Reviewed by Victor Gluck
Presented by the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre at the West End Theatre, Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 W. 86th St., NYC, Feb. 21-March 18.
In the West, "Rashomon" is probably the most famous Japanese story. Kurosawa's 1950 film masterpiece put Japanese films on the international map and led to a 1959 Broadway play adapted by screenwriters Michael and Fay Kanin. Originally produced on Broadway with such Caucasian actors as Claire Bloom and Rod Steiger, the Pan Asian Repertory Theatre's revival of "Rashomon" corrects that error with an all-Asian cast. Unfor-tunately, the youth of most of the actors and the flaws of the adaptation keep this from being a powerhouse production.
In an attempt to sound Japanese, the Kanins wrote their adaptation in a flat prose that can sound stilted in the mouths of the wrong actors, sounding like a literal translation. They also tried to reproduce the formal sound of Japanese.
Under Tisa Chang's direction, the entire cast is very bland, bringing little to their characterizations or dialogue. As a result, this wonderful investigation into what is truth, giving four versions of the same events in the forest near Kyoto's Rashomon Gate, never rises above the level of an amateur production. The most convincing performance is by Shigeko Suga in the smallest roles: first as the Mother, later as the Shaman used as a medium to reach the dead man, and additionally creating (with Tom Matsusaka) the fascinating live musical sounds.
As the Bandit, Husband, and Wife who meet up in the forest with tragic but ambiguous results, Ken Park, Marcus Ho, and Rosanne Ma, respectively, give one-dimensional performances. In the framing story, Orville Mendoza's Priest, Ron Nakahara's Woodcutter, and Les J.N. Mau's Wigmaker are wooden and awkward.
Visually, the production is always interesting: the lovely costumes by Molly Reynolds, the stylized setting by Kaori Akazawa, the directional lighting by Victor En Yu Tan, and the vigorous fight choreography by Michael G. Chin.
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