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BAM / Peter Jay Sharp Building / 30 Lafayette Avenue / Brooklyn, New York 11217
Throne of Blood
Dear Educator:
Welcome to the Study Guide for Throne of Blood, directed by Ping Chong,
an original stage adaptation of Akira Kurosawas 1957 film of the same
name based on William Shakespeares Macbeth. Co-commissioned by
BAM and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, this production interprets
Kurosawas legendary film for contemporary American audiences. The
medieval Japanese setting and timeless tale of murder and treachery will
intrigue students and inspire learning in many areas.
The BAM program includes: this study guide; a pre-performance workshop
in your classroom led by a BAM teaching artist; and the performance on
November 12th (1 hour 40 minutes with no intermission) immediately
followed by a post-show discussion (3040 minutes.)
Please arrange for your students to stay and participate in this
unique question-and-answer session.
A Unique Opportunity!
BAM will present a special screening of Akira Kurosawas 1957 film
Throne of Blood on Thursday, November 4, at 10:30AM for classes attending the stage production on November 12. BAM strongly encourages
teachers to attend this screening with their classes. Students and teachers
attending this screening and the live performance will have the enriching
experience of comparing how two master artists tell the same classic tale
of power and corruption through different media.
Synopsis
(Excerpted in part from the Oregon Shakespeare Festivals program)
In war-torn medieval Japan, Lord Kuniharu, ruler of Spider Web Castle,
faces rebellion from neighboring warlords. He summons two of his generals, Washizu and Miki, who have stopped an enemy attack. En route,
Washizu and Miki, lost in the fog of Spider Web Forest, encounter an old
Forest Spirit who predicts that Washizu will be named Lord of the North
Garrison, and eventually ruler of Spider Web Castle and that Miki will be
named Lord of the First Fortress and that one day his son, Yoshiteru, will
inherit Spider Web Castle. When Washizu and Miki arrive at the castle,
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Lord Kuniharu grants them the first round of honors predicted by the spirit.
Washizus wife, Asaji, argues that Washizu must kill Kuniharu and his
old friend Miki to secure the prophecies. Washizu protests that he has no
treasonous ambitions. Lord Kuniharu and his men arrive and stay at the
North Garrison for the night while Miki watches over Spider Web Castle.
Asaji gives Kuniharus guards drugged sake, and Washizu murders him.
Washizus guilt is obvious. Kuniharus son, the Prince, wants to avenge
his fathers death immediately, but the old general Noriyasu convinces
him to flee and bide his time. Washizu brings Lord Kuniharus body to
Spider Web Castle for a funeral. Miki backs Washizu as Kuniharus successor. Washizu announces plans to adopt Mikis son as his heir to follow
the spirits prophecies. Asaji reports that shes pregnant. Miki departs for
a banquet in honor of Washizus succession, but never arrivesexcept as
a ghost, which haunts only the guilt-crazed Washizu. An assassin reports
that he killed Miki but his son escaped. Asajis child is stillborn. Washizus
enemiesYoshiteru, Noriyasu, and the Princejoin forces with a rival
lord, and are closing in on the castle. The Forest Spirit tells Washizu that
until the forest itself advances on him, he will be safe. Washizu boasts
of the prophecies to his men. When the trees do advancethe enemy in
camouflageWashizus men unleash a flood of arrows on him.
THIS STUDY GUIDE aims to help you prepare your students for the performance and film at BAM and to connect to your curriculum. It provides
information and activities aligned with the NYC ELA Performance Standards and the NYC Department of Educations Blueprint for Teaching and
Learning in the Arts.
We hope this program inspires you and your students as you experience
the spectacular Throne of Blood.
