KABUKI THEATER
Origins
Kabuki Theater was started by women, and was originally deemed
theater for the lower classes, but in the 17th century it was
banned by Bakufu (1629).Because of this decree womenís
Kabuki was replaced with boysí Kabuki. In 1652 Kabuki was
outlawed as socially disruptive and mature males assumed all of
the roles in the play.
Kabuki remained under Bakufu regulation as a necessary evil, it
was often called a
morally disruptive form of entertainment, yet it could not be
suppressed. In truth the control of Kabuki Theater probably helped
the maturation of Kabuki. Because of the restrictions mature male
actors had to learn to act in a way that deepened the dramatic
content in order to hold the audience.
Changes
? Midway through the 18th century Kabuki performances included
a runway through the audience which was used as a secondary stage,
and a revolving main stage as well as draw curtain. Lanterns are
now hung from the ceiling bearing emblems of principal actors.
The performances include an orchestra, chorus, and dancers.
General Information
? Kabuki literally means ìto get freaked outî. Going
to a Kabuki performance is considered a social occasion. A performance
can go on all day with eating, drinking, and conversation. Performances
can often last six hours or more.
Makeup and Costumes
? Kabuki includes lavish staging, larger-than life action, and
colorful costumes. Costumes, wigs, and makeup used to maximize
the roles of the actors. Makeup is often applied thickly and
elaborately in order to give the actors faces an almost
mask-like quality.
The Actors
? Kabuki actors come from theatrical families who have performed
Kabuki for generations. The actors begin training at an early
age and eventually master all aspects of Kabuki Theater. To this
day Kabuki is only performed by men. People are allowed to be
loud during the play and voice their opinions of the performance
and its subject matter. Kabuki performances are used to teach
a lesson, but are meant to be funny as well, they are often about
ordinary people outsmarting members of the upper-classes
of long ago.
? Cultural Atlas of Japanóinfo. compiled by Martin Calcutt,
Marius Jansen, and Isao Kumahura, p. 130.Japanóthe Cultureóby
Bobby Kalman, p. 12.
NOH THEATER
History and Information
? Noh Theater is a masked musical dance-drama dating
back to the 14th and 15th centuries. Most Noh plays involve a
dramatic encounter between a troubled spirit, called the shite,
and a priest or a bystander called the waki. It is supposed that
through this encounter the spirit may find some spiritual relief
for their troubles, but the audience may feel that the haunting
encounter could repeat itself in the future.
The Performance
? The performance begins slow and stately and gradually mounts
to controlled intensity. The flute, drums, and an accompanying
chant are used in the performance. Characters wear masks and brocade
robes for costumes. The mask is used to represent the states
of mind or the spiritual conditions of the characters. Masks are
changed often throughout play to represent the different emotions
felt by characters. Characters distort their voices to give the
play an unearthly quality, and their emotions are conveyed through
their movements.
General Information
? Noh was originally performed outdoors or in shrines and temples.
It is now performed on one principal stage that projects into
the audience. Noh is performed with simplest of properties and
the chorus sits stage left of the actors. The main actor, the
ìshiteî, is usually masked. The secondary actor,
the ìwakiî, is usually unmasked. The waki calls the
shite to the stage and questions him to expose the dramatic
situation. The waki also provides the incentive to dance.
Cultural Atlas of Japanóinfo. compiled by Martin Calcutt,
Marius Jansen, and Isao Kumahura, p. 130.
PAINTING
Suni-eó
? Suni-e is a type of painting based on the brush strokes of calligraphy.
It captures the subject in just a few brushstrokes and has strict
rules to govern the uses of this form of art. For example, the
student must first learn how to paint grass before they can paint
the beautiful, but more complicated cherry blossom.
Story Paintings (on scrolls)--
? Story paintings began about 900 years ago. They are colorful
with miniscule details.
Some of the most famous story paintings are scenes from
a novel called The Tale of Genji . The Tale of Genji, written
by Japanese noblewoman, Lady Murasaki, recounts the life of a
prince. Those who paint these stories get most of their artistic
inspiration from nature (natureís serenity) which is what
most of their artwork and poems are about. The story paintings
are tall, thin, and narrow.
Japanóthe Cultureóby Bobby Kalman, p. 8
Calligraphy
About Calligraphy
? Calligraphy is the art of beautifully written letters
and words practiced by the Japanese. Calligraphy must be studied
thoroughly and for a long period of time before the art is perfected.
Kanji, the writing of Chinese ideograms, was adopted from the
Chinese culture into Japanese culture.
Kanji
? The most widely used form of form of kanji is called kana.
Kana allows the writer to depict both ideograms and Japanese phonetic
sounds in set phrases. Kana can be written with both fine, delicate
strokes, or bold, splashy strokes. It can be large or small, carefully
controlled or freely run over the page. Traditional Japanese poetry
is usually placed in the kana group, and modern poetry is placed
in a group by itself.
Koan
? Koan is also a form of calligraphy promoted by Zen Buddhism,
and includes some pictorial additions.
Calligraphy, The Lost Art?
? Calligraphy, however, is soon becoming a lost art due to the
rapid increase in the use of computers to write almost anything.
Many Japanese who have learned calligraphy are forgetting even
their most basic skills due to the lack of interest in writing
anything by hand. Kanji, considered a formal way of writing is
often being replaced by the more informal hiragana, an alphabet
based upon pronunciation, considered to be shameful if used in
formal writings and documents. Japanese children are taught 80
characters by second grade, and eventually by high school they
are expected to know about 2,000 characters. However, because
so many school children opt for personal computers now, these
teachings seem to be falling by the wayside.
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