"Mushi Mezuru Himegimi (The Lady Who Loved Insects)" is originally one of the works of classical Japanese literature contained in the "Tsutsumi Chunagon Monogatari (The Tale of Tsutsumi Chunagon)", a collection of short stories written in the Heian period (8th-12th centuries). The story depicts an eccentric noble lady who loves insects, and the people surrounding her. An entirely new stage production was born out of a collaboration between both, a uniquely Japanese style of dance, and classical music, including famous pieces that everyone has heard. This cutting-edge stage will take you to a brand new world of the Heian tale.

UNDER A NEW PROGRAM

We launched a new program for students last year, called "Young Theater-Goers Program." The program commissioning top artists to bring original stage pieces created through a collaboration between classical music and other genres to an audience of elementary, junior high, and senior high school students. Before the performances, they each visited elementary, junior high, and senior high school to conduct outreach programs. "Mushi Mezuru Himegimi" specifically targeted elementary school students, and its performers including two butoh dancers and a pianist conducted the special outreach programs which provided a variety of information about the production to some local elementary school students before the premiere. The students learned basic knowledge of butoh dance, which was not popular even among Japanese people, and enjoyed a sneak peek of the performance that gave them some picture of how the butoh dance would be connected to classical music on the stage.

STORY

In old-time Japan in the Heian period (8th-12th Century), people took it for granted that princesses were always beautiful and loved flowers and butterflies. In that period, there was a princess who loved insects and did not care about her appearance. She did not even care when her maids and parents were worried about her unconventional doings.

One day, a young nobleman became interested in the princess and tried to tease her by sending her a love poem with a gift of a tricky-fake snake. How would the princess deal with it!?