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By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Restrained by koken Helen Lee and Jeremy Pippin, Tauri
Kinoshita plays Eleanora in August Strindberg's "Easter."

Stage assistants take active
roles in ‘Easter,’ ‘Ghost’

Star-Bulletin

Expanding on August Strindberg's interest in Asian themes and theater, director Dennis Carroll has added koken-like characters to his rendering of Strindberg's "The Ghost Sonata" and "Easter," which open today and tomorrow at the University of Hawaii.

Koken are stage assistants in kabuki theater; they are visible to the audience, but invisible to the players.

In "Easter," Carroll has the koken act as puppeteers. "We're like negative forces, we kind of control the characters," said actor Helen Lee.

In both plays the koken serve as a visual reinforcement of Strindberg's script, according to actor Jeremy Pippin.

Actor Blake Kushi concurs, "In 'Ghost' there are a lot of abstract moments, 'Easter' not so much, but the koken help to crystallize some of those moments."

STRINDBERG MINI-FEST What and When: "The Ghost Sonata": 8 p.m. today, Jan. 29, Feb. 4, 5; and 6 p.m. Jan. 30, Feb. 6. What and When: "Easter": 8 p.m. tomorrow, Feb. 3; 4 p.m. Jan. 29, Feb. 5; 2 p.m. Jan. 30, Feb. 6. Where: Ernst Lab Theatre Tickets: $8 regular; $6 students, seniors, military, UH faculty and staff; $3 UHM students with valid ID. Get $1 off regular or discount price if you buy tickets for both plays at the same time. Call: 956-7655

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