Heian Period
794 - 1185
Feudal clan warfare
Emperor weak - No centralized power
Daimyo emerge
feudal lords
members of Kuge - aristocracy
raise private armies - mercenary samurai
Literature & stories form basis of later plays
Early Court Based Theatre Forms
Chinese & Korean influences
Gigaku - 8th to 10th C
Buddhist dances & sketches
Often farcical, satirical; sometimes crude & obscene
Imperial court & Buddhist temples
Shishi mai lion dance & use of masks
Bugaku - 9th to 11th C (to present)
Dramatic dances - imperial court
Serene, stately, ceremonial, stylized, rigorous
Dance forms from throughout mainland Asia
Early Religious Theatre Forms
Kagura
Shinto celebratory dances & sketches
Shamanistic trance rituals
Bridge between worlds (man & spirits)
Dengaku - 9th to 14th C
“Rice field entertainment”
Shinto rituals - temple sponsorship
dance, song & acrobatics
visual spectacle - extravagant costumes
more important than dramatic validity
Early Popular Forms
Sangaku - “scattered music”
Less formal; folk entertainment
Mimes, skits, comic elements
Sarugaku - “Monkey music”
Developed from Sangaku - 10th C
200 year development
Mime, skits & playlets
character conflict, exposition & interaction
Many performance venues
Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, Private residences
Public arenas (paid attendance - kanjin)
