Hana Ichimomme
Now showing at Bank Street Theatre in the West Village, New York's premiere of Hana Ichimomme hammers home the reality that human suffering persists across the globe. Japanese actress Seiko Tano performs this one-woman play written in 1982 by Ken Miyamoto and based on the famous Japanese children's song of the same name. In the song, "hana" refers to a girl and the word "ichimomme" means to sell for a small price. Alluding to human trafficking, the lyrics center on "winning" and "losing" which really have a darker meaning of negotiating to get a cheaper offer. Set during mid-summer on the Japanese island of Shikoku, this tragic story depicts a mother who was forced to part with her child in Manchuria after Japan's defeat in World War II. Seiko Tano picked the role because since moving here in 2003, she has met many 9/11 victims as well as refugees from wars around the world. Just as Humpty Dumpty, a seemingly innocuous nursery rhyme, is reputed to describe England's King Richard III's demise in battle, Hana Ichimomme also unwittingly interlaces tragedy with traditional recitation for an innocent youthful audience. Tano's personal hope is that her performance exposes this blind, albeit subconscious acceptance of violence across all cultures and helps us to notice how this in effect mirrors the world's continuing status quo of endless war.
Japanese with English subtitles
Performances began Wednesday, July 2nd and continue through Sunday, July 13th