Table Of Contents
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3: Transforming Macbeth
4: Akira Kurosawas film
5: Ping Chongs adaptation
6: The Design Team
8: Japanese Culture & History
9: Themes & Key Scenes
10: Curriculum Connections
Transforming
Macbeth
First performed more than 400 years ago, William Shakespeares Macbeth
continues to fascinate audiences with its tale of bloody ambition. Directors
have adapted the play for film including Orson Welles (1948) and Roman
Polanski (1971). Some film versions depart from Shakespeares text
but echo the plot such as Scotland, PA (2001) re-imagined in a small
town fast-food restaurant, and Macbool (2004), a Bollywood film set
in the criminal underworld. Foremost among these film adaptations is
Akira Kurosawas Throne of Blood (1957). Critics contend that it is an
extraordinary interpretation of Shakespeares original although it includes
not a single line from the play. Kurosawa moves beyond adaptation.
Rather than just transposing the play to another era, in this case, feudal
Japan, he synthesizes elements of Japanese culture into the story, themes,
and characters offering a new perspective on a timeless classic. Ping
Chongs stage adaptation of Throne of Blood interprets Kurosawas film
and synthesizes fresh layers of cultural significance for contemporary
audiences. We can uncover meaning in these works by looking at them
individually and by considering their intersections and parallels.
WHAT IS DIFFERENT
SAMURAI MACBETH
IN THE NOH
Kurosawa weaves elements of Noh theater throughout his film and Ping
Chong furthers the Noh influences in his stage adaptation. The oldest form
of Japanese theater, Noh is highly stylized and symbolic. Kurosawa and
Chong use Noh influences to emphasize aspects of Japanese culture and
deepen themes. Neither director uses authentic Noh techniques but rather
interpret and integrate Noh style in their approaches.
POETRY TO IMAGERY
Kurosawa does not use a single line from Macbeth in Throne of Blood, but
he succeeds in conjuring powerful images that provide visual equivalents
to the poetic text. In his book, The Warriors Camera, critic Stephen Prince
writes, In Throne of Blood, the signifiers of word and image are no longer
interchangeable, and the verbal texture of the play is transformed into a
dense, elaborate patterning of image and sound. Look for these scenes
in the film as examples of Kurosawas visual poetry that echoes the text:
- Washizu enters a blood stained room that cannot be washed clean
where a traitor killed himself.
- Following intense scenes between Washizu and Asaji, horses outside
the castle become frantic and uncontrollable.
- As Washizu plans his defense of the castle, a flock of birds suddenly
swarms into the room.
- Washizu and Miki get lost in the forest outside the castle endlessly
circling.
Ask students What is visually poetic about these scenes? How do
the images affect the story? How do they echo Shakespeares poetic
language? Notice how Ping Chong translates these visual moments from
the film.
Akira Kurosawa
SCREENPLAY TO SCRIPT
The stage adaptation is in English translated from the Japanese screenplay
and expanded. While retaining Kurosawas original intentions, Chong
substantially augmented the spare dialogue and wrote a play. He wanted
modern American audiences to be able to relate to the plays context and
characters. Critics call Kurosawas film deliberately cold and distant.
Chongs aim was to warm up the story by making the characters more
accessible to viewers. He does this by fleshing out the relationships
between characters and softening some of the plays formality with
emotion. Chong also infuses the production with moments of humor not
found in the film.
The De
VISION &
COLLABORATION:
The team of designers that Ping Chong assembled for Throne of Blood
collaborated over two years. While they were granted permission to use
Kurosawas screenplay, they were prohibited from using the film. Chong
and the designers found the refusal liberating. They felt freer to imagine
their own version of Throne of Blood and embrace the distinct possibilities
of a theatrical context rather than try to recreate the film. Set designer
Christopher Acebo explained, We can give a visual-auditory-spatial
experience thats unique that does not happen in film.
~PING CHONG.
Weve taken the film sensibility and filtered it through theatrical design.
Christopher Acebo, Set Designer
Be sure to notice..COLOR
The black, grey and white palette reflects the colorless film. Only Washizu
and Asaji wear color. Notice the gold for greed and red for death. How,
when and why does the color change?
The materials Mar selected for the costumes mean to add depth and weight.
