Asian Theater
Theater in Japan








Time period: around the time the religious cycles were flourishing in Europe
Noh theater was perfected during the 6th century AD
It is very isolated from western theater and has a total distinct theatrical tradition
Buddhist religion arrived in Japan from India and China
7th century an emperor gained power over Japan
Japan was ruled by this shogun (military dictator) till 1867 American intervention led to
the downfall of the shogunate
With all this that had occurred Japan developed a strict social hierarchy
Highest class: samurai (warriors) then: merchants, artists, and craftsmen, next:
peasants and farmers
Noh Theater









Kind of still written and played as it was years ago
Noh plays have protagonists as ghosts, demons, or obsessed human beings whose souls
cannot rest
Noh Dramas are have 5 classified types
- God plays
- Warrior plays
- Women plays
- Madness plays
- Demon plays
A major influence: Noh’s view of the world teaches ultimate peace comes through union
with all being
Noh script is short (shorter than a western one act play
Usually leads up to a dance
Noh is a musical dance-drama used to evoke an emotional state and mood\
Usually there is a pattern in the plays; the first play : the innocence and the peace of the
world gods, then the redemption for human beings, and at last the defeat of the forces
that stand between peace
Performance has three groups
-actors






-chorus
-musicians
2 divisions of actors, those who play the waki and the wakis followers, and those the
shite main character
2 other types of actors also in Noh
-kyogen (perform short comic plays)
kokota (child actors who play children)
Chorus from 6-10 members
Noh stage standardized for almost 400 years is raised about 3 feet stage proper
Noh plays climatic moment is expressed in a dance
They happen in a specific time of year
Japanese

2 traditional forms
- Bunraku
- Kabuki
Bunraku:







large puppets represent characters came from the 17th century
at first they only had heads
later hands and feet
then the puppets doubled their size
3 handlers who are visible
- one handles the head and right arm
- other handles left arm
- and last handles feet
Bunraku represents all locales scenically
Bunraku is probably the most complex puppet performance in the world
Kabuki






Uses a great deal of scenery
White floor is snow
Blue mats are water
Kabuki is the most popular of the traditional forms
Song and narration are important in kabuki
Divided into several acts






Chushingura is the most popular
Kabuki actors do not wear masks
The acting itself is a combination of dancing and speaking
They can over exaggerate on make up though
It contains many elements of western usages just very exaggerated
Noh is the least understood by westerners and Kabuki appeals the most to westerners
Theater in China








Chinese performances can be tracked down way back to 1767 BC
Today it is most known as Chinese Opera
Traditionally the platform is squared
Chinese opera performers wear costumes and make up
Movement is a huge part of china theater
Western theater was very admired by China during the 20th century
After communism had control in China Beijing Opera forbid plays
They didn’t return until the 1980s along with the Rejection of the Cultural war
Other Asian Countries



Although there are many countries in Asia with each their own tradition of how plays
are performed, and what they are performing, China and Japan are two of the biggest
ones
Parts in southwest Asia are very known for their puppetry in drams
Many of the puppets are also used in Wayan Kuilt , in this drama the puppets are flat
and simply moved by sticks