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WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Tonda Puppet Theater of Japan,
under the direction of Hidehiko Tonda, seventh generation
head puppeteer of the Tonda Puppet Theater, will perform
at Wellesley College Thursday, Oct. 16 from 7-9 pm in Jewett
Auditorium. The troupe will also offer a workshop that
day from 10 am to noon in Alumnae Hall Auditorium. Both
events are free and open to the public. Those interested
in the workshop should sign up ahead of time by calling
781-283-3226.
This is a unique opportunity to see the Japanese puppet
theater (bunraku), which dates back to the late 16th century
when the various arts of puppet manipulation, oral narration
and samisen music were combined in a dramatic stage art
that came to be one of the most popular entertainments
in Japan. The four-foot high puppets require three people
to operate them; puppeteers train from childhood in the
art. The stories are taken from a repertory of puppet plays
from the 17th and 18th centuries, illustrating such themes
as the conflict between personal desire and duty (love
vs. loyalty to family).
The events are sponsored by Wellesley College's Japanese
Department, the Kathryn Wasserman Davis '28 Fund for
World Cultures and Leadership, the Committee on Lectures
and Cultural Events and the Mayling Soong Committee.
For more information, call the Wellesley College Japanese
Department at 781-283-3226 or visit the web site http://www.wellesley.edu/Japanese/framea.html,
click on Events and then Tonda Traditional Japanese Bunraku
Puppet Troupe.
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing
an excellent liberal-arts education for women who will
make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near
Boston is home to 2,300 undergraduate students from all
50 states and 68 countries.
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