Last night we experienced the National Bunraku Theatre, which visited Himeji for just one show. We found out later we could have seen it at its home in Osaka with headsets and english translation, but it was still worth it to appreciate the skill of the master puppeteers and the emotion portrayed in the subtle movements of the puppets - the quick glance, the sigh, the heavy breathing...
Even more enjoyable when you can watch the puppeteers in action at their ancient craft and admire their one-ness with the chanter (providing all characters' voices, male and female) and the shamisen and koto players. And like any form of drama, the audience's willingness to suspend disbelief and appreciate the narrative and the artists' skills on two separate levels of reality.
PS: Ok, I fess up. I didn't take these images (there was no photography allowed). They come from the theatre's website. Thanks for letting me use your photos without permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment