Noh

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Noh Bunraku Theatre

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Noh Theatre

• Oldest of the Japanese art forms
• Influenced by Shinto and Buddhist rituals
• Developed during the 14th century (1300s)
• Kanami and his son Zeami creators of Noh and
  most influential playwrights
• Stories are based on religion and folklore
• Language of the plays is intricate and originally
  it was only enjoyed by the upper classes.

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Noh Stage

• 18 ft square stage area (butai)
• Audience sat on 3 sides (thrust space)
• Roof shaped like a Shinto shrine
• Four pillars. Some pillars used by masked actors
  to tell where they are/going
• A bridge (hashigakari) serves as a passage way to
  the stage
• Pine tree painted on the back wall of the stage
• Three pine trees are in front of the bridge
  (hashigakari)

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Noh Performers

• Skill of Noh theatre passed from Father to son
• Leading characters (shite) usually wear masks
• Secondary characters (waki) dont wear masks
• Poetic language and song used to tell a story
• Slow, elegant dancing

Slow moving Noh dancing
Shite (center), waki (right) and chorus (right)
on stage.
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Noh Costumes Props

• The bold patterns of the costumes are a striking
  contrast to the stark stage
• Shite charater usually wears a five-layered
  costume to purposely look larger
• Costume makeup differentiate social class
• Props are often symbolic. For example a fan as a
  sword
• 15 standard masks allowed in Noh plays. Carved
  from wood.

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Bunraku

• Bunraku is the name commonly used for ningyo
  joruri which means puppets and story telling
• Bunraku was the common mans version of the Noh
  play
• Puppetry, storytelling and the music of the
  shamisen (stringed instrument) were combined to
  create Bunraku

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Bunraku Puppets

• In early Bunraku, the puppets were smaller and
  operated by a single person
• Later puppets became 1/2 to 2/3 life size
• No strings but highly advanced movements
• Puppets are extremely expressive

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Bunraku Puppeteers

• Larger puppets operated by three puppeteers
• The principal puppeteer (omozukai) operates the
  head and right arm
• The first assistant (hidarizukai) operates the
  left arm
• The second assistant (ashizukai) operates the
  feet on a male puppet or bottom of a kimono on a
  female puppet.

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Bunraku Joruri Shamisen

• Bunraku uses a Joruri or storyteller
• Bunraku plays are accompanied by a stringed
  instrument called a shamisen
• The Joruri and shamisen player sit on the stage
  left side of the stage.