The play I’ve been working on opens Monday! I’ve been assisting director Charles Raffetto, transforming American teenagers into heroes, princesses, and ogres for Willliston Northampton school’s production of The Wondrous Tales of Old Japan.

Playwright David Furumoto retells four traditional Japanese stories in The Wondrous Tales, slathering these fairy tales in kabuki styling. Kabuki is a hyper-theatrical form of drama that has been performed in Japan since the 16th century. It has no Western equivalent…you’d need to make a cocktail of Shakespeare, opera, Warner Brothers cartoons, Fred Astaire, and puppetry to even approach it. I was fortunate to study kabuki with Shozo Sato, a gifted master of several Japanese arts, decorated with the Order of the Sacred Treasure,  and I hope I’ve been able to bring a taste of his teachings to our show.

I also created puppets, masks, and projection art for the production (though the best projections were painted by the talented Williston student Yuwei Cao).

My 9 1/2 year old son Ben is making me proud with his acting debut in the show, holding his own with the teenage cast.

If you are in Western Massachusetts, join us—the shows are specifically timed for the kids who have the week off from school. There are six performances, February 18–23, 3:30 pm, at Williston Northampton School.