Weekly Topics/Archive
December 2011
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I went to watch the puppet theatrical performance for the first time last
weekend.
My wife was invited by her former schoolmate to the performance.
With a little interest in the puppet thearter , I went to watch it instead
of her.
Her former schoolmate is Ms.Sayoko Nishimiya who runs the “Negibouzu sayo”
puppet theater company.
According to Wikipedia, the puppet theater is classified roughly into 3
types in terms of
the manipulation method : the hand puppets, the rod puppets and marionette.
Her puppet theater belongs to the hand puppet one.
A long time ago I watched a marionette TV program.
I remember I often watched the NHK TV marionette theater, “Hyokkori-hyotan
Island ”
on a black-and white TV during my student days living in a dormitory.
This is my first time I watch the live performance.
It was held at the atelier of the “Minomushi” marionette theater company
in Kyoto.
It was a seven-minute walk from Kuramaguchi Station of Kyoto Municipal
Subway and
a small space in which the puppet dramas is performed.
The guidepost of the atelier of the “Minomushi” marionette theater company |
The atelier of the “Minomushi” marionette theater company |
I came in 30 minutes before the performance.
In the atelier, there was a stage across from the entrance and were a variety
of marionettes hanging from both walls from side to side.
I hear all of them were made by hand.
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| Marionettes exhibited at the atelier |
The audience sit on the floor and some chairs to watch.
The atelier was filled up with a audience of about 50 people.
Today's performance is the joint one with four marionette theater company.
The first on today's program was “Otanjoubi” by the “Negibouzu SAYO” puppet
theater company.
All the performances were 15 or 30 minutes comical skits about a quite
ordinary daily life.
Ms.Nishimiya Sayoko is not only a producer but also a performer of puppet
theater company.
Without a break, she has to manipulate two puppets by herself and have
a talk for about 20
minutes throwing her voice like a ventriloquist.
It's really very tough work.
She performed with a clear voice.
To my great surprise, the audiences was mostly adult.
Even though it was Saturday, there were only a few children.
Though it is a time of low birthrates now, it is no wonder that there are
more children as
the audience.
Currently, many children must be used to playing electronic games.
And so they might like it more than they watch the puppet theater.
By the way, I was very suprised to see that there are the items for not
only children but also
adults in the puppet theater.
It seems like marketing activities in accordance with current life-style
have been taken and
the items tailored to audience can be performed.
Anyway, I admired the fact that Japanese traditional puppet theater has
been handed
on to the current and next generation through these theater company's activities,
even if
they were for bussiness or hobby.
After the performance, I met her and her friends for the first time in
about 40 years.
Their looks and ways of talking were the way they were in the past.
Today it was as cold as marble in Kyoto.
That cold is peculiar to Kyoto.
It looked like Christmas trees decorated at and around JR Kyoto station were itching for
Christmas to come.
Christmas tree suspended in the air in JR Kyoto station |
[Note] puppet theatrical performance ； 人形劇の公演，former schoolmate ； 学友
instead of ～ ； ～の代わりに
“Negibouzu SAYO” puppet thater company ； 人形劇団“ねぎぼうずSAYO”
in terms of ～ ； ～によって，の点から， rod puppets ； 棒遣い人形、 marionette ； 糸操り人形
Hyokkori-hyotan Island ； ひょっこりひょうたん島、 a black-and white TV ； 白黒テレビ
atelier；アトリエ、 Kyoto Municipal Subway ； 京都市営地下鉄， across from ～ ； ～の正面に
from side to side ； 左右の， be filled up with ～ ； ～で満杯(いっぱい)になる、 skit ； 寸劇
throw one's voice ； (声)を(腹話術などで)音色を変えて出す、 ventriloquist；腹話術師
it is no wonder that ～ ； ～なのも不思議ではない、 be used to ～ ； ～に慣れている
item ； (演劇などの)出し物，演目、 in accordance with ～ ； ～に従って(を踏まえて)
tailored to ～ ； ～に合わせた、 hand ～ on to the next generation ； ～を伝承する
the way it was in the past；昔のまま，as cold as marble；底冷えのする
be itching for ～ to do；～(人などが)[---したくて]待ち兼ねる，むずむずする
Japanese Diary / No.408－2011.12.13 / 「人形劇観劇」
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