Japanese puppet troupe shows off craft
Published Oct. 9, 2007
Across the way from the UM system Board of Curators meeting in Memorial Union, an audience of MU students and Columbia residents watched a demonstration of Japanese puppetry in Jesse Wrench Auditorium. The Imada Puppet Troupe of Iida City, Japan, gave the demonstration.
The troupe gave a presentation about traditional Japanese puppetry, which involves puppets that require three puppeteers who can maneuver the puppets' arms, fingers and even eyebrows. After the formal demonstrations, the floor was opened for questions and hands-on interaction with the puppets.
The Bunraku Bay Puppet Troupe, which is led by MU Japanese Studies Coordinator Martin Holman, helped audience members operate the puppets.
Holman, who began practicing traditional Japanese puppetry in 1993, said he is the first non-Japanese person perform the art form.
