Bunraku Theatre
Jan 05, 2016
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.
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.
Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.):
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
The heads
They are even repainted to give the right skin tone, or the wig might be changed.
PUPPET CHARACTERISTICS:
Same head might be used for different characters in different plays.
Mechanism of the Puppets' Heads
•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.
•The movement of the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth of the puppet heads is achieved
by the main puppeteer.
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?
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.
Our puppets are a lot smaller in size.
AMERICAN PUPPETRY
AMERICAN PUPPETRY
Snuggles fabric softenerSalem and Sabrina
Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Moose (1955 – 1985)
Read Between the Lions
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