Theater of Yugen Tackles Comedy
By Ji Hyun Lim
AsianWeek Staff Writer
Laughter is a timeless commodity. Perhaps hieroglyphics of old could be translated into laugh tracks and we all know about Shakespeare’s bawdy sense of humor. Now, San Francisco-based Theatre of Yugen forays into the traditional Japanese comedic form of kyogen, a 600 year-old tradition of comedy.
Mixing classical and contemporary performances, the Theatre of Yugen’s ensemble will present a trio of kyogen comedies entitled Sorya! Everythings’ll be good with happy :) at the Noh Space Nov. 15 to 17. This show will feature three short pieces: “The Thunder God” (Kaminari), “The Snail” (Kagyu) and “The Bonsai Thief” (Bonsan). These three pieces will attempt to introduce kyogen to American audiences. Each piece is a one act farce, lasting 15 to 30 minutes.
Kyogen was developed in Japan and was originally a mixture of folklore and performing techniques. Many of kyogen’s roots came from Chinese entertainment during the eighth century and became distilled in a Japanese form through local stories and culture. Performers use an antiquated form of Japanese, similar to Shakespearean English. Unlike noh, a traditional Japanese tragic form, kyogen takes a farcical look at culture and society. Kyogen was the first social comedy that emerged after the feudal era in Japan. In response to the rigidity of feudalism, kyogen comedies attempt to take a humorous look at an oppressive society.
The Theatre of Yugen adapted this old form to modern theater, maintaining many of its original characteristics. In “Kagyu,” a dim-witted servant named Taro-kaja, played by actress Jubilith Moore, is sent by his master to find a snail to prolong the life of his master’s grandfather. Taro-kaja does not know what a snail looks like, so he ventures out only to return with a yamabushi or a mountain priest who finds it amusing to pretend he is a snail. The vignette is punctuated with stylistic dance, dialogue and song to show the dynamics between the three characters. Kyogen satirizes the motives of the clueless servant, frustrated master and mountain priest, all of whom would have rigid roles in a feudal society.
Similarly, “Bonsan” creates a situation where the shate or thief attempts to steal a bonsai tree. He is caught by the ado or master, played by Mikio Hirata, and hides behind a bonsai. “Kaminari” presents a story of a thunder god who feels ill and is cured by a quack doctor. The thunder god grants him a blessing of good weather for good crops and the story unfolds.
In all three pieces, gender roles and class lines are blurred. Sorya! stays true to the essence of each character through strengths and weaknesses that are emphasized to create a comedic tension between characters.
Mikio Hirata points out that every step is choreographed. Even with improvisation, all the movement of the body is consistent. Costumes are borrowed from the National Theater of Japan and props are minimal. The actors wear no make-up and the audience must interpret movements and the delivery of onomatopoeic sounds.
“We are able to capture audience attention,” Hirata comments. “It’s in the stylized form and the energy, and the line speaking is quite a bit more realistic. There is a simplified form of movement. Every move is choreographed and all the characters are stock characters in every repertoire.”
Director, producer and original founder of the Theater of Yugen, Yuriko Doi adds, “Laughter is international. And [we use the] 600-year-old traditional form and adapt it to contemporary world and make it fresh. It’s not just copying, but creating a new kyogen in the United States.”
Jubilith Moore, who plays Taro-kaja, does not speak Japanese but comments that such a stylized repertoire requires the audience to use their imagination and interpret the scene.
She points out that even children can understand the quirky sounds and movement and adults can appreciate the more human qualities of the characters.
“The language is the greatest challenge,” Moore said. “Kyogen is not physical theater but it’s really theater with language. It’s keeping essence and important words .... [Kyogen characters] seem simple and obvious and the longer you do them, you realize how funny they are and realize how human they are. They are full of all the foibles that all the humans have.”
Sorya! Everythings’ll be good with happy! :) will run for four performances on Nov. 15-17 at the Theater of Yugen’s Noh Space. Tickets cost $15–18 and are free for children under 12. For more information call: 415-621-7978 or go to www.theatreofyugen.org.
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