Asian Theatre History
Theatre 1-2
Christy Moss
Fall 2011
General differences between
western and eastern theatre
The play isn’t written first in Asian theatre.
The story isn’t the most important element.
Asian theatre is a combination of song,
dance, narrative, and great performers
(essential).
Dancing and acting work together in Asian
theatre.
Performers come to and move through
audience.
Noh Drama
Most elitist, most exclusive form of
drama.
Closely related to Zen Buddhism
Evokes and uses a sense of
mysticism and the supernatural.
Term: Yugen- relates to the “total
experience” of the Noh play. You
must look at the surface as well as
what lies beneath.
Continued…
Play structure:
Noh Drama contemplates a past action.
The past is reflected by the characters
on stage.
Mystical: demons and ghosts.
Noh Dramas are presented in a 5 play
cycle. Each with its own beginning,
middle, and end.
Continued…
Acting roles:
Sh’te
Primary character
The audience is interested in his journey and
his emotions.
Waki
Secondary character
Traveling priest
Gives audience the exposition and sets up
the play
Other roles
Chorus and musicians
Both are seated on stage left or up stage.
They are the speakers for the whole play.
Continued…
Characters usually wear elaborate
masks that show the audience the
character’s emotions.
Continued…
Stage Structure
Tree
Pillars
Hurry
Door
Hashigakari
AUDIENCE
Continued…
Tree is the only fixed piece of scenery
Small pine trees are on the bridge
(hasigakari)
Hurry door: stage left; for unimportant
entrances and exits.
Hasigakari: Bridge over audience for
IMPORTANT entrances and exits.
Bunraku
Japanese puppet theatre
NOT for children
Puppets are made of wood or
porcelain and are 2/3 human size.
They wear Kabuki like costumes.
Continued…
Puppet Manipulation and Functions of
Puppeteers:
Puppet is controlled by three
puppeteers.
1 for hand inside puppet that controls head
and right hand.
1 for left hand and movement of body.
1 for foot movement and sound effects.
Puppeteer and puppet become “one.”
Puppeteers are masked and wear black.
Continued…
A single narrator does all of the
character voices, sounds, and
singing. There is one musician for
music.
Kabuki
Theatre style began toward the end of the
16th Century in Japan.
Believed to begin as a woman’s idea.
Structure of plays
First impact is physical
Series of conventions and symbols
Lots of movement, sound, and props
The fan was the most popular prop: greatest
variety of uses
Lack of continuous plot; beauty was more
important.
Elaborate staging.
Continued…
Dance, song, and narrative are extremely
important.
Males play both female and male roles,
even today!
Costume and Make up:
No masks
Beautiful and elaborate costuming
White face, black and red make up used for
detailing.
Men who played women wore red lips and
eyes.
Male roles had bold red and black lines on face
and body: the bolder, the more powerful.
Wigs were made for each actor.
Continued…
Kabuki uses lots of scenery, like
Broadway musicals.
THE MIE
Mie poses are an important
part of kabuki and an
indication of the dance origins
of its performance. Basically
mie poses are a freezing of a
climatic moment in several
rigid snapshots called mie.
A mie pose is a highlight of a
kabuki performance. And
while the principal actor
poses mie, the others on the
stage usually stop their
movements. The full attention
of the audience and the
actors is focused on the mie
pose. Mie is considered as a
challenge for each kabuki
actor and can be played only
by experienced performers.
Continued…
Stage Structure: primarily a western
style stage.
Turn
Table
Audience
Hanamichi
Continued…
Hanamichi: Bridge over audience.
Allows audience to see action next to
them.
Elaborate scenic devices were used
like the turn table.
Lots of scenery.
Thirty people or more were onstage at
any given moment- LARGE
PRODUCTION!
Beijing Opera (formerly Peking)
Structure of performance:
Acting, dancing, and singing occurred
before the text was performed.
Three part performance:
Acrobatic displays and dancing/ singing
acts.
Pantomime act.
Text performed.
Continued…
Acting roles:
Sheng: Male lead roles
Lao Sheng: old men
Xlao Sheng: young men
Wu Sheng: Warrior types
Tan: Female lead roles
Qing Yi: Quiet and gentle
Hua Tan: Vivacious
Lao Tan: Old Woman
Wu Tan: Warrior Maidens
Continued…
Ching: painted face roles (warriors,
bandits, courtiers, officials, gods, and
supernatural beings)
Ch’ou: Comic or Clown (Uses
improvisation)
Questions to ponder…
What are the major differences
between western and Asian theatre?
Which form of Asian theatre uses
puppetry?
What is the point of the mie pose in
Kabuki?