July 15, 2015
The Magic Beanstalk - A new challenge for family-oriented Japanese puppet theatre
Yuuichi Nakajima, National Bunraku Theatre
This summer, the National Bunraku Theatre will host three-part performances, with the first part being a program that the entire family will be able to enjoy. Most of the bunraku works were made during the Edo Period and are aimed at an adult audience, but the family-oriented theatre program is a collection of works that can be enjoyed by the whole family. We have also created some all-new performances. This summer, we will feature "The Magic Beanstalk" and "Shank's Mare (Tokaidochu Hizakurige)."
Morning performance, summer break bunraku special performance "The Magic Beanstalk"
"The Magic Beanstalk" is an adaptation of the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk." The main character is a boy named Honwakamaru who lives with his mother, Oju. A spell of dry weather and taxes force Oju to sell the family cow. She asks Honwakamaru to go sell the cow, but he meets a mysterious old man in front of a shrine and exchanges the cow for three beans. A disappointed Oju hurls the beans outside, and to everyone’s surprise, the stalks grow overnight. By the next morning the stalks had become a giant tree. Honwakamaru climbs the tree and reaches a palace in the clouds. There, he is reunited with his long-lost sister, Midori, who had been taken prisoner by a demon called Ryumauba. Ryumauba dismissed the sibling’s request to be returned safely to Earth after finding the pair in her palace, and sends her minions after them, transforming herself into a dragon. The siblings attempt an escape but are caught by the demon and just as the demon tries to tear them apart, the magical bean tree helps the siblings, allowing them to return to the ground. The family’s happy reunion is interrupted by Ryumauba who comes crashing down to Earth. The demon tries to attack the family again but is stopped by the mysterious old man, who is actually a deity protecting the village and an old acquaintance of Ryumauba. After a brief chat with the old man, the reformed Ryumauba hands Honwakamaru a treasure that will ensure an abundant crop of beans. The story comes to a close with the family celebrating the harvest and good health at the village festival.
This story required us to be creative with the stage set as well. The traditional stage set for Japanese performance arts is mostly flat and the actors move laterally on the stage; however, in this story, the stage set is separated vertically and requires Honwakamaru to move up and down the beanstalk. Pay particular attention to how we managed to grow the beanstalk into a giant tree.
"Shank's Mare" is based on the best-selling comic novel written by Jippensha Ikku in the Edo Period. Yajirobei and Kitahachi are travelers on the Tokaido, when they hear a rumor about a mischievous fox at a tea house in Akasaka-juku (near present-day Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture). Being good citizens, they tried to get rid of the fox, but they mistake the fox for a little boy and end up in a fight with the boy’s father. Kitahachi narrowly escapes, but Yajirobei is knocked out by the father and is thought to be killed. When Yajirobei comes to, he sees himself in a white kimono reserved for the dead and is convinced that he is dead. He heads for an old Buddhist temple to ask for a memorial service. Kitahachi, who had been hiding, finds Yajirobei and is convinced that he is a ghost. Kitahachi tries to help out and asks a Buddhist priest for a memorial service, but instead is robbed of his money and clothes. The temple disappears as the priest recites a strange sutra, and Kitahachi and Yajirobei are left speechless, but they continue their journey convinced that the fox had tricked them. Their misadventures are told comically in this story.
There is a lot packed into this program, but the total performance time is about three hours, so you don't have to worry about being bored. "The Magical Beanstalk" will also be shown at the Nissei Theatre in Tokyo on August 8 and 9, so don't miss it!
The matinee and evening performances will feature the famous "Shoutsushi Asagaobanashi." Why don't you come enjoy the world of bunraku this summer with your family?