|
|
Costumes, Masks and Puppets | African Masks | Bunraku Puppetry | Shadow Puppetry
Julie Taymor Biography | Sets, Lighting and Special Effects
 
Named
for its founder, Uemura Bunrakuken, this Japanese theatre form started
in the 16th century. In Bunraku, master puppeteers, visible to the
audience, control large puppet dolls, while a narrator tells the story.
The larger puppets, which can be as tall as five feet, are operated by
three man teams. The most experienced man, the only puppeteer allowed to
show his face to the audience, operates the head and right arm. The
other two puppeteers are completely covered with black cloth - one
operates the puppets right hand with a rod, the other manipulates the
puppets legs. Through movement and gestures (and, as always, the
audiences imaginations), great expressiveness can be achieved.
Because the puppeteers are visible, spectators can concentrate on the
story, or on the skill of the puppeteers. Hopefully, these two
perceptions eventually merge into a whole appreciation of the theatrical
event - this is what Taymor means by the
"double event." |
 |
