JAPANESE THEATRE & COURSE SUMMARY
This is a take-home exam, due by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 11, 2005. Any late exams will be downgraded one letter grade per day late.
I will be driving to Santa Fe starting Friday morning May 13, so please get your materials to me well in time to allow me to grade them. You can always turn things in early! Wouldn't that be JOLLY!
You may refer to your class notes, handouts, & videos in completing this examination. Your exam should reflect your own thinking and aesthetic responses.
For undergrads, you are expected to answer 2 questions (one from each section).
For grads, you are expected to answer 3 questions (one from each section, plus an additional one of your choice).
If you're feeling particularly sizzling and eager (or in need of a high octane end to the semester), you may answer one additional question for extra credit.
SECTION ONE: JAPAN
1. How did the stage spaces of the Noh and Kabuki theatres evolve? What
cultural aspects influenced the development of the stage spaces? Describe the
primary purpose, focus or emphasis of each theatre form (subject matter, story
content, characters). How does the configuration of the stage relate to it?
2. Discuss the political and social influences that shaped the development of
Bunraku and Kabuki theatre forms. How did patronage affect these forms? Include
visual elements, staging conventions and acting / performance style in your
analysis.
3. Acting technique, movement conventions and physical skills of the Kabuki
actor are highly refined. As a non-native, how do you perceive the Kabuki acting
style? Discuss and give examples. How might this theatrical genre inform your
own work?
4. The Bunraku puppeteer studies for a lifetime to achieve his extraordinary
level of skill. Some say that certain ideas and emotions are best expressed by a
puppet character, rather than a human actor. As a non-native, how do you
perceive Bunraku? Discuss and give examples. How might this theatrical genre
inform your own work?
SECTION TWO: SYNTHESIS OF THE SEMESTER'S STUDY
1. The traditional theatres of Asia often draw on violent periods in their
history for story material. This necessitates depicting fighting and violence
(often in a stylized fashion) as part of the storytelling. Describe this
stylization, using Indian Kathakali, Beijing Opera and Japanese Kabuki as your
examples. Compare & contrast. Use specific examples from the material you
have seen in class. What cross-cultural relationships do you see? To what do you
attribute these relationships?
2. In all of the Asian theatre traditions we have studied, precise rigorous physical and vocal training is an essential part of the performer's development. Although there are genre-specific aspects to the training of each form, there are commonalities as well. Considering this, how do you see the body - the actor's physical instrument - and how might this inform your own work?
3. Considering all you have seen and studied during this course, how would you define theatre? What is its purpose? How does it function in society? How does contemporary Western theatre fit into this vision?
4. Considering all you have seen and studied during this course, how would you define the role and responsibility of the theatre artist? Will the Asian theatre forms you have seen in this class influence your own work as a theatre practitioner? If so, in what way?
