Tokyo theatres in October

Before we knew it, it is already autumn – although still a bit early for the beautiful red leaves. Here is a very small selection from what the Japanese theatre scene has to offer this month:

“Ihatōbo no gekiressha” by Komatsu-za (2013)

At the Kinokuniya Southern Theatre, Komatsu-za will be performing Ihatōbo no gekiressha『イーハトーボの劇列車』”The theatre train from Ihatov” from October 6^th through November 17^th. Written by Inoue HIsashi, one of the most influential and prolific contemporary Japanese playwrights, the play is based on Miyazawa Kenji’s biography. To be more precise, it is the story of Miyazawa’s move to Tokyo from his hometown in Iwate prefecture, focusing on the years 1918, 1921, 1926 and 1931 of the writer’s life. In his series of biographical plays Inoue is weaving elements of a writer’s literary works into his or her biography, turning the subject into a character of his or her own fictional world. In this case the title itself is an allusion to Miyazawa’s probably most famous work, Ginga tetsudō no yoru (“Night on the Galactic Railroad”). Music, warm humor and an amazing amount of vivid imagination are all traits of Inoue Hisashi’s style. Their combination with Miyazawa’s romantic fiction promises to be a very rewarding theatrical experience.

Speaking of Inoue Hisashi, another play of his, “Musashi” – which gained wide acclaim in London and New York back in 2009 – will be running until October 20^th at the Sai-no-kuni Saitama Arts Theatre. The performance is directed by Ninagawa Yukio, the one who brought many of Inoue’s plays into the attention of the Western public, and boasts a gorgeous cast, in the most part the same as four years ago. It will be a joy for many theatre goers to see this particular work on stage again.

Another surprise brought by the theatre scene this month is the restaging of Terayama Shūji’s play “La Marie Vison” 『毛皮のマリー』。This performance is part of a series of events dedicated to the memory of Terayama, who passed away prematurely 30 years ago. Better known in his home country as a poet and writer, Terayama was a key figure in the small theatre movement of the sixties and seventies in Japan – a cultural movement that challenged established theatre practices in the search for new spaces and new meanings to theatre as an art. You can read more on Terayama Shūji and his unit Tenjō sajiki, whose works have been a turning point in Japanese theatre history, in this very insightful article on Tokyo Stages: The Occupation of Street Theatre . Through the story of a transvestite risen to celebrity through his excentric lifestyle, “La Marie Vison” explores the borders between reality and illusion in the spirit of that paradoxical approach to life which is so typical of Terayama’s style. It will be performed at Nakano Theatre Bonbon from October 2^nd through the 6^th.

The 20^th edition of BeSeTo Theater Festival has already started, giving the unique opportunity to audiences to see theatre from China, South Korea and Japan performed in various locations in the country. After an auspicious start in Toga, Toyama prefecture – the holy land for experimental theatre in Japan, and a short stop in Tottori, the festival will reach the Tokyo stages in mid October. Chekhov’s “Three sisters” featuring an android actor, performed by Seinendan, a Chinese version of “King Oedipus” and a Korean version of “Peer Gynt” are just a few examples of what this festival has in store for the audiences.

“Komachi fuden” by Engidan Koripe (2013 BeSeTo Festival)

From the amazing program of BeSeTo festival, the show I personally look forward to most is Komachi fūden 『小町風伝』”The Tale of Komachi Told by the Wind”, performed by theatre company Koripe from South Korea, under the direction of Lee Youn-Taek. Drawing heavily from Japan’s cultural memory about Ono no Komachi, a court lady and poet from early Heian period (794-1185), the play was written by Ōta Shōgo and first performed in 1977 on the Noh stage of Yarai nōgakudō. It was one of the first experiments of the silent theatre that later became the trademark of director and playwright Ōta Shōgo. Komachi fūden will be hosted by Komaba Agora Theater from October 17^th through the 20^th. [Update: it was a great performance! I wrote a review on it here (JP)]

At the National Noh Theatre there will be a special event on October 24^th entitled “Zeami and the Flower”. After a demonstration of “tatehana”, one of the oldest forms of ikebana, by Kawase Toshirō, Kanze-ryū actor Asami Masakuni will be performing Tōru, a Noh that embodies Zeami’s ideal of that elegance of spirit which gives birth to poetry. In his treatises on Noh, Zeami compares the success of a performance to the charm of a flower, that is why this collaboration between Noh and ikebana is most welcome, for these two arts reflect each other in a very subtle way.

As I review this month’s selection, I cannot help but notice that it features no new productions, but only restagings. For sure, only autumn is to blame for this “classical” mood, which makes one wish to see again works that won acclaim in the past, in the hope that a fresh directorial approach will render them anew.