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Japanese Theatre

Japanese Theatre. Bunraku. Noh. Kabuki. Noh Drama. Noh Drama. Emerged in the 14th c. Frozen in the 17th c. Invention attributed to Kanami Kiyotsugu (1333-1384) Perfected by his son, Zeami Morokiyo (1363-1443). Noh Drama. Performed at courts of Ashikaga Shoguns. Noh Stage.

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Japanese Theatre

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  1. Japanese Theatre Bunraku Noh Kabuki

  2. Noh Drama

  3. Noh Drama • Emerged in the 14th c. • Frozen in the 17th c. • Invention attributed to Kanami Kiyotsugu (1333-1384) • Perfected by his son, Zeami Morokiyo (1363-1443)

  4. Noh Drama Performed at courts of Ashikaga Shoguns

  5. Noh Stage

  6. Noh Stage

  7. National Noh Theatre, Tokyo 2006

  8. Hayashikata/JiutaiHayashikata (instrument players) of whistle, drums, etc. sit at the back of the stage. Musicians The Jiutai (singers) sit in a line on the left

  9. Conventional roles in all dramas Shite: principal character -- the only true “person” Waki: secondary character -- introduces story and asks questions; often a priest Tsure: shadowy companion to shiite and/or waki Kokata: child Kyogen: clown -- usually lower class Noh Characters

  10. Noh Conventions • Very short, plotless, tragic in mood • Highly stylized with very slow pace: 200-300 lines of play can take an hour to perform • Integrate singing, speech instruments, and dancing • No limitation in time or space • Highly allusive, poetic, symbolic language • Less about characters than emotions In Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi), Rokujo, Genji’s lover and the widow of the late crown prince, is accustomed to more respect than Genji gives her, and in a rage she sends her spirit to possess his wife, Aoi. Her jealousy fuels a story of possession and exorcism.

  11. Yugen:haunting poetic quality, suggesting quiet elegance and grace, subtle and fleeting beauty

  12. Types of Noh Plays • A Day’s Entertainment contains: • A god play • A warrior play • A woman play • A realistic play • A demon play • Kyogen Plays: placed between Noh plays as comic relief • No music • Broad humor • About 20 minutes long A Kyogen play Boshibari(fasten to a bar)

  13. Female Mask Noh Masks Male Mask Demon Mask Old Man Mask

  14. Noh Costumes Costumes are heavy silk kimonos often luxuriously embroidered The ability of the shite and waki to express volumes with a gesture is enhanced by their use of various hand properties, the most important of which is the folding fan (chukei). The fan can be used to represent an object, such as a dagger or ladle, or an action, such as beckoning or moon-viewing.

  15. Contemporary Noh performed by firelight at Heian Shrine in Kyoto

  16. Bunraku

  17. Ningyo-joruri, literally puppets and storytelling • 1684: Takemoto Gidayu set up his own theater in Osaka • He was helped in his effort by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, the greatest playwright in Japanese history, and Takeda Izumo, a famous theater owner and manager. • Bunraku developed alongside and competed with Kabuki: borrowing of scripts promoted growth of both Bunraku and Kabuki

  18. Puppets

  19. Narrator and Shamisen

  20. Kabuki http://ddb.libnet.kulib.kyoto-u.ac.jp/exhibit/okuni/eng/okuindxe.html

  21. 1586: Kabuki was invented by a dancing priestess,Izumono noOkuni

  22. Okuni dancing as a samurai in traditional and modern prints

  23. 2003 stamps celebrating the 400th anniversary of Kabuki Kabuki plays Okuni Kabuki Screen

  24. Kabuki was popular theatre with a greater emphasis on plot, conflict and excitement than Noh

  25. Kabuki Theatre • 1629: Shoguns forbid females to appear on stage; young boys played their roles • 1652: Young boys forbidden to play female roles • 1983: An all-female Kabuki troupe is formed: Nagoya Musume Kabuki

  26. Nagoya Musume Kabuki

  27. Kabuki Stage

  28. Kabuki Stage 1. Mawari-Butai: Turntable – used to change scenes. Invented by Japanese: first used in Kabuki 2. Oh-Zeri: King –sized elevator used to bring scenery from cellar to stage 3. Seri: lift for actors and sets 4. Geza: stage left/ Music box Place where music and sound effects are produced 5. Yuka: Narration stage Narrator’s playing place 6. Hana-michi: Flower Path/ Stage Road 7. Suppon: lift where monsters appear 9. Kara Hana-michi: Sub-stage Road 8. Toya: Waiting Room

  29. Kabuki Staging • Geza: Musicians: samisen, percussion, winds, voices • O-dugu: Stage sets: traps, lifts, revolving stages • Ko-dugu: Properties • Afuri-kaeshi:spectacular set changes

  30. Kabuki Characters

  31. Kabuki Characters

  32. Onnagata:femalesplayed by male actors.The ideal for the onnagatais not to imitate women but to symbolically express the essence of the feminine.

  33. Aragota:vigorous heroes

  34. Tachi Yaku:males Tate:virtuous heroKataki:villainDoki:comicRojin:old man

  35. Kodomo:children

  36. Kabuki Style • Kata:stylized movement patterns • Onnagata:female characters • centerpiece dance • super feminine • Tachiyaku:Male character roles • Aragota style:rough style • “superman” type characters • Kumadori makeup • Mie:poses with glaring crossed eyes • Wagoto: soft style • refined, merchant’s sons who fall in love with beautiful courtesans • disowned by families • somewhat comic

  37. Kabuki Conventions • Hanamichi:flower path • Mawari-butai:revolving stage: rapid scene shifts • Tyobo:drums indicating play was adapted from Bunraku • Geza:inconspicuous “music box” -- samisen • Debayasi:onstage orchestra during dance • Kurogo:assistant dressed in black who aids actors

  38. Types of Kabuki Plays • Aragota: vigorous hero plays • Shiranami-mono: lives of thieves plays • Koroshi-ba: feudal plays with many kill scenes • Tachi-Mawari: the fight • Seasonal plays: • New Year’s: revenge play • April: Hanami Tsuki: “flower viewing” -- court ladies • Summer: ghost plays • December: Shibakaku: plays to introduce new actors • Aiso-zukashi: scorned love plays • Engiri: break-up scene • Suicide Pact plays

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