The puppetmaster

Nori Sawa's art has always been a fusion of East and West. While growing up in Japan, it was watching both Sesame Street and homegrown TV puppet shows that inspired his career choice. His first-ever performance was based on a Russian folktale about a giant beet. Everything went well until the grandpa puppet's head flew off into the audience.

Luckily, the mishap did not deter Sawa, who has been successfully making a living as a professional puppeteer for almost 20 years.

With their unique blend of Japanese and Western theatrical techniques, Sawa's shows are in demand all over the world. This year, he will perform in Hungary, Poland and Japan, as well as in New York City and Chicago. It is Prague, however, that has been his base since he was first invited in 1992 by Josef Krofta, the renowned artistic director of Divadlo Drak.

"The city has the character of a shadow," Sawa says. "Like a black box, like the theater itself."

Those who think of puppetry as nothing more than a knockabout Punch and Judy show will be surprised by the sophistication of Sawa's performances. His adaptation of techniques from Czech figure theater means he does more than just pull the strings: He frequently comes out from behind the marionette and interacts with it as a fully-fledged character in his own show.

The result can be simply humorous, as in Sawa's retelling of the Tortoise and the Hare, in which he dons huge rabbit ears dwarfing the anime-style tortoise puppet he simultaneously commands, which still manages to outrun him. It can also have a much deeper significance. In his adaptation of Macbeth, Sawa takes on the role of Lady Macbeth, who is then literally able to control her husband's every move and manipulate him into murder.

The relationship between puppet and master is complex and can sometimes be reciprocal.

"Somewhere close to the elbow is a border which divides my life and the life of the marionette. In certain moments, this border disappears, and I feel as if the marionette is leading me," he says.

The Czechs are a people for whom the theater has an exceptional importance, Sawa says.

"They know that theater is a mirror, a reflection of themselves," he says. "I think they are really special. Theatrical culture here is much more developed than in other countries. ? Czech puppet theater is almost on the front line of all puppet theaters in the world."

Part of the reason for this is historical. During the 18th and 19th centuries, when the use of the Czech language was suppressed under the Habsburg Empire, puppet theater was a way of keeping Czech culture alive.

Sawa's next performance in the Czech Republic will take place Feb. 13 at Divadlo DISK as part of a month-long Japanese movie and theater festival currently under way in Prague. The show, Kousky 2010 (Pieces 2010), will feature both familiar fairytales like The Little Mermaid and Japanese legends, all brought to life through a combination of puppets, masks, music and Sawa's own body.

As well as performing, Sawa is keen to pass on the art of puppet making itself. This summer, he will be one of the tutors on the Marionette Design summer course organized by Mirek Trejtnar and Leah Gaffen, otherwise known as "Puppets in Prague," which runs June 19-July 3. Participants will go through the entire process of making their own puppet, from the initial sketch to woodcarving, painting and costume design. The sessions, which are led in English, attract participants from around the world. Those who attend will be able to complete their masterpieces in time to put them through their paces at the Teatrotoč Street Theater Festival.

"Puppets are connected to the dark side of people, like dreams in the night," Sawa says. "Dreaming is necessary, but it cannot be the main purpose of life. That's the reason puppet theater cannot be a major culture, but it does not die."

Suddenly, Sawa cuts the interview short. He is heading off to watch his daughter perform in an open rehearsal at the National Theater ballet school.

"I didn't want her to come into the world of stage art, because I know it's hard," he says.

Does he think his theatrical genes have been passed on?

"Not really. I'm just a bad influence," he says.

Lisette Allen can be reached at
features@praguepost.com