Every story needs a beginning, regardless of how the tale unfolds. And today marks the beginning of our journey to turn a Dickens classic into a Kabuki World Premiere.
Cast back in June, A Kabuki Christmas Carol, written by Gary Perlman and currently being directed by Jon Reimer, had seemed even from the audition to be a mountain of a show. I knew going into the room that this show would challenge within us the very essence of what theatre means. Having been cast as three different roles, I was especially aware of the challenge that lies ahead.
However, meeting our sensei Master Matanosuke and having our first workshop with him was like seeing the mountain from its very base. And it will most definitely be a climb.
Our first lesson involved a reading of our second script, from the famous Kabuki play, Benten Kozo. I won't go into much detail about his vocalization (which is something you just have to experience) but it will take more than a few weekends to match the rich, resonant voice that came from this small frame of a man. It was very impressive and right away we knew we had an incredible talent in front of us. We all gave it our best effort, even those of us who are not fluent in Japanese and struggled to keep up. Maybe that was just me.
After the reading, we did some posturing and walking. We embodied a male townsman, a swordsman, a female, as well as their laughter and cries, and finally we learned a major pose, called a Mie. All of the things we practiced are things I will have the privilege of doing on stage. So I am grateful to have an opportunity to train in this style, a rare opportunity for a foreigner here in Japan.
As we continue the journey, I'll keep posting details and insights. I don't want to talk too much about the process alone.
This is only the beginning.
