We were involved with a kyogen performance by the Okura School, Shigayama family of performers from Kyoto last week at U. Chicago. Kyogen is mostly a comic form of theater and the performers did a great job transcending the language barrier. The crowd really seemed to enjoy it.

There were three plays. The first, “Sanbaso”, is more of a ceremonial dance with just a few performers and three musicians. It is usually performed as a celebration of fertility, good harvests, and the New Year. There are similar sacred plays in noh and kabuki.

The second play, “Kaki Yamabushi”, was about a priest stealing persimmons from a farmer's tree. The farmer tricks him into imitating various animals, and he jumps out of the tree imitating a bird, injuring his hip.

The third play, "Kusabira", was about a house infested with giant Matango-like mushrooms. The owner of the house gets a priest and the two try to get rid of the mushrooms, but a giant leader-mushroom appears and drives them out triumphantly. The little mushrooms were played by kids from a school workshop.

Sambaso






Kaki Yamabushi






Kusabira