Japanese Puppetry Returning To New Milford

NEW MILFORD — Master Japanese puppeteer Masaya Kiritake will bring the ancient art of Otome-Bunraku puppetry to life for three performances at TheatreWorks New Milford the weekend of January 7-9.

Masaya Kiritake comes to New Milford from Osaka, Japan, a city which for centuries has been home to one of the world’s most refined forms of puppetry: Bunraku. The Bunraku style of puppetry evolved during Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1868) and is one of the only puppetry forms in the world to have been designed specifically for adult audiences. Nearly wiped out as an art form during World War II due to the loss of both puppets and programs, Bunraku is today treasured as a precious, historical performing art.

“It’s an art form that captures the mood and elegant beauty of traditional Japanese aesthetics,” said producer Robyn Greenstone. “Watching an Otome-Bunraku performance is like seeing a haiku poem suspended on stage. We are truly fortunate that Kiritake-san honors the TheatreWorks stage with her magic.”

Bunraku involves three aspects of theatre: narrative storytelling, shamisen (a three-string instrument) musical accompaniment, and the manipulation of complex half- to three-quarters life-size puppets whose wrists, fingers and facial expressions move with the precise flick of a toggle.

Traditionally, a puppet’s sophisticated movements require the cooperation of three men, all of whom remain visible throughout the production. Kiritake-san is one of the few performers of a female variant of this traditional style.

Rather than requiring three men to achieve lifelike manipulation, Otome-Bunraku involves just one female puppeteer who stands behind the puppet, supporting it with a frame mounted on her shoulders. Attachments and grips allow the puppet’s movements to mirror the puppeteer’s.

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring the Otome-Bunraku puppets back,” said TheatreWorks president Richard Pettibone. “The presentation last year played to packed houses and we had to turn many folks away. This will be the last opportunity to see this fascinating art form before Kiritake-san heads back home to Japan.”

“Watching Bunraku can be a revelation,” said Ms Greenstone. “These puppets are the stars for which the 18th Century playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon – Japan’s Shakespearean counterpart – wrote his tragedies. The puppeteers’ main task is to imbue these bits of cypress and silk with human movement and emotion.”

“Bunraku’s rich texture captures the imagination of modern audiences from all cultures,” Ms Greenstone explained.

“It has been the inspiration for recent theatrical successes in our own country, including Broadway’s Lion King, whose director traveled to Japan to study this singular art form. Glimpsing Otome-Bunraku in its authentic mode, far from its native soil, is quite an unusual opportunity.”

Bunraku puppets, which are named National Treasures by the Japanese Government, rarely journey outside their homeland. The public considers each of these special puppets to be imbued with the spirit of Japan, and they are honored far beyond and valued far more than mere theatrical props.

When a puppet’s renowned career, generally spanning about 80 years, comes to an end, she or he is put to rest with a solemn funereal ceremony.

With the help of Master Carver Yuragame III, Kiritake-san has created her own puppets for the Otome-Bunraku stage. She performs extensively in her home country and has recently appeared in Hungary, Germany and Indonesia. A grant from the Asian Cultural Council allows her to bring Otome-Bunraku to America.

Masaya Kiritake will perform at TheatreWorks on Friday and Saturday, January 7 and 8, at 8 pm, and on Sunday, January 9, at 2 pm. Tickets for all shows are $15 for general admission.

Reservations can be made  by calling at 860-350-6863.

TheatreWorks New Milford is at 5 Brookside Avenue, just off Route 202 (next to M&B’s IGA).