Kabuki-West

by Karen Sunde

Overview

Kabuki Macbeth, Richard III Achilles – whose style is “dazzling” “haiku-like” CHICAGO SUN-TIMES; “best of two worlds...fascinating” OAKLAND TRIBUNE “resounds with Kabuki’s passion, fascination...in Sunde's adaptation, Zen philosophy engrained into the story, not imposed” L.A.DAILY NEWS “Essence of passion. Sunde's play compresses Homeric epic, is lucid and direct…makes you see and hear with awakened eyes and ears.” THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

These Kabuki versions of classic stories bring on ghostly spinners of fate, as in KABUKI MACBETH’s severed heads, hanging sword, resounding temple bell, humans metamorphosing to demons, while KABUKI RICHARD III presents Richard as Shiva, the god who dances creation and destruction, and reveals a hidden family drama to make Borgias blush, and ACHILLES’ war-prize concubine narrates his rage, including his sea goddess mother, Thetis, his fight with a corpse-choked river, a wall of shields, and Hector of Troy, before finding peace in his enemy's embrace.

These plays were originally created for professional American actors working in a Japanese tradition, directed by Shozo Sato, a master of Zen arts awarded the “Order of the Sacred Treasure” by the Emperor of Japan. Since then, other college, high school, even grade school students have taken exuberant delight (with their audiences) in creating their own productions of Kabuki plays I’ve written. KABUKI OTHELLO and KABUKI LADY MACBETH, not included here, are available from www.dramaticpublishing.com

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013911062
Publisher:	Karen Sunde
Publication date:	03/04/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	980 KB

About the Author

Karen Sunde is an actor turned writer who performed many roles Off-Broadway, was Associate Director of CSC Repertory, New York. Her plays produced Off-Broadway, in regional theatres, on a USA tour, and abroad - in eleven countries and seven languages.
Published plays: DARK LADY, produced Abbey Theatre, Ireland, Aalborg State Theatre, Denmark; BALLOON, won 3 VILLAGER awards Off Broadway, nominated Best Play by Outer Critics Circle, aired Radio France; HAITI: A DREAM in FACING FORWARD, produced Seven Stages, Atlanta, aired WNYC, WHYY, NPR; TO MOSCOW, premiered Ankara National Theatre, Turkey, Chain Lightning, NYC; OH WILD WEST WIND in ROWING TO AMERICA, produced Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey. PLAYS BY KAREN SUNDE includes TRUTH TAKES A HOLIDAY, read at La MaMa, NYC; IN A KINGDOM BY THE SEA*, and HOW HIS BRIDE CAME TO ABRAHAM* (re-published singly), produced PTNJ, Praxis Theatre Project, NYC, The Unicorn, Kansas City, THE FASTEST WOMAN ALIVE, produced Luna Stage, NJ, Praxis, NYC, KABUKI LADY MACBETH, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, 2 JEFF awards. KABUKI OTHELLO, Peoples Light and Theatre, Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, Wisdom Bridge, Chicago. ANTON, HIMSELF Actors Theatre of Louisville, Moscow Art Theatre, Yalta Festival, Russia, PLT, PA. Scenes: TO MOSCOW; ANTON, HIMSELF; MASHA, TOO, and HOW HIS BRIDE CAME TO ABRAHAM in Meriwether “BEST NEW PLAY” audition books. Smith & Kraus BEST STAGE MONOLOGUES.
Among others: for Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Acting Company, NYC, Peoples Light and Theatre Co, PA: KABUKI MACBETH, KABUKI KING RICHARD, and ACHILLES, which toured Hungary, Cyprus, and Japan. Musical QUASIMODO, at Byrdcliffe Festival, Woodstock, and Lahti City Theatre, Finland. For Cheltenham Center for the Arts, PA, LA PUCELLE (ME & JOAN) and DADDY'S GONE A-HUNTING (TRACKING BLOOD WHITE). In New York: Chain Lightning, WHEN REAL LIFE BEGINS, The Working Theatre, 2020 SEXCARE as part of FREE MARKET; for Table and Chair Handmade Theatre , PLEASE GOD, NO WEDDING OR SHOOTING AT THE END!, opera: SPA, A JOY OF WOMEN’S DESIRING with Michael Roman Dilthey; La MaMa’s SWEET LAND OF FIRE.
Of Sunde’s screenplays, four optioned see www.howardshulman.com; also COUNTDOWN, PARALLEL LOVES. DREAM HOUSE, TRIPPING TAMMY, FINAL QUEST: THE MOUNTAIN OF THE GODS, LOVE HITS EARTH, NEXT!, adaptations of HOW HIS BRIDE CAME TO ABRAHAM (www.AbrahamFilm.org), IN A KINGDOM BY THE SEA.

Editorial Reviews

MACBETH resounds with Kabuki’s passion, fascination. KABUKI MACBETH works. In fact, it works far better than one could have reasonably expected. ...Surprisingly enough, in Sunde's adaptation, the Zen philosophy seems engrained into the story, not imposed on top of it. ..the images prove striking...more and more frightening as Macbeth's lust for power turns into obsession and finally madness."

Tom Jacobs

ACHILLES “the essence of passion. Sunde's play, which compresses the Homeric epic into manageable proportions, is lucid and direct. ... The play...makes you see and hear with awakened eyes and ears.”

Clifford A. Ridley

“ACHILLES is a stunning production that succeeds on every level... it's moving as an antiwar statement, it's visually dazzling, and it crosses every chronological, national and gender boundary.” “Critic’s Pick”

Toby Zinman

"The best of two worlds... fascinatingly enjoyable Sunde's writing fluctuates between direct, modern statement and poetic imagery...the play works very well. This is a terrific show.”

William Glackin