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| February 4 (Sat) - 20 (Mon) |
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| Program I (from 11 AM): |
HIKOSAN GONGEN CHIKAI NO SUKEDACHI (Rokusuke of Keyamura)
-The Sugisaka Graveyard, Keyamura and The Vendetta at the Tatsunami Mansion
Earphone-Guide Commentator: Bonnie Dixon
First performed in 1786, this epic of the revenge of fighting masters and a family tragedy is familiar from frequent performances of the climactic act Keyamura. It is often said that the character of Rokusuke is based on Miyamoto Musashi.
Kyogoku Takumi is a fighting student that is not satisfied with simply having driven his rival Rokusuke away into obscurity, but kills his master Yoshioka Ichimisai and his master’s daughter Okiku as well. Ichimisai’s wife and daughter Osono suffer great hardship searching for their father’s killer, but he has changed his name and gone into hiding. They also search for Okiku’s young son Yasomatsu, who disappeared at the time that she was killed.
Rokusuke lives a quiet life in the countryside as a farmer, concealing his fighting skills. He is happy to help a young man become a fighting master, unaware that this is Takumi in disguise. As it happens, he found Yasomatsu at the scene of the tragedy, but has no idea that this is the grandson of his fighting teacher. He hangs the boy’s kimono outside his house hoping that the boy’s family will see it. At this point, a woman disguised as a traveling priest comes by, sees the kimono and immediately attacks Rokusuke as her father’s murderer. He handily wards off her attack and when he tells her his name, she suddenly becomes very feminine and claims to be his wife. It is Osono, who was betrothed to Rokusuke long ago. For the first time, Rokusuke learns of the tragedy that has overcome his master’s family and reveals that he knows where his master’s killer is. Rokusuke takes the young boy to avenge his grandfather’s death. |
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| Program II (from 2:30 PM): |
YOSHITSUNE SEMBON ZAKURA (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees)
Earphone-Guide Commentator: Kuniyoshi Yanagishita
“Yoshitsune Sembon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees)” is an epic story about the famous 12th century general Yoshitsune fleeing from the wrath of his brother Yoritomo, after the end of the war between the Genji and Heike clans. Although Yoshitsune is the title character, the main characters of the play are actually figures around him that become prominent with the fall of the Heike clan. This performance features the scenes focusing on the villainous Gonta and the famous act “Sushiya”.
Shiinoki, Kokingo Uchijini (The Chestnut Tree and the Death of Kokingo)
Wakaba-no-Naishi, the wife of the Heike commander Koremori, travels with her young son and their retainer Kokingo, searching for her husband. While resting in a small mountain village, they are met by Gonta, a local bully who skillfully cons them out of their money. Later they are set upon by Genji forces, and in a spectacular fight scene, Kokingo sacrifices himself to save his mistress and her son.
Sushiya (The Sushi Shop)
Gonta's father Yazaemon runs a sushi shop, but was formerly a retainer of Taira no Koremori. With his clan defeated, Koremori now lives with Yazaemon's family disguised as a humble apprentice. Innocently, Yazaemon's daughter, Osato is in love with him. But knowing of the bounty on Koremori's head, her brother Gonta kills him and turns his wife and child over to the Genji commander. Furious at his son, Yazaemon stabs him, but before his death, Gonta reveals that he only pretended to kill Koremori and sacrificed his own wife and son to save the real Koremori and his family.
GOJUNENKI UTANEBUTSU (Onatsu and Seijuro)
-Onatsu’s Mad Scene
Earphone-Guide Commentator: Mark Oshima
An employee of Tajimaya rice wholesale store Seijuro fell in love with his masterfs daughter Onatsu. Involved in the plot by his colleague he killed a person and disappeared. His sister Oshun and his fiancee Osan disguise themselves as street singer in nun costume and seek him. Onatsu wanders about roads and shores also seeking him.
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| Program III (from 6:30 PM): |
SUGAWARA DENJU TENARAI KAGAMI (Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy)
Earphone-Guide Commentator: Mark Oshima
Sugawara no Michizane (known in this play as Kanshojo) was a high-ranking imperial court minister who was a brilliant calligrapher and scholar. But political rivalries forced him to be exiled to distant Kyushu, where he died. After Michizane’s death, a series of disasters in the imperial capital were attributed to his angry spirit and he was appeased by being made a god known as Tenjin, and he is now revered as the god of learning. His story was dramatized as an epic puppet drama in 1746 and the play remains a favorite in both kabuki and the Bunraku puppet theatre. The play focuses on triplets, Matsuomaru, Umeomaru and Sakuramaru, born to a family that served Kanshojo, but they serve different masters, and fate has put them on opposing sides. One climax of the full length play is the famous Village School scene, where the seeming villain Matsuomaru redeems himself by sacrificing his own son.
Terairi no Dan (The New Student)
Genzo and his wife Tonami run a small school and are protecting Kanshojo’s son and heir, saying that he is their son. However, word has gotten out Kanshojo’s son is there and Genzo has been ordered to behead him. Moreover, Matsuomaru is to come to inspect the head. Their only alternative is to kill one of the other students as a substitute, but all of the students are farmer’s children who could never pass for the son of a court aristocrat. However, a new boy arrives that day and Genzo makes the terrible decision to kill him in the place of his lord.
Terakoya no Dan (The Village School)
As it turns out, Matsuomaru has sent his own son to be sacrificed, because of his family’s long loyalty to Kanshojo. But he must face the most terrible situation for a father, inspecting the head of his own son and lying when he says that it is the genuine head of the son of Kanshojo. Finally Matsuomaru reveals his true feelings to Genzo and he and his wife Chiyo mourn their dead son.
NIHON FURISODE HAJIME (The Origin of Flowing Kimono Sleeves in Japan)
-Vanquishing the Serpent
Earphone-Guide Commentator: Mark Oshima
This play is a rare example of a story from ancient Japanese mythology by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. As part of an annual ritual, Princess Inada has been chosen to be sacrificed to a fierce serpent that lives in the mountains of Izumo. The serpent arrives in the guise of a beautiful princess, but before it can attack it is attracted to eight jars full of sake. The jars are a trap planted by the god Susa-no-o, who confronts the beast in its true form as an eight-headed serpent, to save the princess. |
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