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Spirits of Korea and Poland: New Noh Dzadi (Forefather's Eve)


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New noh: Dzadi-Forefather’s Eve 祖霊祭
Spirits of Poland and Korea come to a Japanese temple


This Polish Japanese coproduction could loosely be described as “new noh”, with buyo, noh, and even awaodori summer folk-dance included. Just three actors, accompanied by violin, hurdy-gurdy, Romanian flute, and folk-song told the tale, the musicians and actors performing role of chorus and cheerleader. Two dancers, one Japanese, the other Polish, and a Polish actor made up the cast. The script written by Jacoba Rodowicz-Czechowska featured three acts. The first two drawn from Romantic poet and playwright Adam Mickiewicz’s 19th century masterwork Forefather’s Eve, Pt. 2 and 4. The last included the climax of the physician/playwright Tada Tomio’s play “A prayer for the grudge.”
If I understand the story correctly—there was no summary in the program, and the first two acts were entirely in Polish, with inadequate (and obscured) titles--it was about a Priest lighting candles in an abandoned church to call the souls of the dead, spirits of forefathers, many in limbo floating souls before they can ascend to Heaven. Two children appear, turned away because they have never struggled; a rich man is harassed by crows and owls, as he was stingy and cruel to them when he was alive. A crazy woman appears—turned away because she never loved? And finally, martyrs are prayed for, those fighting for Poland exiled to Russia after the failed 1830 revolt. Images of other martyrs of that bloody revolt were projected, along with videos of a Czech dissident’s self-immolation, from the 1968 uprising. Tibetan and Korean suicides were also shown. There were names but no backgrounds, just their images projected I guess as a gathering of martyrdom spirits.
The final part, dramatically the most interesting, featured a Korean woman (played by noh actor Shimizu Kanji) in chaebok, with a not-quite-Japanese grandmother mask. With a handkerchief on her head, bent over, it was at once realistic and in the noh style. The flute and shoulder-drum created a new space. This script was drawn from Tada’s play about a young Korean widow who has lost her husband in the war when he was drafted to work in southern Japan, Kyushu. In the after-talk, I questioned whether the author was implying that the Polish resistance to Russian oppression through time was the equivalent to Korea’s history of oppression by Japan. Ever the diplomat, the author said only “maybe,” although here her intent was merely to show a spirit, like the others gathered, with an enduring grudge that can never be assuaged.
The performance was held in Kyoto at the Tokushoji Temple, sponsored by Theatre X. The candles, projections, and dancers created an atmosphere of playful summoning, questioning, and return to limbo of the spirits. In the 20-mat tatami main hall, with 60 or so spectators bearing witness, we could enjoy this earnest, transnational attempt to give voice to those who had died in the struggle for freedom and dignity.
Performers were excellent and looked like they were having fun. The exuberant Bettina Passini, a blonde twenty-something, and Hana Umeda, an darker Japanese woman, were paired throughout, as dancers and actors. Manucha Bikont’s fine voice brought an Eastern European folk urgency to the tales. Tall Piotr Zgorzelski was the intense Priest and Everyman, and also the choreographer. Accompanying musicians were superb, reminding me of the Klezmer vagabond festive players of Jewish tradition.
The new mask carved for the occasion was an old woman of vaguely Asian features, not the typical Japanese uba. Sasaki , the Kyoto-based mask-carver, also carved a cat-mask, half-mask, worn by the singer.
            I look forward to seeing Rodowicz-Czechoska’s other new noh Chopin someday in Kyoto; Shimizu is one to watch—performing in Vienna in September in a Palestinian play….

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