Article By Ka Yee Chan
Photo credit by Niko
On April 11 and 12, La Tea Theatre featured Yuriko Miyake’s “The Puppet Train- The Ride from the Present to Future.” It is about the journey of a puppet named Maria. During Maria’s journey on the train, she learned about and experienced love, dreams, and life itself. Where will Maria end up in her journey? What does love, dreams, and life mean to you?
Yuriko Miyake is the artistic director, scriptwriter and performer of “The Puppet Train.” She is originally from Hiroshima, Japan. She learned dancing at the age of nine. She moved to New York City, and started a company named TONTON-BYOSHI.
Miyake is also the original cast member in the world’s first stage adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki’s movie “Princess Mononoke,” which was featured by Whole Hog Theatre in London and Tokyo.
“The Puppet Train” is not an ordinary show; it is a one-man, or woman, show that is full of emotions and thoughts. It will make you rethink what the themes of love, dreams, and life mean to a person. Miyake’s spectacular dancing skills and movements often bring the show to its climax. Her humorous interactions with the audience bring non stop laughter in the theatre, and her emotional acting brings the audience to tears.
Yuriko has drama and talents in all parts of her body: her dramatic facial expressions, her dance moves, her voice, her multilingual ability, and even her hair. Yuriko is the only one who can perform this show as well as she does. She wrote this play with inspirations of her daily life, and with the inspirations of the daily life of other individuals in mind. It is a show that is full of imagination as well as connection to realistic thoughts.
Yuriko is the main pillar of the show, but a great show must have a great crew:
Artistic Director: Yuriko Miyake
Assistant Director: Tomoko Takedani Sater
Technical Director/Lighting designer: A-Key
Sound Operator: Tomoko Inoue
Sound Designer/Guitar: A-Key
Stage Manager: Keiko Miyake
Choreographers: Yuriko Miyake, Tomoko Takedani Sater, Rena Washino
Music Arrangement & Guitar: A-Key
Props: Keiko Miyake
Costumes: Naomi Komastsu, Keiko Miyake
Production Assistant: Himi Okajima
The train ride began from Station 0 to Station Love, Station Dream, Station Life and then back to Station 0 again. It might have resemblance to the idea that there is no real destination in life. Where is the destination of your journey?
For more information for Yuriko Miyake’s future works, please visit: http://www.miracleyurikomiyake.com.
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