Master – Koryū Nishikawa V
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 30 at 7:30PM
- Venue: Asian aRts Improv Midwest Space at 4875 N Elston Avenue
- Suggested Donation: $50.00
(all donations are tax-deductible and matched by Yara Arts Group)
Join Tom Lee, Tatsu Aoki and Rika Lin for an intimate evening with one of Japan’s most versatile traditional puppet artists, Koryū Nishikawa V. Nishikawa-sensei will perform and demonstrate the kuruma ningyō puppetry style with an opportunity for audience members to try the form, take pictures of the puppets and pose with the artists. This special evening benefits the Yara Arts Group tour of Shank’s Mare to the 10th Anniversary of the Pesta Boneka Festival in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
EVENING WITH A PUPPET MASTER marks another chapter in a longstanding partnership, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to the preservation and celebration of traditional arts. Over ten years ago, Hachioji Kuruma Ningyō Iemoto Koryū Nishikawa and Shubukai founder Shunojo Fujima were introduced, leading to their first performance together on the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) stage for AIRMW’s Tsukasa Taiko “Legacy” and “Reduction” shows. This moment was also marked the first meeting between Tom Lee and Rika Lin, a.k.a. Yoshinojo Fujima. United by a mutual dedication to upholding the legacy of traditional arts, Yoshinojo Fujima, now leading AIRMW’s Shubukai and Tom Lee with Yara Arts celebrate this opportunity to present Nishikawa Koryū during the year of Shubukai’s 50th Anniversary.
WHEN: Saturday May 30, 2026 at 7:30 pm (event lasts 1 hr 30 min)
WHERE: Asian Improv aRts Midwest, 4875 N Elston Ave, Chicago IL 60630
TICKETS: Space is limited and tickets are a $50 suggested donation.
To reserve tickets, please fill out the form below with your preferred means of payment:
Donate via PayPal or Venmo (at the link below):
Check (at the door) made out to Yara Arts Group, Inc.
Paypal and Venmo (also availlable at the door with reservation)
Yara Arts Group is a 501(c)3 non profit theatre company based in New York.