PUPPETRY ARTS INSTITUTE INDEPENDENCE MO FULL
Much as I tried to persuade myself that a dramatic illusion could be sus¬ tained, despite the presence of three men operating each of the puppets in full view of the audience, the photographs did little to reassure me. In 1949 I completed a doctoral thesis about one of Chikamatsu’s plays, depending on descriptions, photographs, and my imagination when attempting to describe its effectiveness as a work for the theatre. My active interest in Bunraku began long before I was able to visit Japan and witness a per¬ formance. I learned too that Japan’s greatest tragic dramatist, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, wrote not for actors but for the Bunraku puppets, and when I later had the chance to attend the Bunraku - Theatre, I found that the audience today as in the past is there to enjoy a true dramatic perform¬ ance rather than an amusing display of the dexterity of the operators.įrequently one saw an old lady brush away the tears induced by some pathetic scene than one heard the sounds of laughter we might expect in the West at Punch and Judy shows. I came to realize that Bunraku (the common name for the Japanese puppet theatre) occupies a most important place in Japanese literary and theatrical history alike, and by no means belongs to the frivolous class of entertainments associated with puppets and marionettes in other parts of the world. Only much later was I to discover, after beginning the study of Japanese, that in one country at least the puppet theatre had devel¬ oped not only as an adult entertainment, but as the vehicle of a magnificent dramatic art. The association of puppet shows with the schoolroom proved so strong, indeed, that once I considered myself beyond the stage of childish pleasures I felt rather ashamed of my lingering fondness for the make-believe world of little wooden people. Something uncanny, and at the same time enormously endearing, gave these shows an allure which in later years I was mistakenly to attribute to the guilelessness of extreme youth. The Pleasures of BunrakuĪnd marionette shows have intrigued me since LCC 65-19187 v ISBN 0-870163-2361 Hardback edition, 1965 Revised paperback edition, 1973ĬONTENTS Introduction I. Copyright in Japan, 1965, by Kodansha International Ltd. Published by Kodansha International Ltd., 2-12-21, Otowa, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112, Japan and Kodansha International/USA, Ltd., 599 College Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94306. – 4 p.m.Distributed in the United States by Harper & Row, Pub¬ lishers, New York in Continental Europe by Boxerbooks, Inc., Zurich in Canada by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, Ontario and in the Far East by Japan Publications Trading Co., P.O. Winner Road, Independence, MO 64052 (816) 833-9777 We’re open Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. For questions, to book an appointment, or for charitable contributions, you may contact us at: Puppetry Arts Institute 11025 E. More details are given on the pages of this website. In addition to our Museum Exhibits, we offer: -Puppet Shows (on site and traveling) -Puppet Painting and Marionette Workshops -Puppet Kits (to make at home) -Puppet Repair, Restoration, and Appraisal -How to Be a Puppeteer (Instruction and Technique) -Birthday Parties -Public Speakers for your events -Ladies’ Teas, and -Rental Space for your Event(s) We also have a Puppetry Library, and would be glad to assist you with any questions you may have about puppetry and/or Hazelle Rollins and her marionettes.
We have many interesting activities for children’s groups, families and adults.
We are a creative and educational center dedicated to the art of puppetry.
0 kommentar(er)
