Puppeteer Shikô Yoshida Speaks at CalArts

Photo courtesy of CalArts School of Theater

CalArts School of Theater, with the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles, presents Awaji Puppet Theatre Company of Osaka’s Shikô Yoshida this evening (Dec. 6) at 5 pm in E407.

Yoshida, a longtime member of the esteemed puppet theatre company, will discuss the work of Awaji Puppet Theatre as well as the significance of Japanese puppetry, which is hundreds of years old. A demonstration of puppet manipulation follows, as well as a Q&A.

Mastery of Japanese puppetry takes a very long time. Practitioners can spend seven years just learning how to manipulate the feet of a puppet and seven more for the left hand. Even more years are required to learn how to move the head and the right hand.

“The members engage in this tradition, understanding both the difficulty and the joy of the art form,” according to the theatre company’s website. “In this current society where mass consumption prevails, many traditional arts have been forgotten, but we eagerly try to absorb and embody the essence of this wonderful traditional art and wish to hand it down to the next generation.”

Above: Awaji Puppet Theatre Company’s 2008 performance in New York.