It’s like the firefly: now you see it, now you don’t, says The Wigmaker in Fay and Michael Kanin’s “Rashomon.” Mostly, these days, one doesn’t see the play, which was acclaimed by New York Times critic Brooks Atkinson when it opened on Broadway in 1959. The original Japanese film (1951) was directed by Akira Kurosawa and starred Toshiro Mifune as Tajomaru, the Bandit. Craig Noel staged the Old Globe production of the Kanin adaptation in 1984.
North Coast Repertory re-examines the theatrical chestnut with a beautiful production that continues through Aug. 12. Based on stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, the action is set in feudal Japan, near the crumbling Rashomon gate outside Kyoto.
Production elements are nearly as important as the actors when presenting this fragile piece, staged by North Coast Repertory Theatre producing artistic director David Ellenstein. His realistic, overtly humorous staging has little of the aesthetic, formal detachment seen in traditional Japanese theatre.
The purity lies in the visual elements of the production. Marty Burnett creates a lovely, austere set that encompasses the gate, a bamboo forest and a translucent doorway. Chriss Luessmann’s sound design utilizes the stringed koto, birdcalls and woodblock beats, which signal the end of each scene and heighten suspense. David Barker stages the breathtaking martial action, which features samurai weaponry including curved Katana swords.
Three men “” a runaway Priest, a Woodcutter and a Wigmaker (Robert May, Diep Huynh and Doren Elias, respectively) ” take shelter under the gate from a torrential storm. They pass the hours in discussion of a court case concerning the rape of a woman (Seema Sueko) and the murder of her samurai husband (Mitchell Wyatt). The accused is a Bandit (Richard Baird), notorious for his boldness and success with women.
The Woodcutter, who was in the courtroom, relates the testimony of the wife and the bandit as well as that of a medium (Jensen Olaya) summoned to testify for the deceased husband. What one hears and sees are three disparate versions of the same events. As the Wigmaker says, “It is human to lie. Most of the time we can’t be honest with ourselves.” As eyewitness to the murder, the Woodcutter gives the fourth testimony, not in court but at the Rashomon Gate.
It is always a pleasure to see the work of Baird, Sueko and Elias on San Diego stages. Others in the ensemble are Enoch Wu and Sylvia Enrique. Jeanne Reith is costume designer and Matt Novotny the lighting designer.
“Rashomon” continues through Aug. 12 at North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987-D Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach. Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. For tickets and information, visit www.northcoastrep.org or call (858) 481-1055.