Puppet on tour

A complete version of “Sonezaki Shinju” (“The Love Suicides at Sonezaki”), a seminal piece of traditional bunraku puppet theater, will be performed in Europe this autumn by master puppeteers and feature several novel elements.
“Sonezaki Shinju” is the story, based on a real incident from the Edo period (1603-1867), of the tragic love between Tokubei, a young soy-sauce shop clerk, and the courtesan Ohatsu. The piece is frequently performed in Japan and is also popular overseas.
The version to be performed in Europe was arranged and directed by Hiroshi Sugimoto, a contemporary artist based in New York.
Sugimoto’s Kaikei (Seascapes) photography series has garnered worldwide acclaim, and he is also knowledgeable about traditional Japanese theatre. Sugimoto’s version was first staged at the Kanagawa Arts Theatre in Yokohama in August 2011.
In Sugimoto’s “Sonezaki Shinju”, the opening scene of Ohatsu’s pilgrimage to various statues of the goddess Kannon – missing for more than 200 years – has been reinstated, thanks to the discovery the earliest complete script, which was found in Toyama Prefecture.
A modern performance of the recently found complete script was first undertaken by master puppeteer Kiritake Kanjuro, who performed the opening sequence alone, a style that originated in the Edo period. In many modern performances the major characters are each operated by a team of three puppeteers.
Other unique elements in the production include the use of shadow on a sparsely lit stage, a style foreign to traditional bunraku performance.
The Ohatsu puppet is clad in a costume made from fine scarf material, and photographs of puppets taken by Sugimoto are projected on a screen to great effect. These and other innovations had a positive reception in Japan during the first performance.
The performance in Europe is hosted by the Japan Foundation and the Odawara Art Foundation, which is financed by Sugimoto.
The troupe is to tour Rome, Madrid and Paris from September 27 to October 19. Among the stops will be the Paris Autumn Festival.
Yoshida Minosuke will operate the Tokubei puppet and Kanjuro will operate the Ohatsu puppet, as they did in the initial performance in 2011. Tsurusawa Seiji, a master of the shamisen three-stringed lute, will also be part of the troupe.
“Sonezaki Shinju” has been performed 12 times overseas, including twice in Paris, and is now one of the most popular bunraku pieces abroad.
“Loyally interpreting the classics while introducing experimentation and innovation in new directions are the two wheels of bunraku,” Kanjuro said. “I focus on the new elements such as performing in dim lighting or operating a puppet alone. But creating a new stage is absolutely worth the effort. I really look forward to seeing the responses of foreign audiences.”