Venturesome Japanese Film at the Heart of Theatre Gigante’s ‘A Page of Madness’

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Photo: Theatre Gigante

A Page of Madness

A Page of Madness

The film industry in southern California spends a hell of a lot of money trying to transport audiences to other worlds in science fiction, fantasy and horror. Heroic doses of time and energy are poured into complex constructs of production design, lighting, computer animation and more.

This month Theatre Gigante proves that the only elements really needed for that sort of thing are impressively cool percussion, a beautiful voice and an ancient film that has narrowly survived for nearly 100 years. Japanese performer Nanako Yamauchi greets audiences with a fluid grace. She’s there to provide live narration to Gigante’s presentation of Teinosuke Kinugasa’s 1926 film A Page of Madness. Yamauchi’s voice carries emotional resonance through the silent film. Elegantly spoken words from the other side of the planet undergo a fusion with percussion as composer Frank Pahl creates a rich audio atmosphere for the screening featuring cymbals and drums and bells and so much more performed by Little Bang Theory.

Kinugasa’s story tumbles through human misfortune. A man serves as a janitor in the mental institution where his wife is being treated. Kinugasa pushes film through the camera with an uneasy combustion of inner turmoil that leaves a breathtaking expressionistic residue of motion and emotion onscreen. Everyone in the story is scarred in some way. Little Bang Theory lithely and intricately punches its way through an impressively textured soundscape brought vividly to life through Yamauchi’s words. Fresh diction and new sounds dance with images pulled out of the distant past in the immediacy of the Kenilworth 508 Theatre. All too quickly it passes and Theatre Gigante is on to the next thing.

Theatre Gigante’s presentation of A Page of Madness ran for one week only. Its next show features Michael Stebbins in Will Eno’s Title and Deed Nov. 18-Dec. 3. For more information, visit theatregigante.org.