Japanese Noh Theatre
What is Noh?
Formed early 14th Century
Oldest transmitted performance art in
the world
Integrated popular song and dance
from the time period
Influenced by Buddism
Founded by Zeami (Zay-ahmee)
Zeami
One of the most influential figures in
Japanese Theatre
His treatise on Noh Fūshi kaden
(Teachings on Style and the Flower)
written 200 years before Shakespeare
is still used today
Simplicity
Unlike Kabuki, Noh is based on simplicity
No scenery and little if any props are used
Audience is not separated by a curtain
Chorus and musicians are onstage
Instead of pursuing realism, Noh pursues the
expression of inner movement through spoken
word, music and
dance in an
extremely simplified
space.
Origins and history
In China, “Sangaku” and “Gagaku” were two types
of performance
Sangaku – a public entertainment, included
comical performances and parodies, acrobatic
performances, juggling, and magic
Gagaku – solemn music and dance, largely
ceremonial in the imperial court and aristocrats’
residences.
Sangaku spread among the commoners as
entertainment performed at temples and shrines
Sangaku becomes Saragaku - the basis for Noh
showing that Noh was developed from juggling
and acrobatic performance
Origins and history
It is uncertain when the word “Noh” emerged
Noh was divided into “saragaku-no-Noh”
(humorous mime) focusing on how skillfully the
actor played the character and “dengaku-noNoh” which aimed to express subtleness and
insight through dance and was more symbolic
rather than copying the actual character
Both forms organized performance groups led
by a “master”
Each master held great control – Zeami’s
Fūshi kaden was probably written to pass
down the artistry he acquired
Kannami and zeami
Kannami, a Noh master, added the kusemai
(storytelling with dance) and singing and
dance to sarugaku
A few of his plays are still produced today
Kannami’s son Zeami perfected his father’s
work and gained support from the shogunate
especially Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu which
led to great notoriety
His refinements led to what is known as the
Noh art form
More than 50 of his dramas are still performed
with his originally lyrics
Forms and elements
Most Noh dramas are based on
popular classic stories among
ordinary people
Zeami’s stories fall under the style of
“Mugen Noh” or “dreamy Noh”
where the real world and the dream
world crisscross.
Although it can be difficult to follow,
each Mugen Noh’s structure is
similar so audiences can learn the
pattern
Structure of Mugen Noh
A traveler visits a place and meets a local person
The local person tells the traveler about a historic
event and a story associated with a person at the
locality
At the end of the story, the person reveals that he or
she is the historic person who was just described in
the story, and then the person disappears.
After this, the main character once withdraws
backstage
The main character later re-appears on the stage
and "nochiba (the second half of the drama)" of the
drama starts.
The local person's ghost appears in the traveler's
dream, dances to show the past event, and gradually
disappears when the traveler wakes up.
Characters in Noh
The protagonist is called “shite” who plays a god,
ghost of a samurai or woman, madwoman, or
supernatural characters such as a goblin or the
spirit of a dragon
The “waki” is a side character and a living person
The waki is often a wandering monk and/or a foe
of the shite
This creates a structure where a living person
meets shite, a diseased character, who seeks
salvation through the living person
Noh has minimal characters, it is not unusual that
a drama is played by two characters
Five Categories of Noh
Noh drama is classified into five categories:
God – The shite takes the role of a god
promising peace, happiness and fertility of
all grains
Man (warrior) – The shite often takes the
role of a diseased man, such as the ghost
of a samurai
Woman – The shite appears as the ghost
of a woman. Usually the love of the female
ghost keeps her on earth and forces her to
float around
Five Categories of Noh
Madness – The shite takes the role of a
crazy person. Madness does not mean
mental insanity but rather a situation in
which a person becomes frantic by
thinking too seriously. This category can
also be referred as “miscellaneous” which
includes stories which are not classified in
other categories
Demon – The shite peforms as a demon or
spirit in an overwhelming dance
accompanied with drums and spectacular
music
The noh stage
The noh stage
A Noh stage is an extremely simplified space
which does not have a drop or drawn curtain
between the stage and the auditorium
(kensho).
Originally performed outdoors, but is now
indoors designed to look like the open air
stage, equipped with a roof, a gangway bridge
(hashigakari), and pine trees planted on the
bridge in perspective
Modest lighting to recreate natural light.
In many cases, large jars are buried under the
main stage and the gangway bridge. These
jars function not only to enlarge and improve
the sound of stepping, music and speaking
The noh stage
The noh stage
Columns provide markers for shite who has
limited vision due to the mask
Kagami-ita (back board) always a pine tree
Jiutai-za – chorus seating
Ato-za – seating for musicians (hayashi)
Koken – seating for stage managers
Hashigakari – gangway bridge used as a
walkway and for scenes
Agemaku – curtain for characters (kiritoguchi
for chorus, musicians and sm’s)
Kagami-no-ma – backstage
Kensho – audience seating
Masks
60 basic types of masks and over 200 different kinds
of masks
Covering the face with a mask is related to the
transformation of a person, just like make-up. It is
said that a Noh mask has an element of spell, which
provides spiritual power to the Noh actor.
The Noh mask is called omote.
Only the shite or his compainion (tsure) don masks
The waki is a living character and therefore does not
Usually, there is no mask assigned to a character.
Rather, the type of masks to be used is designated
for each drama. Therefore, it depends on the shite to
decide which mask he will use
Masks
It is unclear when Noh masks emerged.
Originally based more on religious tastes
than artistic
As the focus towards subtlety grew,
performers felt more and more need to
conceal the change of their facial
expressions and the ugliness of their aged
faces
As Noh grew towards the modern age,
mask designs grew significantly as mask
makers became an independent
occupation
Mask expressions
Emotional expression is extremely difficult
Noh actors give expression through the
well known gestures “teru” and “kumoru”
Terasu – raising the face slightly upwards
makes the mask appear to smile
Kumorasu – lowering the face slightly
downward makes the mask appear to
weep
Simple and miniscule movements of the
mask expresses the subtleties of human
emotion
Types of masks
Jo
Elder
Types of masks
Otoko
Man
Types of masks
Onna
Woman
Types of masks
Kishin
Demon
Types of masks
Kishin
Demon
Types of masks
Onryo
Ghost & Spirit
Types of masks
Onryo
Ghost & Spirit
Props
As a rule props are seldom used on
stage
The only exception is the
“tsukurimono”
“Tsukurimono” are large stage props
used to symbolize a house, grave,
ship, bed, etc
Built of a bamboo frame it is meant to
be symbolic of the item rather than
recreate it
Props
Ship
Cobweb
Chants and music
Music is composed of vocal (utai) and
instrumental (hayashi)
The utai is performed by the actors or
the Jiutai (chorus) who describe the
events, scenery and emotion of the
characters, but are NOT characters
on stage
There is musical scale in utai but
rather determined by the shite or
choral leader
Chants and music
The hayashi is composed of four
instruments
Fue or Nohkan - flute
Kotsuzumi – small hand or shoulder
drum
Ozutsumi – large hand drum
Taiko – drum beaten with sticks
http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/e
n/roles_musical.html
Dance and forms
To perform Noh is “to dance Noh”
Specific parts of the drama also include
dance (mai) which is dance and music
combined
Several types of specific dances are
performed in each play from the slow
dance of the woman to the very fast
dance of the demon
Even basic blocking is extremely
detailed and done with precise
movements
costume
The costume is
called Noh shozoku
A typical costume
include the karaori
(outer robe) which is
extremely ornate
There are many
rules for the color
and style of costume
The shite decides
what the wears on
stage as long as they
follow the rules
costume