The world of "shadow puppets" created with hands and bodies, delivering nostalgic yet fresh emotions

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 play troupe, Kakashiza has been performing classic fairy tales from Japan and abroad, and has led the "shadow play" genre. You may have seen them on stage, on television, or somewhere else.
Did you know that the Scarecrows have an artistic side? That's what Hand Shadows ANIMARE is. "ANIMARE" means "to breathe life into, to invigorate" in Latin. In other words, Hand Shadows Animale is an omnibus-style performance that creates various shapes using only hands and bodies, and you can feel fresh surprises in the midst of nostalgia.

We spoke to Kakashiza 's representative, Goto Kei, about "Hand Shadows Animale."

"It all started about 30 years ago. A famous director asked me, 'You're a shadow puppet troupe, why don't you do hand shadow puppets?' He said that hand shadow puppets can be very expressive, so we should try it.
At that time, we mainly did shadow puppets using paper cuts and wooden puppets. We thought of hand shadow puppets as a "traditional game" and didn't think we could create a modern stage. But since he said so, there might be some possibility, so we started researching little by little. As we did so, we realized that we could do this, and that, and our repertoire of hand shadow puppets increased. However, since the expression of hand shadow puppets requires a lot of physical strength, we thought it would be difficult to create an hour-long stage with just that.

On the other hand, Kakashiza was thinking about expanding overseas in earnest. However, when it comes to overseas, it takes time and money to transport luggage, so we have to travel with minimal equipment. This is a serious problem that not only Kakashiza, but any company that ventures overseas will inevitably face.
Goto also had the idea that "if I go overseas, it would be meaningless if I don't challenge myself with a work that is based on international communication, not the works I've made in Japan so far." So, with the mature hand shadow puppets, I decided to challenge the world with "Hand Shadows Animale," which is a speedy, sometimes danceable performance with music without dialogue.
It was in 2009, at the 8th Schwäbisch Gmünd International Shadow Theatre Festival in Germany.

"I had included scenes of hand shadow puppets in my work before, but this was the first time I did the whole work with hand shadow puppets. The most difficult thing was that no one had ever thought that a one-hour work could be made with just hand shadow puppets, based on common sense up until that point. First of all, I had a hard time reforming that mindset. Then, one week before I left for Germany, I tried and tested until the last minute and finally completed the work.
The members who first participated in the German festival unanimously said that the audience erupted just by making shadow puppets with our hands. We received tremendous applause during the performance, and it was a wonderful experience. There are no precedents for 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 this made us very happy. We received an incredible response, with many overseas festivals asking us to come to their festivals next time.

After that, he participated in overseas festivals in Holland, Germany, Spain, Finland, Czech Republic, Brazil, etc. Now, his repertoire of hand shadow puppets is about 100 kinds, and there are 50 to 60 works that are incorporated into "Hand Shadows Animale". From these, various combinations are made up of the stage.

However, not all members of the theater company can participate in this event. The participants are five or six people from the 20 members of the stage who meet certain conditions, such as outstanding shadow puppetry skills, physical strength to withstand an hour-long performance, and a certain amount of training in the Scarecrow Troupe . Of course, the Scarecrow Troupe itself also has activities, so the performance of "Hand Shadows Animale" is a valuable one.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the premiere of Hand Shadows Animale, and for the first time in three years, the piece will be performed in Yokohama, the hometown of the group. It will be a fringe performance as part of the TPAM (Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama) program.

"At TPAM, we are planning to perform 'Hand Shadows Animale' in its standard form. We hope that many local people will come and that overseas directors will see how happy the audience is," says Goto.
It will be a fresh surprise even for those who have a biased image of shadow puppets.

*This is what the stage production of "Hand Shadows Animale" is like!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm2rWio8Td0

This event has 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 Research Institute
■Shadow art production: Kakashiza Theatre Company 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 intended for elementary school students and above.
*TPAM participants 2,000 yen
■Inquiries: Kakashiza Theatre Company Tel: 045-592-8111