The play directed by Madoko Okada, Ugetsu Monogatari (The Lust of the Serpent), staged at the ITFoK is a story of darkness and fear inside the human mind. Toyoo, the hero, is fascinated by Manago, a serpent-woman who belongs to another world. He tries his best to get rid of her, but in the end realizes that he loves her howsoever she may be and her love for him is eternal and true. Asked why he chose this story, which is based on a traditional 10th century myth, Okada says that one reasons why he chose this story is in order to reintroduce the earlier value system among the younger people of Japan who were losing their traditional knowledge and wisdom.

This is a common story taught in schools and, therefore, known to most people. It is a story based on the supernatural, but it is not a typical story. The source of death and the spirit are different from other classical stories.

Okada believes that the theatrical space is different from the reality of human life, and the function of theatre is to represent something different from reality. In this story, the serpent represents the supernatural spirit.

He then talks of the principles of Japanese theatre. Japanese theatre pursues aesthetics in stylisation in each and every element concerning the stage, including in the visual elements such as stage design and costumes, as well as for the drama and acting elements.

The artiste’s way of expression is based on the traditional Japanese theatre method, especially in the typical movements such as standing, sitting, walking, with a sprinkling of western-style expression thrown in. In other words, Okada manages to creates an original expression from this fusion.

Linguistically, the emphasis is on the intonation, stress and pitches -- typical and unique to the Japanese language. Like in traditional Japanese theatre, the nuance of the word is recomposed and broken to suit the character.

Stylistically too, the traditional Japanese methods is maintained but various other styles are adopted to lend a certain modernity to the work, a synthesis arrived at by assimilation of several styles.

Asked why he chose to have four actors play the role of the serpent woman, Okada explains, she is the supernatural spirit, the dynamics of four bodies work better to depict her. The next question is why is one of the women played by a man? Okada says this is “to break the regularity of theatrical expression and add an element of surprise” by mixing the male and female energies and body movements.

On the use of umbrellas as a theatrical prop, he says that the original title of the play is Tales of the Moon and the Rain and as rain plays an important part in the narrative, the umbrella protecting a person from rain also comes in as a natural factor.

When I point out that we in India are very familiar with stories involving snakes as spirits, through snake worship, the dance form known as ‘Sarpam Tullal’ and plays like Girish Karnad’s ‘Nagamandala’, Okada acknowledges that he is aware of this and it is precisely why he chose to bring this play to Kerala.

Madoko Okada is a great nephew of Noburu Ogawa, the founder and president of the Lighting Designers & Engineers Association of Japan. His mother is a classical singer. He has been influenced by Shogo Shimada and his Shingeki-style of theatre and has been on stage since the age of six. He studied Noh, Pantomime, Commedia dell’arte, contemporary dance, traditional Japanese dance and other Japanese traditional theatres such as Kabuki and Kagura. He has been awarded the best director prize at the 2007 Toga directors’ contest

--VS