‘Rashomon’: The quest for truth
JOYCE JACKSON
Copy Editor
A savage murder took place recently in Fannin Performance Hall. Yet, the facts of the case and the murderer still linger on in the minds of those who witnessed it.
Image illustration Mohamad Firas Shaban
The murder baffled a sparse audience at the drama department’s production of “Rashomon” Oct. 11. As an intense drama, the 90-minute play produced a somber mood as the story unfolded in three locations in feudal Japan: the Rashomon Gate, a courtroom and a forest. The plot revolved around the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife as they traveled through a forest.
Drama chair and director Andy Long said he chose this particular play because it presents a dilemma as to “What is truth?” and it puts the audience in the mindset of medieval Japan.
The dilemma of “Rashomon” deals with four different accounts of who killed the samurai – done in flashbacks.
The variations were: Tajomaru killed him; the wife killed him because of the shameful rape; the samurai killed himself; or, the woodcutter, as a witness, said the samurai and bandit Tajomaru clashed and rejected the wife. The audience was enticed into this thought-provoking mystery as to which version they believed was “the truth.”
Long could not have chosen a better actor than Jermaine Johnson for the lead role of the ruthless roving bandit,Tajomaru, who proudly bragged about his crimes.
Johnson commanded attention in every scene with his deep, powerful voice and tall, muscular build, which showed off his swift sword-fighting skills.
In one scene, he boasted, “All I wanted was the woman … and hadn’t planned on killing her husband, the samurai.”
Three characters huddled at the Rashomon Gate stage right as the woodcutter told the ongoing story: Jabin Lewis played the somber priest while Henser Reyes the woodcutter. Raied Makhamreh portrayed the outlandish wigmaker, who was thoroughly delightful as the comic relief. His spine-tingling laugh was outstanding and the way he teased the priest and woodcutter by getting right up into their faces couldn’t help but make the audience laugh. Logan Vorster was a deputy.
In complete contrast to Johnson was Kevin Dang as the soft-spoken samurai who was murdered. Dang, in a number of scenes, was short on dialogue since he was tied up to a bamboo stump waiting to be killed in the flashbacks.
Kudos to costume designer Deborah Ruiz-Esparza for the nice selection of colorful attire to fit a variety of different characters; black for the priest, yet contrasting orange and green outfits between the samurai and Tajomaru as they challenged each other in one breathtaking scene with a superb sword fight where Dang and Johnson each stepped foot by foot at the same time, circling around the stage trying to slash each other.
Harley Gonzales had the obscure role of Kinume, first as the faithful wife of the samurai and later, just the opposite.
Audrey Clark was mesmerizing as the medium who conjured up the dead Samurai’s loud, eerie voice to reveal how he was murdered. However, another scene fell flat when the wife’s mother, played by Jordan Bechtol, wasn’t convincing as she spoke about Kinume and the samurai, but didn’t speak loudly enough to be heard.
Staff photo Blanca Reyes
Kevin Dang plays the role of the samurai who is murdered and Harley Gonzales portrays his wife.
While the audience could follow the different versions of the samurai’s murder, they may have been somewhat confused as to why the baby was important at the end of the play.
Long said that the two roles – of the woodcutter and the wigmaker – are complete opposites and represent the two ideals of men.
“The wigmaker represents selfishness, greediness …whereas the woodcutter represents sacrifice and service.
The wigmaker steals the baby’s blanket and the woodcutter takes the baby home with him to care for him and love him. It’s the faith in humanity of the woodcutter taking the baby that restores it in the priest and he goes back to the temple.
It’s kind of a poignant poetic moment. And in that moment, it’s the woodcutter adopting this little baby that reminds the priest there’s still work to be done.”
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