Collaboration with Chester Youth Theatre Club

" Ugetsu Monogatari"

by Ueda Akinari (1776) "Tales of Moonlight and Rain"

Tales of Moonlight and Rain is based on a collection of eight ancient Japanese stories where the focus of the performance is the presence of a KAMISHIBAI.  A Kamishibai was a form of storytelling that used visual images on card and boards. It originated in Japanese Buddhist temples in the 12th century where monks used emakimono (picture scrolls) to convey stories with moral lessons to a mostly illiterate audience. These images were produced for a collaboration with Chester Youth Theatre Club. They were displayed in a replica Kamishibai and reflected the narratives of each performance.