Japanese Theatre

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Japanese Theatre

• Noh

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Did you Noh.

• Noh is a highly stylized form of theatre that
  enacts stories from Japans classical literature.

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The Plays

• Content of the Noh play is almost always tragic.
• Written in prose or in verse
• Performances are a day long, but the Noh play
  itself are very short (1 hr)

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The Stage
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The stage

• Temple roof supported by 4 columns
• First Actor, Pillar, Mark Pillar, and Flute
  Players Pillar
• Each of these represents either the placement of
  the actors entrance, or the part of the stage in
  which the musician stands
• Hurry door- used by minor characters, musicians,
  stage assistants for quick entrances and exits.
• 3 real small pine trees
• They stand for heaven, earth, and man along the
  pebble path
• Epiphany Pine- painted on the center wall
  representing spirituality.

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The Stage breakdown
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Masks Costumes

• Noh masks can convey several different emotions
  and pictures
• Masks are worn when portraying a female or
  supernatural beings
• Costumes do not resemble the SES of the character
  they
• portray.

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Japanese Theatre

• Kabuki

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What is Kabuki?

• Kabuki- meaning off balance or
  unconventional
• Ka for music, bu for dance, and ki for skill
• An energetic form of theatre that began around
  1600 by Okuni.
• She drew inspiration from Buddhist dances with
  contemporary forms
• Plays that once lasted a full day, but today only
  last about 5 hours.
• Includes themes of feuds, revenge, adventure,
  and romance

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Kabuki Acting

• Highly stylized form of story telling
• The audience is aware they are in the theatre
  watching a play.
• Actors specialize in certain characters.
• Movement is also stylized

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The Plays

• The text of the play is less important than the
  acting.
• To reveal emotions they display exaggerated
  facial expressions and strike dramatic poses.
• Very similar to Western musicals

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The Stage

• Combines a proscenium stage and a thrust stage.
• Who can tell me what these are?
• Hamamichi- Flower path The stage connects to a
  ramp that runs to the rear of the auditorium.
• This runway is used by actors for dramatic
  entrances and exits.
• Musicians sit on stage

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Role of Women in Kabuki

• Okuni began origins of Kabuki in Japanese
  culture
• However, in the mid 1600s women were banned
  from kabuki for engaging in prostitution.
• As a result male Kabuki performers were then to
  portray women on stage, thus creating ONNAGATA

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Role of Men in Kabuki

• When women became banned men began to portray
  female roles (just like Shakespeare)
• Studying the art of Kabuki is begun in childhood
• It is an art that is passed down over
  generations.

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Spectacle- Makeup

• Known as Kumadori
• Not realistic looking
• The face is painted with white and bold lines,
  mostly red or blue.
• Red lines Virtue/ strength
• Blue Evil

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Spectacle- Costumes Scenery
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What are some differences between Noh and Kabuki?

• Differenes

• Similarities

• Noh uses masks, Kabuki uses makeup
• Noh is subtle in movemnts, Kabuki is loud

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Bunraku

• Japanese Theatre

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What is Bunraku?

• Japanese puppet theatre!
• First signs of use in the 16th century
• Flourished in 1872- 19th C.
• This is not what western culture thinks of when
  they think of puppet show

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What Makes it Different?

• These puppets are NOT marrionets, sock or hand
  puppets.
• Bunraku puppets stand about about 3 feet tall
• They are controlled by a series of pullies and
  strings controlled by 3 puppeteers
• Another unique component is that they control
  facial expressions as well (Think Sesame Street,
  but cooler!)

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The Play

• The first townsfolk plays
• The plays first started out more historical,
  legendary, or heroic tales
• Then turned to actual incidents- like love
  suicide

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Puppeteers

• These puppeteers are seen by the audience- very
  different from western theatre
• The main puppeteer controls the head
• The main puppeteers face remains uncovered
• The other puppeteers are in blacks from head to
  toe. This creates
• the idea that they are
• invisible to the
• audience.

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Cont.

• The puppeteers become one with the puppet.
• They all must work together to create a realistic
  character through the puppet.
• It can take years to become the main puppeteer-
  can take up to thirty years!