Cheap Seats Narukami: The Thunder God shows Madison how to kabuki

Welcome to Cheap Seats, where every Thursday we’ll talk to folks behind the scenes of the stage events opening around town, in order to give you a flavor of the productions that won’t be found in any of the promo materials.

Narukami: The Thunder God, University Theatre, Feb. 26-Mar. 13

Promo pull-quote: “Narukami is a tale of a powerful ascetic Buddhist priest by the same name, who makes a deal with the emperor to insure that a healthy male heir would be born unto the throne, and in exchange, the emperor would grant Narukami anything he wishes. But when Narukami asks for a temple in his honor, the emperor refuses. As punishment, Narukami traps all the dragon gods of rain, causing a terrible draught. In desperation, the Emperor sends the most beautiful lady of the court, Lady Taema, to seduce Narukami and trick him into revealing the secret of releasing the rain spirits.”

What it’s really about: Kabuki neophytes should understand that the form is unlike Western theater, in that the forces of evil are rarely killed off by the guys in the white hats. Ambiguity is essential to the art form. “Evil elements may get quelled or suppressed, but they rarely die,” says director David Furumoto. “Many kabuki plays have tableau-type endings, and it’s really up to the audience to decide in their minds how they want it to end.”

Fun fact: Kabuki was created in the 1600s by a woman named Okuni, but later became a completely all-male form due to the Japanese government essentially forbidding women to take the stage. However, Narukami is an equal-opportunity production. “We have men and women in the cast,” says Furumoto. “We’re sort of turning it around and saying ‘You women play these men’s roles.’ It’s an interesting twist.” Also, only one act of Narukami will be performed—if the entire play were staged, it would take five or six hours. But don’t think you’ll be getting gypped out of anything, as kabuki acts are often written as self-contained stories.

Best reason to try it: Beyond being an entry-point to a classical theater form that’s still wildly popular and lucrative in Japan, the sheer theatricality of the performance could be a treat in and of itself. Kabuki relies heavily on dance-like elements, elaborate costumes, and extreme costume-switches. “When Narukami changes from good to evil, he makes a big transformation on the stage,” says Furumoto. “A famous kabuki technique is changing costumes in front of the audience by pulling on threads to reveal another costume underneath.”