This workshop is conducted by Ariel Doron, who garnered much attention for his performance at the 2024 Shimokitazawa International Puppet Festival last year. Doron is an emerging star within the world of Object Theater, creating works with his masterful skills in moving objects and incorporating incisive social themes. For this year’s Autumn Meteorite, Doron organizes two different types of workshops: one for industry professionals, and another one-day event for the general public.

In the Professional Edition workshop, participants are invited to bring various objects they would like to explore further, such as daily common objects, unique personal items, objects related to individual projects, or inspirational material.

Through practical singular and group exercises, participants will experience many ways to move and gradually breathe life into the objects, discovering new approaches to maximizing their on-stage potential. By watching, performing, confronting, and playing with the objects in different ways on stage, participants will gain a range of tools that will help them develop new approaches to using them in a performance. Through these challenges, participants’ perception of objects—and perhaps of people—will begin to shift. On the final day of the workshop, there will be an Open Presentation, including a presentation by Doron himself.

The Experimental Edition, open to children and adults alike, will offer a joyful experience in which ordinary household objects seem to come alive before one’s eyes.

Facilitator

Ariel Doron

Profile

Ariel Doron

Ariel Doron is a puppeteer, director and performer. He is known as an award-winning artist and one of the leading figures in contemporary puppetry/object theater.
His work often uses little text and a lot of playfulness in order to deal with personal, social and political subjects. Each project is created with the puppetry or artistic discipline that best suits it, with the hope to always expand and question the media in which it is created, and with a desire to inspire viewers to feel, think and react.
He animates and gives the voice to the beloved character Elmo in a local version of “Sesame Street,” alongside dozens of other characters in a variety of television productions.
He has also directed and co-produced works at numerous theaters and institutions, and is active as a masterclass instructor and workshop facilitator, teaching at various educational institutions.

Performance Schedule

Oct.2025

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28 10:30	29 10:30	30 10:30	31 10:30

Nov.2025

Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
					1 10:30 18:00	2
3 13:00	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30

Ariel Doron “Object Theater Workshop / Professional Edition”
Tue Oct 28 – Sat Nov 1, 10:30am – 4:30pm each day
Presentation: Sat Nov 1, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Ariel Doron “Object Theater Workshop / Experimental Edition”
Mon Nov 3, 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Language Used in WS: English (with Japanese Interpreter)

Hearing Loop: N/A
Audio Guide: N/A
Childcare Service: Available from October 31 to November 3
Wheelchair Accessible Seats: Available
Production note: N/A

WS Fee

“Object Theater Workshop / Professional Edition”
Adult: JPY 10,000
U29s: JPY 6,000
Disount for Persons with Disabilities: 10％ discount from the adult price

“Object Theater Workshop / Experimental Edition”
JPY 500

On sale from

Thursday, August 7

Application

Professional Edition

This workshop explores how a “ready-made” or everyday object can transcend its role as a mere tool and transform into something that commands presence on stage—something that stirs the imagination and moves the heart.

Through a series of practical and experiential exercises, participants will deepen their relationship with objects on stage and learn how to convey sensations and emotions that go beyond the limits of the human body. The workshop also investigates how minimal means and modest budgets can still evoke poetic imagery, dramatic narratives, and even spectacular moments.

This immersive process touches on multiple disciplines—including puppetry, physical theater, stage composition, scenography, directing, acting, dramaturgy, animation, and visual arts.

We warmly invite stage artists, dancers, circus performers, puppeteers, actors, directors, dramaturgs, scenographers, and visual artists of all fields to take part in this magical world of object theater.

Eligibility

• This workshop is open to artists and creatives—emerging or established—who are engaged in or interested in fields such as object theater, performing arts, visual arts, film, music, or literature.
• Participants should be able to attend the full five-day program.
  (If you have scheduling concerns, please describe them in the comment section of the application form.)

What to Bring

• One meaningful object you are personally attached to or cherish.
• Objects! A lot of different objects. Could be daily objects, objects you find boring, objects you find interesting, objects we all know and weird objects, funny objects, objects that have movement in them, all objects are welcome!
• Objects related to your current artistic practice or project are welcome.

Number of Participants

Approx. 12

Schedule

Tue Oct 28 – Sat Nov 1, 10:30am – 4:30pm (Workshop sessions each day)
Presentation: Sat Nov 1, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Application Period

Thu Aug 7, 10:00am – Mon., Sep. 15, 11:59pm

Application Form

Click here

All applicants will be notified by email about the result and further details by late September, after selection.

Professional Edition – Final Presentation

Schedule

Sat Nov 1, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Free / Reservation Required

Audience Registration

Click here

Experimental Edition

Eligibility: Ages 14 and older

Application

Click here

Related Event

Sat Oct 18, a lecture titled “A Quick Guide to Contemporary Object Theater” will be given by curator Yoko Yamaguchi.

Yoko Yamaguchi Lecture “A Quick Guide to Contemporary Object Theater”

Inquiries

For ticket inquiries

お問合せ先

Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite 2025 Tokyo (Email)

event@autumnmeteorite.jp

お問合せ先

Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite 2025 Tokyo (Email)

+81-3-6812-1663

• • Weekdays (except venue holidays) 11:00am - 5:00pm

For general inquiries

お問合せ先

Tokyo Festival Executive Committee Office

+81-3-6812-1663

• • Weekdays (except venue holidays) 11:00am - 5:00pm

Organizer

Tokyo Festival Executive Committee [Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture)]

Support

Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan Japan Arts Council

Sponsor

Asahi Group Japan, Ltd.

Media Partner

Tokyo Art Beat