Chong and Mar see costumes as architecture in the stage space. Mar looks
at fabrics and textures as extensions of the characters. How do the costumes
move onstage? What is the effect of combining period and modern?
As fantastical as the helmets may seem, Mar explains that the headpieces
worn in the production are fairly true to the helmets of medieval Japan.
What do the helmets seem to reveal about character, status, and culture?
sign Team
LIGHTING Exacting Control
ACTING COMPANY
While Kurosawas cast consisted entirely of Japanese actors, Chongs
company is multi-ethnic. He points out that this reflects the contemporary
American audience and helps to make the plays universal themes more
recognizable. Chong deliberately cast a Japanese actress trained in Noh
theater techniques as Asaji to reinforce the characters Noh stylization and
to underline Asajis cultural confinement. During the rehearsal process, the
actors worked with an Akido master of Japanese martial arts who trained
the performers to move in a Japanese theatrical style with a low center of
gravity. Chongs artistic approach is choreographic in nature. How does
the actors movement add to the atmosphere of the play? How does their
physicality expand your understanding of the characters?
Japanese
Noh Theater emerged from traditional Japanese folktales and dances more
than 600 years ago and has since continued. Considered a living art form,
it remains popular in Japan today. In Noh, form is story. Performances
combine poetry, music, song and dance in an intense and controlled
presentation that most modern audiences find alien. Yet, for Japanese
audiences and others familiar with the art form, Noh intrigues with its
highly stylized enactments of well-known stories. Distinct from theater
of realism and naturalism, Noh plays are ritualistic, abstract in style with
minimal scenery and a symbolic use of props. Kabuki, another Japanese
theater form, evolved from Noh and includes many of its core elements.
OLD TALES: Throne of Bloods Forest Spirit is from a Noh dance drama
in which travelers meet a kindly old woman who is actually an evil spirit.
MASKS: Lead actors wear masks thought to give them power and which
represent their character type. In Throne of Blood, Asajis make up and
Washizus facial expressions resemble Noh masks.
MEDIEVAL JAPAN
The Sengoku Period was a golden age for the Samurai warrior. Rising
from the ranks, these fierce Japanese warriors were members of the
military nobility. The culture of the samurai, later called the way of the
warrior, revolved around honor and freedom from the fear of death.
Samurais both demanded and behaved with the highest honor. A true
samurai would fight fearlessly for his master, and die honorably rather
than surrender in defeat. Their belief system and fantastic fighting skills
(long sword, longbow, and hand-to-hand combat) made the samurai
revered in their time and today. What elements of samurai culture
appear in the play? Is Washizu a true samurai?
express actions.
Themes
And
Key Scenes
Themes, symbols, motifs and key scenes in Shakespeares Macbeth reemerge and transform in Kurosawas film Throne of Blood and Chongs
stage adaptation.
MAJOR THEMES
KEY SCENES
Free Will & Fate: Macbeth has choices and opts to pursue power through
evil means. Washizu is destined to fulfill the prophecies. How does Chong
emphasize Washizus fate? Did his downfall seem inevitable and deserved?
SYMBOLS & MOTIFS
BLOOD: Shakespeares text refers to blood. Directors often use fake blood.
In Kurosawas colorless film, blood is present but not vivid. Chong does not
use stage blood, but symbolizes it in costumes and lighting.
SUPERNATURAL: Shakespeares three witches are dark and foreboding.
Kurosawas single witch is spooky and entirely white as is Mikis
ghost when he appears to Washizu at the banquet. Notice how Chong
depicts the supernatural in sound and lighting. How is the supernatural
frightening in the production?
WEATHER: Shakespeares opening scene includes the line, Fair is foul
and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air immediately creating
atmosphere. Kurosawas film is filled with inclement weather. How does
weather feel and what does it seem to mean in Chongs adaptation?
CIRCLES: Different from Shakespeare, Kurosawa uses circles throughout
his film to represent the cyclical nature of mans destructiveness and to
relate to Buddhist beliefs. The film has a circular structure beginning and
ending in ruin. How does Chong expand on the circular motif?
