Bunraku Theatre

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Bunraku Theatre
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What is Bunraku?
A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the 17th
century (1600s).
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WHERE IS JAPAN?
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HERE WE ARE!!
JAPAN!!
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Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre
The puppets are large 1/2 life size.
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Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.)
Takes up to 3 puppeteers to operate 1 puppet.
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Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.)
The head puppeteer operates the head and right
arm.
The two lower ranked puppeteers operate the left
arm and legs.
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Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.)
The main stories of Bunraku were history and
conflicts (human emotions versus loyalty).
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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.
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Shamisen Player
Music was used to support the action and set the
mood required by a special play or scene.
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Bunraku Theatres
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Structure of the Stage
STAGE
Shamisen Player and Chanter
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Stage View close up
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Structure of the stage
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The heads
PUPPET CHARACTERISTICS
Same head might be used for different characters
in different plays.

• They are even repainted to give the right skin
  tone, or the wig might be changed.

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Mechanism of the Puppets' Heads

• The movement of the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth of
  the puppet heads is achieved by the main
  puppeteer.

• 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.

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Types of Heads
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Different male role Heads
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Female Heads
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Special Roles
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Puppet Costumes

• Puppeteers take part in what is called the
  dressing of the doll.

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What makes Banraku Different from American Puppet
Story Telling?
Our puppets are a lot smaller in size.
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.
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AMERICAN PUPPETRY
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AMERICAN PUPPETRY
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Read Between the Lions
Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Moose (1955 1985)
Snuggles fabric softener
Salem and Sabrina
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BUNRAKU NOTES

• A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the 17th
  century (1600s).

2. The puppets are 1/2 life size.

• It takes up to 3 people to operate one puppet.

4. The main stories of Bunraku were history and
conflicts (human emotions versus loyalty).

• There were 2 people on the side of the stage who
  enhanced the story a. Chanter/storyteller
  narrates the story and assumes all the voices
  of the puppets. b. Musician used music to
  support the action and set the mood of the
  story.

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BUNRAKU NOTES
6. The main differences of Bunraku and American
puppets are a. Bunraku stories can take a
whole day to perform. b. You can see the
puppeteers in Bunraku theatre, as opposed to
hidden puppeteers in American usage of
puppets. c. Our puppets are much smaller.