Characteristics of Noh Theatre
1- character plays
serious drama
tales & legends of medieval Japan
character exposition
torment & inner soul of main character
restrained portrayal of human sentiment
physical elements:
no scenery, limited props
lavish costumes
finely crafted masks
Noh Performers
Shite - main character
Mask & elaborate costume
Shite-zure - assistant to main character
Limited lines; little contribution to story
Waki - secondary character
Draws out story from Shite
No mask; less elaborate costume
Waki-zure - assistant to Waki
Tomo - incidental character
not masked
Koken - assists Shite with costume & props
Noh Musicians
Ji-utai - chorus of 6 to 12
chanting - vibrato & resonance
Musicians - 3 or 4
Taiko - stick drum (optional)
Otsuzumi - large hand drum
Kotsuzumi - small hand drum
Fue - flute
Movement Elements
Kamae - basic posture
Straight torso, leaning slightly forward
Arms curved down & slightly forward
Knees slightly bent, feet parallel
Kata - dance patterns
Abstract
Hakobi - gliding walk
Upper body maintains posture
Toes glide on floor; heels raised slightly
Actor appears to be non-earthly being
Stage Features
Honbutai - main stage area
18 to 19 1/2 feet square, raised 3 feet
Polished smooth surface
Large pots underneath - resonance chambers
Hashigakiri
Bridge - symbolic entrance from spirit world
3 pine trees (man, earth & spirit)
Roof, upheld by 4 pillars
Waki bashira
Shite bashira
Fue Bashira
Metsuke bashira (eye fixing pillar)
Ji-utai-za or Waki-za
6 foot side stage where chorus sits
Kiridoguchi - hurry door
Entrance for chorus, koken & tomo
Kagami-ita
back wall w/ painting of Yogo pine tree
Shirasu hashigo
3 steps DSC (never used)
Noh Masks
Considered sacred
Carved wood - fine craftsmanship
Slightly smaller than human size
Actor’s chin & jowls visible
Held on by black cord attached at temples
Actor’s comfort not a consideration
No attempt to fit actor’s face
Eye alignment may not match actor’s face
Visibility of actor restricted
No nose holes
Breathing of actor restricted
Mask Categories - Noh Masks
Tokushu - unusual
Oni - demons
Jo - old man
Otoko - man
Onna - woman
Ryo - divine spirit being or ghost
Mask Categories - Kyogen Masks
Okina - old man
Shimbutsu - deities
Ningen - humans
Borei - ghosts
Oni - demons
Dobutsu - animals
Noh Costumes
Lavish & sumptuous
gold brocades & silk damask fabrics
many layers
Traditional clothing shapes
based on court fashions
standardized during the Tokugawa era
No specific time period
No expression of character’s class or emotional state
Costume Elements
White undergarments
Kitsuke - outer garments
Atsuita
Hakama - wide divided skirt for men
Kariginu - hunting or courtier’s robes
Noshi - refined courtier’s robes
Happi - short hip-length robe
Surihaku - female robes
Eri - collar insert worn beneath basic kimono
Kazura - wigs
Headdresses
Hand Props & Furniture
Tsukurimono - stage properties
Boats, carts, huts
Bamboo & cloth structures
Lightweight - handled by 1 or 2 people
Hand props
Fan - symbolizes many things
sword, brush, flute, water scoop
Fishing net, water bucket, broom, lance, lute, spinning wheel
Lacquered bucket w/ lid
Seat for the shite
Play Structure
2 Acts or Ba
Each Ba has 5 Dan (Scenes)
Divisions of the Ba contain
Jo (Introduction)
Ha (Development)
Kyu (Finale or Conclusion)
Dan 1 is Jo
Dan 2, 3 & 4 are Ha
Dan 5 is Kyu
Performance Sequence - Preliminaries
Ritual entrance of chorus via kiridoguchi
Ritual entrance of musicians via hashigakiri
Koken follows musicians
Shidai - entrance music
Mae-ba (Act 1)
Processional entrance of Waki
Michi yuki - traveling song
Processional entrance of Shite in disguise
Stops at Shite bashira & sings Issei - opening song
Sashi - dialog between Shite & Waki
Shigoto - Shite’s central action or narration
Monogatari - what the Shite is looking for
Retrieve lost object, restore honor, revenge
Shite withdraws
Waki & Tsure stand & formally walk off
Musicians stand & formally walk off
Chorus stands & formally walks off
Interlude Between Acts
Ai or Ai Kyogen
short facical comic interlude
Performed by 1 or 2 kyogen actors
Using no masks, simple costumes
Vernacular language
Modern performances often omit this element
Nochi ba - Act 2
Waki sings the Machi-utai
Entrance of Shite as true self (Nochi-jite)
Often a supernatural form
Dialogue between Waki & Shite
Shite-mai - Shite’s final dance
Highlight of the drama
Shite explains real goal
Short exchange between Shite & waki
Shite leaves, passes through Agemaki
Waki rises
Exit processional as in Act 1
Subject Matter of No Plays
Waki-no or Kami mono
Origin of a shrine or praise of a kami
Shite represents a deity
Asura no or Shura mono
Buddhist underworld of anguished warrior ghosts
Shite represents a great samurai warrior
Kasura mono or Onna mono
Shite is female character
Subject Matter of Noh Plays
Genzai mono
Inner conflict of shite in conflict w/ living characters
Kyoran mono - mad pieces
Onryo mono - vengeful ghosts
Kiri no - final plays
Shite is mythological demon, monster or goblin
Noh: Dramatic Theory
Balance of opposing forces
Yugen
Elegance, grace, aristocratic refinement
Emphasis on singing (not drama)
Aesthetic beauty
Evocative
Essence of humanity - sad beauty
Monomane
Realism & honest expression
Mimetic acting style
Seek to become that which you are imitating
5 principles of Monomane
Imitation
Truthfulness
Identification
Essentialization
Limitation of choice
Hana (Flower)
Novelty, rarity, uniqueness
Liveliness, creative spirit, freshness
Successful audience interaction
Actor Training
Only male performers
Acting is a lifetime training
Born into acting family
Begin study age 5 - 6
15 years training before 1st performance
Rote repetition
Movement & vocalization
Not during puberty (voice change)
Noh: A Blending of Influences
Patronage of the Shogun
Cultural advantage for Zeami’s troupe
Taste of the aristocracy & nobility
Zen training & aesthetics
Influence of previous theatrical forms
Violent period of political instability
Art gave balance to life