NATURE: The original text includes images of animals and nature. We hear
and see birds and horses in Kurosawas film. How does Chong incorporate
nature and animals and what meanings do they seem to have?
CASTLE & FOREST: Present in Macbeth but highly symbolic in Throne of
Blood as the contrast between man and nature.
Curriculum
These activities can support your class in seeing Ping Chongs stage
adaptation of Throne of Blood. You can also use or adapt some of the
activities to explore Kurosawas film or Shakespeares Macbeth.
Conn
ANALYZING FILM
Screen clips from Kurosawas film in your classroom. Watch it without
sound or subtitles and focus on the visual images. Track Kurosawas use
of camera techniques. View and compare the first three scenes in the film
and in another film version of Macbeth that adheres to Shakespeares text.
Performance Standards: E3d; E5a.
Blueprint: Theater Making, Making Connections
FILM VIEWING PROMPTS
Divide the class into FIVE groups outlined below and assign each group
the related viewing task for Kurosawas film. Afterwards, discuss the
impact of each element on the effectiveness of the film.
~Cinematography: Note camera angles and motion and transitions in
the film. In the stage adaptation, notice movement onstage and visual
composition of scenes.
~Acting: Note how actors use body language, voice and facial expressions.
~Editing: Note sequence, transitions and how scenes relate.
~Setting: Pay attention to how locations are established. Notice
background and details.
~Music: Note the mood and style and the action onscreen.
Performance Standards: E3b; E3d
Blueprint: Film Literacy
PLAY VIEWING PROMPTS
Adapt the activity above to analyze Chongs production. Divide students
into these SIX groups:
~Staging: How do actors move and fill the space onstage? What is the
style of the action?
~Acting: Note body language, voice and facial expressions.
~Costume: Notice colors and detail, textures and movement.
~Lighting: Watch for brightness and shadows. Note mood.
~Setting: Pay attention to when and how locations are established.
~Music & Sound: Notice the range and use of sounds and the effect.
Performance Standards: E3b; E5a.
Blueprint: Theater Literacy.
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nnections
Before or After seeing the film or play...
MISSING MACDUFF
In Throne of Blood, there is no character equivalent to Shakespeares
Macduff in Macbeth. Ask students to write about this major difference and
how it changes the meaning.
Performance Standards: E2b, E5a.
Blueprint: Making Connections
HISTORY & CLOTHING
Have students research and analyze the meaning of traditional Japanese
Samurai-era clothing and how it represents social status and other cultural
values. Ask students to imagine what it would be like to live and move
in these clothes. How are the costumes in Throne of Blood similar or
different from authentic Japanese clothing? In the stage adaptation, how
are the costumes a modern riff on tradition?
Performance Standards: E2a; E5a.
Blueprint: Theater Litearcy, Making Connections
THE MASK EFFECT
Discuss how masks are used in Noh theater and other kinds of
performance. Bring in simple, neutral masks. Ask small groups of student
volunteers to demonstrate by wearing a mask. Coach students in masks to
physically express a range of emotions suggested by you or by the class.
How does a mask change our response to a person or character? What is
required of an actor wearing a mask?
Performance Standards: E3b; E5a.
Blueprint: Theater Making, Theater Literacy
UNDERSTANDING FEUDALISM
Research feudalism in Western Europe and in Japan. Create a chart that
depicts the feudal hierarchical structure. Who is in power and who serves
whom? How did the European and Japanese systems differ?
Performance Standards: E1c, E2a.
Blueprint: Making Connections
SUPERNATURAL BELIEFS
Study the history of the supernatural. How did people feel about ghosts
and witches in Shakespeares day? How does Japanese culture interpret
and relate to supernatural elements? How is it the same or different?
BUDDHIST INFLUENCE
Survey students about their ideas of Buddhism. Have small groups
research the development and influence of Buddhism around the world.
Discuss as a class why the central beliefs of Buddhism are relevant to
Throne of Blood.
