To commemorate the centennial year of celebrated author Yukio Mishima, Japan Society offers a series of performing arts premieres inspired by his works, among them Kinkakuji, an English-language solo drama based upon his 1956 novel, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Ever visited Japan Society? Located in elegant headquarters in the East 40s near the United Nations campus, Japan Society strives to connect Japanese culture, arts and society with metropolitan audiences. The premises feature a small art gallery, a library and a comfortable 260-seat proscenium theater, where Kinkakuji bowed in its world premiere on Thursday for a brief engagement.
Mishima’s novel is drawn from a real-life event in 1950 when a troubled young Buddhist acolyte burned down the ancient Zen temple of Kinkakuji in Kyoto. Composed by Mishima as a first-person narrative, the story follows Mizoguchi, an ugly, anxious youngster – alienated by a bad stutter and zero social skills – who develops into a miserable psychopath. Imagine a Dostoyevsky sort of anti-hero studying to be a priest in Japan during World War II and its aftermath, who becomes morbidly obsessed with a beautiful religious landmark that symbolizes Japanese culture. Mishima fans may shudder at such a bald synopsis of his dark, disturbing novel, but that’s the story in brief, omitting many subtleties.
Many of the novel’s subtleties are omitted as well in Kinkakuji, adapted as a solo drama by Leon Ingulsrud and Major Curda. The 250+ page novel is not so much adapted for the stage by Ingulsrud, who directs the English-language text, as it is severely distilled into a 105-minute piece performed by Curda. Faithfully tracing the narrative, the intermittently poetic adaptation’s most creative invention is the clever way it suggests Mizoguchi’s stutter by frequently repeating sentence fragments several times.
Kinkakuji probably is best appreciated by viewers familiar with The Temple of the Golden Pavilion because this bare-bones treatment, in spite of the minimalist artistry of its production, is likely to register to newcomers as mostly a repetitive flood of words, words, words drowning out their comprehension of the tale, let alone nuances. Audience reaction should not be reported perhaps, but eventually several spectators around me were obviously dozing – and even a bit more.
Meanwhile speaking the first-person narration, the bare-footed, long-haired, boyish-looking Curda, clad in ragged black, continually threads their way in, out and through a flexible thicket of vertical cords that react to the lighting in varying shades or waves of red, blue, white and gold colors. Sometimes wrapping the cords around their body, at other times manipulating them in sweeping flurries or frenzies of emotion, Curda delivers Mizoguchi’s brooding thoughts directly to the audience. The actor also invokes the voices for several more characters, either live or as pre-recordings. Curda’s performance is often urgent if not usually compelling.
Strikingly designed by Chiharu Shiota, a Japanese artist perhaps known best for site-specific installations involving webs of yarn, the abstract, ephemeral setting is lighted by Marie Yokoyama. Projection and video design by Takaaki Ando, crisp sound design by Padra Crisafulli and whispers of original music composed by Ethan Phelps are other positive elements supporting the monodrama, which was commissioned by Japan Society. Not incidentally, a walk-through installation of a large Chiharu Shiota sculpture is a major part of an exhibition of her work in the art gallery that is usually open before performance time.
Kinkajuji opened Setpember 15, 2025 at the Japan Society and runs through September 20. Tickets and information: japansociety.org
