Rashomon: A Drama in Two Acts

by Fay Kanin, Michael Kanin

Drama Fay Kanin and Michael Kanin Characters: 6 male, 3 female Exterior Set The famous stories of Akutagawa were adapted for Broadway for Claire Bloom, Rod Steiger, Akim Tamiroff and Oscar Homolka. The wife of a Samurai officer is assaulted and her husband killed by a roving bandit. Contradictory versions of what happened are reenacted at the trial by the bandit, the wife and the dead husband who speaks through a sorceress. Each version is true in its fashion.

Genres: Plays

72 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2011

Reviews

[Raven]

"Wigmaker: I know, they always look surprised. Death must be a lot different than anyone imagines."

"Tajomaru: So why should I lie? (Breaking his bonds in a gesture of strength and defiance.) Yes, it was I, Tajomaru, who killed the man! . . . Why? (He smiles) Because of a little breeze."

"Tajomaru: It made me jealous--jealous that he could make her look like that. Suddenly, I wanted her to see the ugly sight of him tied to the tree--weak, helpless, looking like a fool-- (Shaking his head.) I can't understand it, even now."

[Lark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Translations are tricky
I’d like to read the original story (albeit also in translation since I don’t read Japanese 🙃) before commenting on the story itself
How much of this story is written to (and I quote from the notes in the back of the play) “have a more oriental effect”? How much understanding did the Kanins have of the cultural backdrop of the story they were adapting? Doesn’t seem like much

The aesthetic claims are clear, and unless another version of this play is written, I’d love to see how it is tackled by a company like East West, a group the proper cultural understanding to tackle it
Otherwise what is there to save? Have someone else take another shot at it :) It’s been over 60 years !

[George Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was stage manager for this play around 2008 in the Civic Theater in South Bend Indiana. I found the play delightful. We used a large gate on stage but every other scene used minimal backgrounds. The way the play is written leaves much creative leeway for the Director. I can see how this play could be bad without good direction but we were lucky to have a top notch creative director. I reread the play every once in awhile when I want to bring back memories of working with a great cast. Of course I heard the play many times from the rough readings around a table to finished play. This play is worth reading.

[Lauren Merrifield · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't love this play. It's definitely not one of the worst plays I've ever read, but it's also one I'm probably gonna forget about pretty soon. I do like the commentary it makes on memory and how unreliable it can be, but the story was a little repetitive. We looked at the same situation 4 different times from different perspectives, and I could guess how each one of them was going to turn out. I think it would be really interesting to see performed, because there are so many different decisions the director could make to impact the perception of the story.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So to start with, despite its name on stage and in film, the plot of this play is actually based on Akutagawa's short story entitled "In a Grove." Rather confusingly, "Rashoman" is another Akutagawa story entirely and with a very different story line.

This is a well done adaptation of the short story, which I have read several times. And the story itself is perhaps the most classic example of unreliable narration of its kind. It is excellent at establishing the feel of the original work in particular and of traditional Japanese storytelling more generally. The themes are dark and disturbing. There is an emotional charge to watching a recounting of rape and murder on stage, even in a stylized narrative such as this.

From a theater standpoint for those looking to produce this, I see an exciting possibility for production but with some challenges. First, there is the appropriateness of the subject matter, which is a judgement call on the part of the company regarding the suitability of their actors and audiences. Also, casting could potentially be a problem as this is a play set in Japan with Japanese characters, as could costuming. Kimono, obi, geta, hapi, ect. are not always cheap or easy to locate. Also, the story is heavily dependent on finesse in its stage, sound and light design. This does not mean this has to be an expensive production, but it does require fluidity and attention to detail (which probably partially accounts for the rather extensive stage directions in the play). There is also a staged combat scene, adding to the difficulty level of the production. Finally, the original story utilizes a horse. This plot point has been mostly cut in the staged production, but there is still an option for having a horse on stage and it would greatly contribute to the feel of the production.

[Bt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The play had an interesting concept, but it is one I have seen before. It was interesting to read about all the different accounts of what happened. I don’t know. I can certainly imagine it playing well on stage. There’s sword fighting and stuff. I was a little confused at the end because one of the characters seemed to have a random change of heart, but now that I am reading it again, I think I understand what happened. This is kind of a hard play many of the characters are hard to like… but I guess that’s part of the point. Overall it was fine. I don’t have much to say about it. It was fine.

Practical Stuff:

6 men, 3 women (Priest, Woodcutter, Wigmaker, Deputy, Bandit, Husband, Wife, Mother, Medium)

Summary: Some men at the gate to Kyoto discuss a recent case in which a man was murdered after an encounter with a bandit. His wife was present, and she, her mother, the bandit, and an all-seeing medium tell different stories about what happened, with the heroism always being placed on someone different. One of the men at the gate reveals that he was hiding in the bushes and saw the events, and everyone involved acted stupidly and selfishly. There was no hero, and the man died by tripping and falling on his sword.

Scenes/monologues:
Scenes: Everything is at least three people, or it’s a monologue.
Monologues: The mom and wife have some long monologues that are very emotionally charged. They’re about being raped, which I’m not sure I would be comfortable doing at an audition. But they’re good monologues.

[Lana Ruvolo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review is written by an actress who has performed this show.

This adaptation has the potential to be incredible. There are so many ways to tell this story and so many ways to evoke the idea of perspective that the book challenges. For example, our production was shown in the Alley setting, so it was impossible for any one person to see the same show as another. Our production also used actors in masks when another character was telling a story, to show how the storyteller perceived the character.

Performing this show was extremely challenging to me, because, in it of itself, the work is horrific and evocative of painful memories for me, which is why I have given it a one star rating. This book is not for the young to read or for the faint of heart. It is an incredible piece of theatre and a show that digs deep. I was blessed to have worked with a fantastic director on this show who brought showed humanity how low and savage we are but then shined a light on humanity as well with the ending of the show, which I will not spoil for you :)

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stage version for the Kurosawa movie. A few small differences, but overall the same.