All the World's a Stage

The acrobat jumps down and hands the owner another sheet of paper.

OKASAN (reading aloud) ‘And now permit me to show you the Hoo bird. The wings of the phoenix burn but they are not consumed. I know a magical gesture, with which the fierce element of fire can be subdued.’

The Inaudible One shows them an impressive trick. He takes a pair of jester’s bird’s wings out of his bag and attaches them to his sleeves. Then he takes an oil lamp that is lit from the engawa and pours oil onto his ‘wings’. He makes the ‘magical gesture’, squats down comically and spreads out his arms. Then he strikes one finger against his knee, and the finger bursts into flame. He runs the flaming finger along one ‘wing’, and then the other, and they flare up. The conjuror spins round on the spot, fluttering his burning ‘wings’. Everyone gasps in horror.

At this point the Storyteller explains how the trick is managed.

STORYTELLER

This trick, impressive though it is, is easy to perform.
In pouring burning oil onto his wings of rag,
The conjuror in no way risks being burned himself.
That cloth has been soaked in a special fluid.
The fire will not touch his skin, nor even scorch it.
And the magical gesture has nothing to do with the case.

Sen-chan repeats the magical gesture.

OKASAN (in a pleased voice) Well now, this will do for us. You are hired, Nobo-ji. Until the performance you will stay here in the Yanagi. Please, Soga-san, show the actor the way to the servants’ wing, he can settle in there.

Soga walks up to the conjuror and looks him over suspiciously. He pulls the knives which the Inaudible One used for juggling out of his belt and keeps them.

SOGA No carrying of weapons is allowed here. Especially since you are far too skilful with your knives. My heart mistrusts your jeering grin, my lad, and I shall keep a sharp eye on you. Why are you standing there? Come on now, follow me.

The Ronin leads the Inaudible One off the stage.

The owner gives a sign to the pupils and they open the shoji. The owner and her adopted daughters walk into Izumi’s room and sit down. Okasan gestures for the pupils to go. They leave with a bow, and then Sen-chan runs off, hopping and skipping.

OKASAN Well, now I feel assured for the performance. This wibble-wobble monster will provide the perfect foil for your ardent appeal, O-Bara, and for your style too, Izumi. Kubota is our ally. He thinks that you, Izumi, will catch the prince’s fancy. But the prince’s taste may differ from the servant’s. The call of the flesh, as we know, is stronger in the young, and I think it is quite possible he might choose you, O-Bara. If anyone knows men, I do! And let me tell you frankly, it is all the same to me which of you triumphs and is chosen for the prince’s concubine. I love you both, my daughters. May this great prize not go to someone else’s house… But then, you have no rivals in the entire capital. I know that one of you is destined to win this victory.

O-BARA In a rich princedom I would shine bright as a star! No, not a star, the sun! And I would soften the prince with my rays, softer than wax. I would take charge of all Satsuma in a trice. What a great dream! If only fate would grant me this good fortune! I would be forever grateful to you, my mother!

OKASAN And what say you, Izumi?

IZUMI I am resigned to karma. If I had my way, truly, I would live here for ever. But a geisha is not entitled to choose her own fate. Since you have decided that there is more money to be made by handing me over to a man, then so be it.

OKASAN Could that be resentment I hear in your voice? As if I were selling you to some ugly old man or a filthy merchant! The prince of Satsuma is young and handsome, so they say. Perhaps with him you will know the joy of love. And then you will be grateful to Okasan and fate.

IZUMI I have heard many times about the joys of love. And I have sung songs of them for my audience. But what they are, I have no wish to know. All men bore me and I do not believe in love.

OKASAN You are wrong not to believe. Love does exist in this world. To be precise, there are only three loves. One love is earthly. And all, whose spirit is bowed down low to the surface of the earth, are in its power. Such people are at least nine out of ten. Sinful and sordid, but sweet is this kind of love.

Then there are those who are seduced by hell. I call their poisoned love ‘infernal’. It is an igneous potion that burns away the soul, leaving nothing, and vanishes in black smoke.

And sometimes, although rarely, one may find another kind of love. It captures those souls that aspire aloft, therefore the poets call it heavenly. But its time is not long, like the flight of a butterfly. Or the flight of a comet, tracing its luminous path across the sky once in two hundred years…

IZUMI A comet is alone, it has no need of anyone. Ah, if I could fly through life like a comet! The flight may not be long, but what great beauty!

O-BARA Love? A comet? Oh really, this is comical to hear, I say, soar across the sky or go down into hell, but squeeze out everything this life can give. A miraculous, luscious fruit has fallen straight into our hands. We must squeeze out the juice, every last drop!

OKASAN (with a sad sigh) Both of you, my daughters, are renouncing love. But here it is for karma, not for us, to choose. Heavenly, earthly or infernal love: the path is set out and we cannot turn aside.

All three women freeze in various poses. Okasan folds her hand together in Buddhist style and closes her eyes; O-Bara raises one hand to adjust her hairstyle; Izumi sits there with her head elegantly lowered.

The light goes out, the curtain closes.

The stage revolves.

ACT TWO

Scene one

O-Bara’s room, brightly lit and richly decorated, with predominant tones of gold and scarlet. When the stage is revealed, we see two motionless figures. They are O-Bara and a man wearing a straw cloak and a hat pulled forward over his eyes. They are sitting facing each other and leaning forward – as if they are whispering. The room is dimly lit.

STORYTELLER

After nightfall a visitor slipped in to see O-Bara.
(Sometimes men did come to visit her.)
And this one, who conceals his face behind a hat,
Probably comes more often than the others.
Not for amorous games has he come here today.
They sit there, making quiet conversation…

He strikes his drum. The light in the room becomes brighter and the figures start moving.

O-BARA (impatiently) Take off that hat and look me in the eyes. And speak more clearly, I can hardly hear you! Have you settled this business, as you swore to recently? I relied on you and hope my trust was not in vain.

The man removes his hat and cloak. It is Futoya.

FUTOYA (in a low voice, after glancing round) You know, I feel uncomfortable shouting about this. I have arranged it all just as you wished. Now all you have to do is give the sign. When you decide the time has come, break a branch off the apple tree. I have done all the dirty work alone. The horror I went through, God only knows. They could have finished me, those savage brutes. I contacted that rabble only out of love for you.