OVERVIEW

A timeless story that is Buddhist in its premise and typical in its rhythmic and hypnotic incantatory Noh style. Set in the mountains in rural Japan, a Shomyo Buddhist singer and wanderer-beggar encounters a grieving man who has lost his child, and is still searching hopelessly, unsuccessfully in the forest. He eventually finds solace in a deeper understanding when a bird-god (or a spirit in the form of a bird) gives wisdom as to the interconnectedness of nature, the living trees and wind, and a reminder of the principal that a living thing that dies continues to live on in other living things. The Noh actor culminates this sense of enlightenment and understanding by performing a traditional Noh hero’s dance. The libretto was created by Tracie Morris and the story was adapted for the stage by Makiko Sakurai.