The Elephant
- 2012/2013 Season
- Performed in Japanese
- THE PIT
PERFORMANCES
2013 Jul.2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Wed
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July, 2013
The Elephant (Zou) is an early effort by playwright Betsuyaku Minoru that has become one of his signature works. This will be a revival of the production mounted here in 2010, which drew strong reactions with its innovative production and unusual perspective.
A man has a keloid on his back that he got from the blast of the atomic bomb. He goes about showing it to people on the street, soliciting cheers and applause. His nephew wants him to stop, telling him that no one feels love or hate or revulsion for the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) any longer - hibakusha will always be kindly tolerated. Thus, he argues, we have an obligation to suffer our pain in silence.
The play is muted in tone, yet penetrating in its insights. In its depiction of the contrasting views of two men, the marginalization of hibakusha in society, and the anguish they experience, The Elephant (Zou) speaks to the existential anxiety that underlies the entire human condition. The Elephant (Zou) sent shockwaves through the Japanese theatre scene upon its premiere in 1962. Fukatsu Shigefumi is again directing the production, which will include some subtle tweaks made since it premiered in 2010.
After the close of its Tokyo run, The Elephant (Zou) is slated to be performed at a number of theatres across Japan.
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