Transcript Bunraku Theatre

Bunraku Theatre
What is Bunraku?
A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the
17th century (1600s).
WHERE IS JAPAN?
HERE WE ARE!!
JAPAN!!
Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre:
The puppets are large = 1/2 life size.
Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.):
Takes up to 3 puppeteers to operate
1 puppet.
Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.):
The head
puppeteer
operates the
head and right
arm.
The two
lower
ranked
puppeteers
operate the
left arm
and legs.
Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.):
Musicians played an
important role in the play.
There were 2
people to the
side of the stage:
One was the
storyteller/
chanter.
The storyteller
chants the story
and assumes the
voices of each
puppet.
Shamisen Player
Music was
used to
support the
action and
set the mood
required by a
special play
or scene.
Bunraku Theatres
Structure of the Stage
STAGE
Shamisen
Player and
Chanter
Stage View close up
Structure of the stage
PUPPET CHARACTERISTICS:
The heads
Same head might be used
for different characters in
different plays.
They are even
repainted to give the
right skin tone, or the
wig might be
changed.
Mechanism of the
Puppets' Heads
•The movement of the eyes, eyebrows,
and mouth of the puppet heads is
achieved by the main puppeteer.
•By moving the fingers of his
left hand, the levers attached
to the stick in the doll's neck.
•If he moves the special little
lever that is attached to the head
with the strings, the puppet's
head can be made to nod up and
down in time to the shamisen
music.
Types of Heads
Different male role
Heads
Female Heads
Special Roles
Puppet Costumes
Puppeteers
take part in
what is
called the
dressing of
the doll.
What makes Banraku Different from
American Puppet Story Telling?
Our puppets are a lot smaller in size.
It sometimes takes a whole day for its long,
serious drama to unfold.
In Bunraku, the puppeteers (or manipulators)
appear openly, in full view of the audience.
AMERICAN PUPPETRY
AMERICAN PUPPETRY
Read Between the Lions
Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Moose
(1955 – 1985)
Snuggles fabric softener
Salem and Sabrina
BUNRAKU NOTES:
1. A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the 17th
century (1600s).
2. The puppets are 1/2 life size.
3. It takes up to 3 people to operate one puppet.
4. There were 2 people on the side of the stage who enhanced
the story:
a. Chanter/storyteller
b. Musician