Show B Is Davit Davi Six Hours in an Aisle Seat AbsorbIng Absorbing Absorbing Absorb Absorb- ing ing- inga a Classical Vengeance TOKYO FAR AR away an and long ago in the fourteenth year of Genroku 1701 during luring the rule of the Toku Toku- I gawa 47 loyal retainers retain retain- ers of the Lord Lor of Ako inspired by thirst for vengeance because of humiliation heaped upon their leader squared the account with a series of blood and acts of sacrifice that still stir the pulse of Japan To give even an outline of the story offered the present generation generation generation genera genera- tion in the form of classical drama a single production of which runs from 3 p. p m. m to 11 p. p m. m with two hours lapsed time consumed by intermissions in intermissions intermissions in- in is out of the question As a time tune consumer any anyone one of Eugene O'Neill's earlier dramas would have been a mere curtain- curtain raiser and Pars al a one-act one skit compared with The liThe Seven Forty-Seven The za Kabuki-za Theater where the production is given every two years for a period of three weeks boasts the largest revolving stage in the Far East With a seating capacity of 1600 at prices ranging from yen in the stalls and dress circle to in in the upper circle the yen reckoned as a Japanese Japanese Japanese Jap Jap- anese dollar the house packed for every performance and the audience audience audience au au- au- au being fed at six restaurants during the several intermissions this vengeance drama drags down what New York managers term important money Death Scene No 1 In death scene No One mon man Ichimura the outstanding thespian suicide in the kingdom approached approached approached ap ap- ap- ap the tragic moment in a beautiful ul setting of silver and jade kneeling on an immaculate mat himself clothed in no less than five white kimonos trimmed in pea green While murmuring regret at atthe atthe atthe the necessity for extinguishing his life llie in the presence of 46 brother kneeling in the background he removed his raiment layer by layer as one peels a Bermuda onion onion onion on on- ion and with such deliberation as asto asto asto to create a suspense indescribable in its intensity At precisely 5 05 slowly like one unaccustomed to haste using the pressure of both hands he inserted inserted inserted in in- at the base of his ribs on the left side of his body a short dagger to its hilt his eyes fixed on space Simultaneously the orchestra orches orches- tra consisting of a piece one-piece stringed instrument augmented by bya a human voice trained to express mortal agony put forth from a curtained bamboo-curtained loft located 15 feet above the wings on the right side of the stage a burst of vocal and musical anguish that chilled the blood Ichimura under perfect control then proceeded to carry carryon on ona ona a conversation apparently with his conscience in which he reviewed reviewed re re- re- re viewed viewed the business in hand Withdraws Dagger at At 5 30 he withdrew the blade examined the crimson stain carefully carefully carefully care care- fully and slumped forward in a heap the weapon clutched in his fingers The orchestra put forth fortha a discordant note or two sign signifying signifying signify signify- ying y- y ing the end of the slain self-slain lying in his numerous garments like one who had fallen from fran fa fa- tigue At this juncture a henchman henchman henchman hench hench- man with tenderness in every gesture gesture gesture ture took possession of the dagger das das- ger smoothed out the white and green garb of the departed and placed incense b the silent figure The hands of my watch recorded within two minutes of one hour from the thrust to the end Behind the living screen of his comrades the still form was lifted lifted lifted lift lift- ed into a palanquin brought into the palace to receive heroic clay Parting they revealed the lifeless sacrifice to the ancient code The suggestion of death was perfect the auditorium silent as a tomb It is written When the master is insulted his vassal dies With vengeance complete the remaining 46 followed Ako by committing committing committing com com- kiri hara-kiri on one and the same day Public Rushes for Food In acting and in stagecraft it was magnificent this pretense of reality recalled fro fron n the feudal past Immediately following this scene the audience one and all made madea a rush for the six restaurants ready to serve light or heavy repasts repasts repasts re re- re- re pasts in accordance with the public hunger and took nourishment thus fortifying themselves to look upon the talented Ichimura perform another between eight and nine the same evening one in which he used a standard sized sword all but disemboweling disemboweling disemboweling himself In a technical sense this artist aimed to show how a would behave in comparison with an aristocrat as depicted in the kiri hara-kiri first described He showed that gentlemen prefer complete serenity ty even in their dealing with death and deliberation as well Copyright Service |