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Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy is a classic play from
Japan's golden age of puppet theater. Written in the eighteenth
century, it tells the tale of Sugawara no Michizane, a wronged
scholar-official who, in death, joins the Shinto pantheon as a
nurturer of scholarship and calligraphy. The story recounts
Sugawara's entanglement with the powerful Fujiwara family, who
accuse Sugawara of plotting against the emperor, resulting in his
exile and death in 903. After a series of misfortunes befall those
who conspired against him, Sugawara's enemies appease his spirit
through deification. Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy
centers on three archetypical brothers and their wives. Their fates
unfold against the intrigues surrounding Sugawara and his foes,
which reflect the cultural values of the Edo period woven into a
stylized past. This annotated translation by Stanleigh H. Jones Jr.
replicates the play's poetic and idiomatic language and its
original mix of register while also clarifying the drama's complex
story and dialogue for students of Japanese literature and drama.
An introduction situates the play within its eighteenth-century
context and ninth-century setting and describes the relationship
between bunraku puppet theater and kabuki. A unique illustrated
appendix delves into the construction of puppets and the art of
puppetry.
A masterpiece of eighteenth-century Japanese puppet theater,
Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees is an action-packed play
set in the aftermath of the twelfth-century Genji-Heike wars. It
follows the adventures of the military commander, Yoshitsune, as he
tries to avoid capture by his jealous older brother and loyal
henchmen. The drama, written by a trio of playwrights, popularizes
Japan's martial past for urban Edo audiences. It was banned only
once in its long history, for a period after World War II, because
occupying American forces feared its nationalizing power. In this
expert translation by Stanleigh H. Jones Jr., readers learn why
Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees became one of the most
influential plays in the repertoires of both kabuki and bunraku
puppet theater. He opens with an introduction detailing the
historical background, production history, and major features of
the bunraku genre, and then pairs his translation of the play with
helpful resources for students and scholars. Emphasizing text and
performance, Jones's translation underlines not only the play's
skillful appropriation of traditional forms but also its brilliant
development of dramatic technique.
A masterpiece of eighteenth-century Japanese puppet theater,
Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees is an action-packed play
set in the aftermath of the twelfth-century Genji-Heike wars. It
follows the adventures of the military commander, Yoshitsune, as he
tries to avoid capture by his jealous older brother and loyal
henchmen. The drama, written by a trio of playwrights, popularizes
Japan's martial past for urban Edo audiences. It was banned only
once in its long history, for a period after World War II, because
occupying American forces feared its nationalizing power. In this
expert translation by Stanleigh H. Jones Jr., readers learn why
Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees became one of the most
influential plays in the repertoires of both kabuki and bunraku
puppet theater. He opens with an introduction detailing the
historical background, production history, and major features of
the bunraku genre, and then pairs his translation of the play with
helpful resources for students and scholars. Emphasizing text and
performance, Jones's translation underlines not only the play's
skillful appropriation of traditional forms but also its brilliant
development of dramatic technique.
Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy is a classic play from
Japan's golden age of puppet theater. Written in the eighteenth
century, it tells the tale of Sugawara no Michizane, a wronged
scholar-official who, in death, joins the Shinto pantheon as a
nurturer of scholarship and calligraphy. The story recounts
Sugawara's entanglement with the powerful Fujiwara family, who
accuse Sugawara of plotting against the emperor, resulting in his
exile and death in 903. After a series of misfortunes befall those
who conspired against him, Sugawara's enemies appease his spirit
through deification. Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy
centers on three archetypical brothers and their wives. Their fates
unfold against the intrigues surrounding Sugawara and his foes,
which reflect the cultural values of the Edo period woven into a
stylized past. This annotated translation by Stanleigh H. Jones Jr.
replicates the play's poetic and idiomatic language and its
original mix of register while also clarifying the drama's complex
story and dialogue for students of Japanese literature and drama.
An introduction situates the play within its eighteenth-century
context and ninth-century setting and describes the relationship
between bunraku puppet theater and kabuki. A unique illustrated
appendix delves into the construction of puppets and the art of
puppetry.
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