2. Bunraku Theatre

3. What is Bunraku? A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the 17 th century (1600s).

4. WHERE IS JAPAN?

5. HERE WE ARE!! JAPAN!!

6. Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre: The puppets are large = 1/2 life size.

7. Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.): Takes up to 3 puppeteers to operate 1 puppet.

8. 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.):

9. 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.):

10. Shamisen Player Music was used to support the action and set the mood required by a special play or scene.

11. Bunraku Theatres

12. Structure of the Stage STAGE Shamisen Player and Chanter

13. Stage View close up

14. Structure of the stage

15. 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.

16. 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.

18. Types of Heads

19. Different male role Heads

20. Female Heads

21. Special Roles

22. Puppet Costumes Puppeteers take part in what is called the dressing of the doll.

24. 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.

25. AMERICAN PUPPETRY

28. Snuggles fabric softener Salem and Sabrina Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Moose (1955 – 1985) Read Between the Lions

29. BUNRAKU NOTES: 1. A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the 17 th 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