Performance Standards: E3b; E5a.
Blueprint: Making Connections
RESOURCES
Ping Chong & Company
www.pingchong.org
Oregon Shakespeare Festivals Plays from the World Stage: Throne of
Blood guide.
http://www.osfashland.org/_dwn/plays/TOB_worldstage.pdf
Asia Society
http://asiasociety.org/
Paley Center for Media
www.paleycenter.org/
Museum of the Moving Image
http://www.movingimage.us
Folger Shakespeare Library
www.folger.edu, Teach & Learn
Japan Society
http://www.japansociety.org/
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Akira Kurosawa. Webpage. British Film Institute. http://www.bfi.org.uk/
features/kurosawa/index.html
Crogan, Patrick. Translating Kurosawa. Senses of Cinema. 2000.
<http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/cteq/00/9/kurosawa.html>
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BAM Education is dedicated to bringing the most vibrant, exciting artists and
their creations to student audiences. The department presents performances and
screenings of theater, dance, music, opera, and film in a variety of programs. In
addition to the work on stage, programs take place both in school and at BAM
that give context for the performances, and include workshops with artists and
BAM staff members, study guides, and classes in art forms that young people may
never have had access to before. These programs include Shakespeare Teaches,
AfricanDanceBeat, AfricanMusicBeat, Dancing into the Future, Young Critics,
Young Film Critics, Brooklyn Reads, Arts & Justice, and our Screening programs,
as well as topically diverse professional development workshops for teachers and
administrators.
BAM Education also serves family audiences with BAMfamily concerts, the
BAMfamily Book Brunch, and the annual BAMkids Film Festival. In addition,
BAM Education collaborates with the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
to provide an arts and humanities curriculum to students who perform on stage in
BAMs DanceAfrica program.
Humanities at BAM
BAM produces humanities programs, including the Artist Talk series, in order to
enrich audiences experience during the Next Wave Festival and the Spring Season.
The department also presents the Eat, Drink & Be Literary series in partnership
with the National Book Awards.
For more information about our programs, please call 718.636.4130 x1 or visit
www.bam.org
Department of Education and Humanities Department Staff:
Suzanne Youngerman, Ph.D.: Director
John P. Tighe, DMA: Assistant Director
Violaine Huisman: Humanities Manager
John S. Foster, Ph.D.: Education Manager
Jennifer Leeson: Administrative Coordinator
Nathan Gelgud: Box Office Manager/Program Associate
Leah King: Program Coordinator
Camille Miller: Intern
Study Guide Writer:
Heather Lester is currently a teaching artist at BAM, a consultant for the New York
State Council on the Arts Empire State Partnerships, a teacher workshop leader for
the Folger Shakespeare Library, and a program evaluator for CUNYs Creative Arts
Team. She has worked at the Center for Arts Education as the Associate Program
Director for Grantmaking and at the Creative Arts Team at New York University
(NYU) where she coordinated the Paul A. Kaplan Center for Educational Drama.
While in graduate school at NYU, she co-founded and produced the New York
City Student Shakespeare Festival. She has served as a consultant for BAMs
Shakespeare Teaches Teachers, Young Audiences/New Jersey, Hudson Valley
Shakespeare Festival, Scarsdale School District and the English Speaking Unions
National Shakespeare Competition.
All Photos by Jenny Graham. unless otherwise indicated.
The BAM facilities are owned by the City of New York and benefit from public funds
provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with support
from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin;
the New York City Council including Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Finance
Committee Chair Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy
Van Bramer, the Brooklyn Delegation of the Council, and Councilwoman Letitia
James; and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.
The BAM facilities are owned by the City of New York and benefit from public funds
provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with support
from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; Cultural Affairs Commissioner Kate D. Levin;
the New York City Council including Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Finance
Committee Chair Domenic M. Recchia, Jr., Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy
Van Bramer, the Brooklyn Delegation of the Council, and Councilwoman Letitia
James; and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.