The world of "hand shadow art" that delivers nostalgic yet fresh emotions created with hands and bodies
The place where plays are born
File.4 Scarecrow "Hand Shadows ANIMARE"
Koichi Imai (editor/writer)
Since its launch in 1952 as Japan's first shadow puppet theater troupe, Kakashi-za has been performing classic fairy tales from Japan and abroad, leading the way in the "shadow puppet theater" genre. You may have come across them on stage, television, or elsewhere.
But did you know that Scarecrow has an artistic side? That's what "Hand Shadows ANIMARE" is all about. "ANIMARE" is Latin for "to breathe life into, to invigorate." In other words, "Hand Shadows Animale" is an omnibus-style performance in which various shapes are created using only hands and bodies, and it offers a nostalgic yet fresh surprise.
We spoke to Kakashiza representative, Kei Goto, about "Hand Shadows Animale."
"It all started about 30 years ago. A famous director said to me, 'You're a shadow puppet theater troupe, why don't you do hand shadow puppetry?' He said that hand shadow puppetry can be very expressive, so we should try it.
At the time, we mainly did shadow puppetry using paper cutouts and wooden puppets. We thought of hand shadow puppetry as a "traditional game" and never thought we could create a modern stage. But since that person said so, there might be some possibility, so we decided to give it a try and started researching it little by little. As we did so, we realized that we could do this and that, and our repertoire of hand shadow puppetry grew. However, because hand shadow puppetry requires a lot of physical strength, we felt that it would be difficult to create a one-hour stage just with that.
Meanwhile, Kakashiza was considering a full-scale expansion overseas. However, when traveling overseas, transporting luggage requires time and money, so they have to travel with minimal equipment. This is a serious problem that not only Kakashiza but any company venturing overseas will inevitably face.
In addition, Goto had the thought that "If I go overseas, it would be meaningless if I don't challenge myself with a work that is based on international communication, rather than the works I have produced in Japan so far." Therefore, I decided to challenge the world with "Hand Shadows Animale," which is a speedy, sometimes danceable, performance with mature hand shadow art, without dialogue, set to music.
It was in 2009, at the 8th Schwäbisch Gmünd International Shadow Theatre Festival in Germany.
"Until then, I had included scenes using hand shadow puppets in my work, but this was the first time I had done the entire work using hand shadow puppets. What was most difficult was that, based on conventional wisdom, no one had ever thought that a one-hour work could be made using only hand shadow puppets. First of all, I struggled to reform that mindset. Then, one week before I left for Germany, I tried and tested until the very last moment and finally completed the work.
The members who first participated in the German festival all agreed that the audience erupted in excitement just by us making shadow puppets with our hands. We received thunderous applause during the performance, and it was a wonderful experience. There are no examples of this kind of ensemble anywhere in the world, and we didn't know what kind of reaction we would get until we actually tried it, so we were very happy. The reaction was so great that various overseas festivals immediately asked us to come to their festivals next time."
Since then, he has participated in overseas festivals in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Brazil. Currently, his repertoire of hand shadow puppets is about 100 types, and there are 50 to 60 works that are incorporated into "Hand Shadows Animale." From these, various combinations are used to create the stage.
However, not all members of the troupe can participate. Of the 20 members of the stage team, five or six people who meet certain criteria, such as outstanding shadow puppetry skills, the physical strength to withstand a one-hour performance, and a certain amount of training with the Scarecrow Troupe , are in charge. Of course, the Scarecrow Troupe itself also has its own activities, so the performance of "Hand Shadows Animale" is a valuable opportunity.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the premiere of Hand Shadows Animale, and for the first time in three years, it will be performed in Yokohama, the local area, as part of the TPAM (Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama) fringe program.
"At TPAM, we plan to perform Hand Shadows Animale in its standard format. We hope that many local people will come and that overseas directors will see how pleased the audience is," says Goto.
It will be a refreshing surprise even for those who have a biased image of shadow puppetry.
*This is the stage of "Hand Shadows Animale"!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm2rWio8Td0
This event has now ended.
《“Hand Shadows ANIMAR”》
■Date: Thursday, February 14, 2019
■Start time: 16:30/19:00
■ Venue: Yokohama Doll Museum Akaikutsu Theater
■ Composition and direction: Kei Goto
■Music: Kuni Kawachi/Hiromitsu Ishikawa
■Stage art: Hiroki Saito
■ Costume: Keiko Nakaya
■Sound: Mamoru Todo (Sound Method)
■Lighting: Ryuzen Stage Lighting Laboratory
■Shadow art production: Kakashiza Theatre Art Department
■ Shadow art supervision: Kei Goto / Junji Oda (design Bee)
■Ticket price: All seats reserved 2,500 yen / 3,000 yen on the day, 1,500 yen for elementary school students and younger
*Free for children under 3 years old. However, if a seat is required, a fee will be charged.
*This work is primarily aimed at elementary school students and above.
*TPAM participants 2,000 yen
■Inquiries: Kakashiza Theatre Company Tel: 045-592-8111
