ZOTTO [ぞっと] – A SUPERNATURAL JAPANESE FOLKTALE

A Multi-generational story about the ghosts of Denver’s Past

Sakura Square
1255 19th St, Denver, CO 80202
Runs from 12:00 – 1 pm and 2pm

Through the lens of Japanese folklore, this experience aims to uplift the lesser-known histories of Denver’s cultural communities as well as connecting for the first time Important cultural histories of the Japanese American community in Denver through an interactive art experience.  ZOTTO invites participants into a theatrical folktale world using light, sound, cultural artforms and the five senses to build rooms that embody traditional Japanese craft, aesthetics, and manga art with imaginative sets.  Audience members will encounter yokai and obake (Japanese spirits and demons) and other unexpected characters while witnessing the lived experiences of three generations of Japanese American women in Colorado.  As they engage with these characters, the audience will learn about Denver’s sordid history and the ghosts of Colorado’s past, touching on issues of racism and gentrification as well as WWII incarceration, redlining, and resettlement.  ZOTTO also emphasizes the joy in collective community healing and the lasting impact of the choices we make, asking what kind of ancestors we want to be for future generations.