Banraku Puppetry

Named for its founder, Uemura Bunrakuken, this Japanese theatre form started in the 16th century. In Bunraku, master puppeteers, visible to the audience, control large puppet dolls, while a narrator tells the story. The larger puppets, which can be as tall as five feet, are operated by three man teams. The most experienced man, the only puppeteer allowed to show his face to the audience, operates the head and right arm. The other two puppeteers are completely covered with black cloth - one operates the puppet’s right hand with a rod, the other manipulates the puppet’s legs. Through movement and gestures (and, as always, the audience’s imaginations), great expressiveness can be achieved. Because the puppeteers are visible, spectators can concentrate on the story, or on the skill of the puppeteers. Hopefully, these two perceptions eventually merge into a whole appreciation of the theatrical event - this is what Taymor means by the "double event.