I sat on writing this review not only because I lacked the time, but also because I had to think about what I really wanted to say about Rashomon.
Rashomon is the Division of Theater’s second mainstage production of the academic year. Its second and final week of performances will play Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Elizabeth Evans Baker Theater in Kantner Hall.
In the play, the story of a bandit raping a woman and death of her samurai husband in the woods is told from three perspectives, all of which are very different from the other. It is set 1,000 years ago at the Rashomon gate near the ancient city of Kyoto, Japan.
It’s what is called the Rashomon effect, which examines how people oftentimes have different and contradictory interpretations of the same event.
The play utilizes this phenomenon to discuss issues of sexual assault and murder, but think about how this idea is relative to just about any situation in life. When one falls out with his or her friend, either one of them is going to have an entirely different view on how the argument occurred. When roommates fight, they will each have different understandings of the cause and will argue until someone feels he or she is “right.”
Is there ever a “right” in these situations?
The best aspect of Rashomon is that it doesn’t tell you which story is “true.” It gives all three perspectives of what happened in the woods but doesn’t give a conclusive stance on what “really” happened. Just like in real life, each audience member is only left with his or her personal interpretation as fact.
In my preview article, I focused on how the play addresses sexual assault because I feel this play will really help to further the ongoing conversation and battle with sexual assault and rape on college campuses. By understanding the Rashomon effect, we can better handle sexual assault cases. The attacker and victim are rarely — if ever — going to have the same story, and we all need to understand that as fact.
To anyone who has personally dealt with these issues, go into this play prepared. I don’t have first-hand experience, so while I feel there won’t be any triggers, a survivor might feel otherwise. Each story is emotionally impacting and leaves a lasting impression.
The plot and focus of the story certainly gets five stars and as does much of the rest of the production. To be honest, when comparing this production to bobrauschenbergamerica, Rashomon triumphs as the better mainstage of the semester so far.
The three main actors truly excel in this piece while most of the ensemble falls fairly flat. Emilio Tirri as the bandit Tajomaru is chilling in as he plays the villain and spits out some vile dialogue. Kat Bramley very capably plays Masago, the central woman to the story, as she makes you feel so strongly for her as she recounts her perspective. Patrick Wagstaff plays the samurai husband Takehiko and manages to add to the dramatic tension of a scene even when most of his face is covered to simulate him being captured.
Other than the three main actors, only Tyler Tanner as the priest and Zyrece Montgomery as the samurai’s servant stand out among the ensemble. Tanner masterfully handles his role as the character who drives the storytelling by transitioning from perspective to perspective. Montgomery’s true impact comes at the end as she smartly delivers a monologue about her need for the truth.
Callie Sour overacts her role of the wigmaker to death and the rest of the ensemble is simply forgettable.
The play uses projections to simulate rain, flash images relevant to the story and further the action. It’s a visual playground. The use of silhouettes to simulate deaths or a character added to the suspense of the moment and made it feel much more realistic. The projections truly made this production feel even more professional than usual.
Unique to this production, visuals of Ohio University are included in the projections to directly tie in the play to the present. Without knowing this ahead of time, it’s easily missed, but does add relevance to the play.
Rashomon is only about one hour in length, thus it’s not a long commitment to make. I would highly recommend taking the time to see it.
Rating: 4.5/5
