Everyone laughs.
First Samurai looks over the women in the crowd.
FIRST SAMURAI: Are there any Heike women? A woman’s better than
a blind man.
The women flee.
THIRD SAMURAI: At a Genji festival anything with a “Heike” in its
name pollutes the shrine—get rid of that biwa.
He pushes Kagekiyo away from the railing.
THIRD MAN: Is there even such a thing as a Genji or a Heike at a
festival?
FOURTH MAN: It’s the people’s festival, they’re the people’s songs.
PEOPLE: Dance, dance!
SECOND SAMURAI: What?
The samurai look angry, the people of the festival jeer. The people dance,
as though mocking the samurai.
Genji and Heike aristocrats and warriors parents and children and
brothers and brothers attack one another war is the people’s agony women
and children flee today the town burns and the looting...
As the chorus sings this verse the third samurai takes hold of the front of
Kagekiyo’s cloak. Kagekiyo automatically assumes a fighting position and
twists the samurai’s arm. The samurai show signs of fear.
The people laugh.
The three samurai become angry and drag Kagekiyo to the center of the
stage.
The people jeer with increasing boisterousness.
