EXAM

Uchechi Ohanu Richmond 3/31/17 MWF 9:05

Theater Forms

After reading the chapter of world theaters, the theater form that really caught my attention was the Japanese-style theater of bunraku. It's basically a traditional form of puppet theater, where unique, quaint-looking puppets are used to represent characters of the play. They can speak, move around, express their emotions--all through the guidance of people's hands manipulating them. Three types of people perform in a bunraku performance: the Ningyōtsukai (puppeteers), the Tayū (chanters) and shamisen musicians. Sometimes other instruments, like taiko drums, are also used. The heads and hands of traditional puppets are carved by experts, while the bodies and costumes are often designed by puppeteers. Their faces tend to look pretty realistic or at least sophisticated.

Controls for all movements of parts of the head are centered on a handle from the neck of the puppet and are reached by the main puppeteer by placing his or her left hand into the chest of the puppet through a hole in the back. The main puppeteer is known as the omozukai, and uses their right hand to control the right hand and head of the puppet. The left puppeteer, known as the hidarizukai or sashizukai, controls the left hand of the puppet with his or her own right hand via a rod that comes from the elbow of the puppet. A third puppeteer, the ashizukai, controls the feet and legs. As the puppeteers are trained, they move from the feet, to the hands, and then finally are able to be main puppeteers. These three puppeteers all work together to control the body of one puppet. Usually, they wear all black, including black robes, and possibly black masks or hoods to cover their face. Dezukai is when they leave the main puppeteer unhidden.

Usually a single chanter recites all the characters' parts, changing his pitch and style in order to represent the different characters in a scene. Other times, several chanters are used. The role of the tayu(chanter) is to portray the emotions and the personality of the puppets. The tayu does the voices of each of the characters and narrates the play. Interestingly enough, at the side of the stage, the tayu shows the facial expressions of each character while performing their voices.The chanters sit next to the shamisen player. The shamisen is a three-stringed Japanese musical instrument. Bunraku shares many things in common with kabuki themes, which is like a dance-drama form of theater in Japan. Bunraku is known for it's lovers' suicides plays. Bunraku is also known as an "author's theatre", which means the chanters don't deviate from the script. Before the performance starts, the chanter bows before the held up script/text, and promises to follow it as best as he can. Harmony between these two musicians must be present in order to maiximize the overall success of the play.

The heads of the puppets (kashira) are divided into categories of sex, social class and personality. The costumes are designed by an expert and consist of varying colors and patterns. These garments usually include a sash and a collar, an under robe (juban), an inner kimono (kitsuke), a vest (haori) or an outer robe (uchikake).







Video: https://youtu.be/T-fhUne-KnA