A Theatrical Performance Sharing Human and Natural Practices through Care

A collaborative work by Filipino playwright James Harvey Estrada and Japanese director and composer Hiroshi Nukata (Nuthmique).

Drawing on the cultural background of Pagkalinga—a Filipino word meaning “care” or “compassion”—this performance invites audiences to encounter various forms of care anew within the landscapes of Toyooka City, shaped by both nature and human activity.

Rather than treating the natural environment as a mere backdrop, the work regards it as a living participant. Through the performers’ gestures, musical performance, and ritualistic acts, it gently weaves together the audience’s bodily experience with the memories of the land, urban infrastructure, and the surrounding ecosystem. In doing so, the performance offers an opportunity to experience how practices of care might emerge amid the challenges of coexistence in contemporary society, including environmental destruction and the depletion of natural resources.

Through James’s voice and gestures, Nukata’s musical performance, ritualistic actions shared with the audience, and encounters with each element of the natural environment, the audience is invited to discover a new perspective on the world—one that extends beyond the human.