Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Puppet Theater
Company:
Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Puppet Theater
Japan Society proudly presents Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Puppet Theater, led by distinguished puppeteer Koryu Nishikawa V, in a full-scale production with live chanting and shamisen music. Kuruma Ningyo, meaning “puppets on wheels,” refers to the company’s unique puppetry technique in which the puppeteer sits atop a three-wheeled rolling base. The program specifically crafted for this New York performance consists of four female-focused stories from classic Japanese literature: Kuzunoha, about a mother’s undying love for her child; Date Musume Koi Higanoko, which depicts a woman’s heroic sacrifice for her lover; Tsuri On’na, a comical piece about “fishing” for a wife; and Yugao, a new work from Nishikawa based on a story from The Tale of Genji, in which the jealous spirit of one of Genji’s lovers possesses a young woman he’s courting. This much anticipated stage event is performed by six puppeteers, including Nishikawa, from the Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo Puppet Theater company with gidayu chanter Koshiko Takemoto and shamisen players Sansuzu Tsuruzawa and Yaya Tsuruzawa.
