The East Asian Studies program has been putting on performances for about 27 years. This years East Asian Ghost Stories, an annual event, took place on Nov. 2 and was not to be missed. Ness Auditorium was packed to the brim with students, faculty, alumni and community members.
Students from JAPN-111 and 211, as well as CHIN-111, 211 and 311 made up the bulk of the performers. During the final 5:30pm rehearsal, for the 7:00 p.m. show, the crew, many of which were veterans of this performance, were treated to an authentic homemade Chinese dinner in Hollenbeck 101 from the professors of languages Shelley Chan and Shih-Ming Li Chang.
Nine candles, one for each of the following performances, were lit:
1) (Jukininki JAPN 211)
2) (Diplomacy JAPN 111)
3) (The Legend of the White Snake CHIN 111)
4) (The Wife Who Didn’t Eat JAPN 111 & JAPN 211)
5) (Magical Arts CHIN 211)
6) (Yuki Onna – Snow Woman JAPN 111)
7) (The Poeny Lantern JAPN 211)
8) (The Bus CHIN 311)
9) (The Ogre of Rashomon JAPN tutors & students)
Sample of two of the performances:
1) (Jukininki)
Jikininki, also known as Ara’s Espadas, are the highest demons in the Black Demons’ hierarchy, a class of Overlords and Tyrants of Qliphoth. Before Ara Astaroth, there were no traces of the existence of these demons. Billion years later when Blackness was under the control of Ara, these demons started to appear.
3) (The Legend of the White Snake)
Once upon a time on E-Mei mountain there lived two snake spirits; White Snake and Green Snake. These snakes, being magical, turned themselves into beautiful maidens and set off on a journey to the West Lake of Hang Zhou where they met a man named Xu Xian. White Snake quickly fell in love with Xu Xian and they were soon married. A Buddhist monk, named Fa Hai, warned Xu Xian of his wife’s deceptive appearance and suggested to him a plan. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival White Snake wished to stay home so as to avoid the Ay Tsao, used for protection from spirits, hanging on the doors of people’s houses. Her husband prepared, according to Fa Hai’s instruction, some realgar wine, as this was a tradition during the Dragon boat festival.
White Snake was thinking her magic would protect her from the effects of the realgar wine so a cup was accepted. She became very ill and was barely able to get to bed. When her husband came to her side, he found not his wife but a huge white snake. So great was Xu Xian’s shock that he fell to the floor, dead.
For the other performances the 2019 performance is waiting for you.
The performers from the Japanese classes: Mykaela Freeman, ‘22; Courtney Swihart, ‘21; Holly Hilty, ‘21; Tori Smith; Gabby Smith; Peyton Ernst; Tia McConaughey, ‘22; Kylee Bernhardt, ‘22; Jordan Shirley, ‘20; Rachel Boyette, ‘22; Mauren Williams; Kierstin Conaway, ‘19; Heather Rucker, ‘19; Minami Yamori; Arisa Kayano; Hannah Hallam and Shota Ganno, ‘20.
From the Chinese classes: Elena Dumm, ‘20; Sage Gerstenzang; Shae Gorin, ‘22; Fatou Jobarteh, ‘21; Steven Johnson; Andrea McDuffie, ‘19; Sophia Reutter, ‘20; Alexis Willams, ‘21; Holly Carter, ‘19; Kimberly Estenson, ‘19; Kassandra Heironimus, ‘19 and Olesya Tehan, ‘20.
