Theater group tries to keep imaginations fresh
By Mehru Jaffer
JAKARTA (JP): There is much to be said about this high-tech world of ours. However, the greatest fear of our push-button lifestyle is that most people may soon get so addicted to instant gratification that one day they might stop to use their own imaginative power and creativity.
The positive side of such problems is that solutions are also found in places where they are most needed. Japan is the most high-tech of all Asian countries where countless, colorful gadgets and electronic pets are fast replacing more natural pleasures like kites and kittens.
What will become of all the children who prefer the electronic mouse today to the one in the garden? Is the computerized chirping of birds enough for our collective future? And what about digital daddies?
These are only some of the questions troubling all those who established Theater KazeNoKo (Children of the Wind) way back in the 1950s. And the troupe has been performing for half a century in the hope of keeping imagination and creativity, at least of children, well lubricated.
The idea remains to inspire people to be able to express their thoughts from early in life and in whatever way they choose, instead of getting used to buying ideas on sale from other wizards.
The troupe calls itself Children of the Wind after being inspired by a Japanese legend that says that children are born from the wind and adults from fire. It follows from the belief that in the winter months, grown-ups prefer to stay near the fire while children run outdoors and like to play in the wind and cold.
The performers believe that each child is naturally creative and should be allowed to flower.
Today the troupe is 150 people-strong and appreciated by over 700,000 children of different age groups in Japan. Teams are spread out over five cities across the country, with each having its own repertoire which it performs regularly for its own specific audience of children from kindergarten to secondary school.
There are special performances exclusively staged for parents and children's groups as well. With performances running to 1,500 shows each year, the troupe is in demand not just in Japan but around the world.
After a recent tour of China, the Kyushu-based branch of KazeNoKo will arrive in Jakarta this weekend for one performance and workshop at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta on Sunday and two others at the Japanese School on the following day.
All the seats at the three shows, which will entertain over 850 children from local schools, are already taken.
"The idea was to bring this unique performance for the pleasure and learning of those children who cannot afford to pay for any of their needs, least of all entertainment," explained Diana S. Nugroho, program coordinator of the Jakarta office of The Japan Foundation.
The foundation works closely with five non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Jakarta which take care of the various needs of street children and orphans.
The NGOs picked the children to be invited, with transportation in five buses provided by The Japan Foundation.
The center's special assistant for cultural activities, Ando Takeshi, said three professionals would perform in a one-hour show which is divided into nine parts.
The inaugural piece, for example, is a play with empty, plastic bottles. There is magic, acrobatics, circus movements and storytelling as well.
Although the performers are adults, their talent lies in being able to reach far into the very heart and soul of the audience which is no passive onlooker.
"There is constant audience participation when the actors inspire children to enjoy life using their wit and intelligence instead of depending on cash to make them happy," Takeshi said.
The Japan Foundation has been working since the 1970s to promote cultural and intellectual activities between the two countries.
"We have many programs involving adults but we are happy now to bring this special theater performance, especially for those children who are most desperate for a smile," said Diana, who added she can hardly wait to witness the reaction of Jakarta's street children to KazeNoKo.