I am a lucky girl. Very lucky…

I get to meet these fantastic people: traditional Edo marionette compagnie “Isshiza”.

Here is their BLOG: http://blog.livedoor.jp/isshiza/?p=16

and here is their new website: http://acephale.jp/

They are avid travelers, this summer they toured in Italy together with theatre writer Akuta Masahiko, doing workshops and performing a piece on Artaud, in Bologna at the University, Centro La Soffitta del Dipartimento delle Arti (DAR) – Università di Bologna,

an article is here:

http://www.e20romagna.it/eventi/akuta-mashaiko-e-yuki-hisshi-24-ore-con-artaud-centro-la-soffitta-bologna/

and Palermo, at the “Museo Antonio Pasqualino” :

http://www.museodellemarionette.it/

you can read an article about that here:

http://www.viaggiarteecucina.it/wordpress/2015/11/ito-ayatsuri-ningyo-shibai-teatro-di-figura-al-museo-delle-marionette-a-pasqualino/

“Yuki Isshi, Edo Marionette Puppeteer, born in 1948 as the third son of Yuki Magosaburo X; in 1972 he was awarded the name of Isshi III, running now his own puppet compagnie “Isshiza”, combining traditional vocally handed-down plays with contemporary avant garde pieces. …”

Now they are back home in Tokyo:

Josiane Keller “Edo hanga in the studio” (2015)

Josiane Keller “Artaud marionettes and nobleman with princess marionettes” (2015)

Josiane Keller “marionette puppeteer Mr Isshi Youki” (2015)

Josiane Keller “Mr and Mrs Youki – puppeteers” (2015)

A Japanese marionette cross is a bit different from a typical Western one, it is not actually a “cross” at all, it looks like this:

Josiane Keller “Japanese marionette cross” (2015)

(I had to take these pictures, as otherwise I will never remember…)

Lesson One: ‘learning how to walk’:

Josiane Keller “puppet workshop – learning how to walk” (2015)

Script reading, Mr. Youki has learned the correct voice from his father, and it is, indeed, magnificent:

Josiane Keller “puppeteer Isshi Youki at script reading” (2015)

Josiane Keller “puppeteer Keita Youki – son” (2015)

Josiane Keller “puppeteer Nobuhisa Kaneko at script reading” (2015)

And then the gorgeous puppets… an elegant princess:

Josiane Keller “Isshiza marionette princess” (2015)

the process of ‘sitting down’ alone is most elegant:

Josiane Keller “Isshiza marionette princess – the process of sitting down” (2015)

Josiane Keller “Isshiza marionette princess sitting” (2015)

she seems a bit shy… :

 Josiane Keller “Nobuhisa Kaneko and Isshiza marionette princess” (2015)

Josiane Keller “Isshiza marionette princess walking” (2015)

* There is plenty more, but I am actually taking a break right now, so please check back for more later!