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Japan Society to Celebrate Puppetry This Fall
August 30, 2024, 5:36.27 pm ET

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Photos: Japan Society

The Japan Society (333 East 47th Street) will present “Ningyo! A Parade of Puppetry” this fall, beginning with an encore engagement of Basil Twist’s “Dougugaeshi” (September 11-19).

It continues with National Bunraku Theater (October 3-5) in which Japan’s historic National Theatre brings their authoritative bunraku puppetry theater to New York City for the first time in over 30 years with a double-bill of dramatic classic scenes from the bunraku tradition with a full ensemble of master puppeteers and musicians.

Arriving next is the world premiere of “Shinnai Meets Puppetry” (November 7-9), a double bill of two enchanting Japanese fables uniting rustic and deeply expressive shinnai-bushi storytelling music with innovative contemporary rod, hand and shadow puppetry techniques.

Completing the series (December 12 -13) is “The Benshi Tradition and the Silver Screen: A Japanese Puppetry Spin-off,” which links the legacy of bunraku to Japan’s silent film tradition of the benshi, with modern benshi star Ichiro Kataoka and shamisen musician Sumie Kaneko joining forces across two separate screenings of silent samurai classics.

The Japan Society Gallery's upcoming visual arts exhibition is “Bunraku Backstage” (October 4-January 9), showcasing actual working puppets, props, instruments, and costumes on loan from the National Bunraku Theatre alongside unexpected bunraku-inspired multimedia works by contemporary artists, exploring bunraku’s ongoing inspiration and influence in both performing and fine arts.

For more information, call 212-832-1155 or visit japansociety.org


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