Yoshitsune and the thousand cherry trees : a masterpiece of the eighteenth-century Japanese puppet theater
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Yoshitsune and the thousand cherry trees : a masterpiece of the eighteenth-century Japanese puppet theater
Columbia University Press, c1993
- : pbk
- Other Title
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義経千本桜
大もつ船櫓, 吉の花櫓 : 義経千本桜
Yoshitsune senbonzakura
Available at 25 libraries
Note
"Translations from the Asian classics"--half t.p
Translation of: 義経千本桜
Bibliography: p.[273]-277
Paperback edtion, 2016
Description and Table of Contents
Description
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.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments Introduction Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees Dramatis Personae Prologue Act One Scene 1. The Imperial Palace Scene 2. The Hermitage at North Saga Village Scene 3. The Horikawa Mansion Scene 4. Kawagoe Taro Comes as Envoy Act Two Scene 1. Before the Fushimi Inari Shrine Scene 2. The Tokaiya Act Three Scene 1. The Pasania Tree Scene 2. The Death of Kokingo Scene 3. The Sushi Shop Act Four Scene 1. Michiyuki: The Journey with the Drum Scene 2. The Zao Hall Scene 3. The Conference at the Zao Hall Scene 4. The Mansion of Kawatsura Hogen Scene 5. The Fox Act Five Scene 1. In the Mountains of Yoshino Bibliography
by "Nielsen BookData"