Rabbits and Mice and Carp, Oh My!

I discovered Japanese mythology and folktales when I was about thirteen years old. I was mesmerized by the blend of storytelling and history and culture. I love the respect that the Japanese have for stories and how these tales have influenced their customs. 

Stories such as Momotarō feel very much like the fairy tales I read when I was younger and I was delighted to discover a whole new world of fables. I was never much for scary stuff or horror movies but I loved reading about yokai, kappa, tengu, and oni… particularly because although they were creatures you didn’t want to encounter, they had a strict code that they lived by. A monster with restraint was new to me.

As you can imagine, it was such a treat to be invited to the Minnesota premiere of ‘The Carp Who Would Not Quit and Other Animal Stories’ at the Children’s Theatre of Minneapolis. 

This production was a series of short stories performed by three actors with minimal props and other theatrical effects. Sometimes plays with limited props and sets require a little imagination from the person who is attending, but honestly? It was so simple, so easy to just… be enveloped by the storytelling. 

It was the three actors who immediately won me over. All of them were charming, charismatic, expressive, and engaging. They were so sincere and clearly enthusiastic about performing stories that are a part of their families, culture, and history.

These tales of rabbits, carp, mice, and cranes were simply told, A few instruments, played by the actors, immersed the entire audience in these beautiful stories. The audience helped encourage a tenacious carp and assisted in scaring away a sea serpent.

It was SO fun. The audience had fun. And the actors were clearly having the most fun of all.

It was just an enchanting evening. I was hooked on every story and just couldn’t wait to see what happened in each story. I felt like I was a kid again and I was being treated to wonderful stories read to me by the most amazing storytellers ever.

Thank you to the Children’s Theatre Company for the invitation and for such a wonderful play. This show runs until February 18th and I cannot recommend this enough if you love fairy tales. Tickets can be purchased here.

Love, Hannah