There is a typical program in Noh theatre. It begins with the okina, a kind of dance that would summon peace and prosperity. Following on from the okina, three out of the five types of play would be performed and, traditionally, if the fifth type of play (kiri or kichiku) were to be performed in the program then it would have be the final piece. During the interludes between each play comedy sketches called kyogen would be performed.
There are both major and minor acting roles in Noh theatre, and actors would train and rehearse independently for these roles for literally decades with a master. Two of these major roles include the shite (principal) and waki (subordinate). These are speciality roles and have their own acting “place” on the stage. The kyogen acting roles are also considered to be major, and one is usually involved in narrating a Noh play. The minor roles in Noh theatre consist of the attendant (tsure), the boy (kokata) and the walk-on (tomo)-though this last one is actually a non-speaking part. Like in Shakespearian times, Noh theatre consisted solely of male actors, and performed as female characters when it was necessary.
The entire performance has very strict rules. Each segment has to be performed in a very precise and exact way, with each type of dialogue and song having their own particular name. Zeami Motokiyo, who is considered to be the most important playwright in Noh theatre and most of the plays performed today were written by him, practically created the fundamentals of Noh that have directed its actors for centuries. Each play has a detailed composition; from the way the dialogue is spoken to the dance of the performers.
So is there a place in society for such a traditional form of stage art? Well, sort of. In June 2007, playwright Ben Yeoh adapted a traditional Noh story for the London stage. “The story of Nakamitsu draws on Japanese traditions of duty and honour. Lord Mitsunaka discovers his young son has misbehaved at school and, furious, draws his sword to kill him. His loyal servant Nakamitsu prevents him, but fails to persuade Mitsunaka to be merciful; instead, he is told, he must kill the boy himself. Like many Noh plays, the drama turns on the conflict between "giri", the duty Nakamitsu owes his lord, and "ninjo", his human compassion”. The story itself is not that complex, and the average theatergoer would probably sympathise with Nakamitsu’s predicament. However, understanding the way in which said predicament is portrayed is another matter altogether.
Yeoh’s translation of the Noh play for a contemporary western audience isn’t the first east/west hybrid of ancient Japanese culture. It would seem that Japanese styles and themes have become exceedingly popular in Hollywood with recent film releases like Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, in which the female protagonist takes vengeance upon those responsible for the loss of her unborn child after leaving her for dead. It could be argued that Kill Bill shares the same elements of the fourth type of Noh play, kyojo mono, where the central character becomes insane through the loss of their child.
This explosion of Japanese heritage on western culture has certainly been immense, not just effecting theatre and film, but tattoo art as well. Traditionally in Noh theatre, actors would wear many different types of masks, which were used to represent the mood and the identity of characters. The hannya mask was used to represent a vengeful woman, so consumed with anger that she turns into a demon. Japanese artwork, hannya masks in particular, have become extremely popular amongst tattoo artists, some even specializing in Japanese design, “tattooing takes full advantage of these fanciful and engaging images, often using them in larger pieces of Japanese work or sometimes juxtaposing masks of good and evil characters. Often a Noh mask will also appear in isolation, as a work of art unto itself, not unlike the actual masks which are highly prized and very collectible”.
Noh is steeped in tradition, with its specific guidelines for performance and dedication of its performers. But it is also considered to be a beautiful and unique form of visual entertainment, perhaps calling on the audiences’ own imagination to interpret what they see before them. Older than Shakespeare, Noh could have been a forgotten art form, but the very essence of what made it so popular amongst the social elite in the 14th century is the reason it has survived today, “not simply for its status as ‘classic theatre’ or because of innovations but as a perfected and refined contemporary stage art”.
Bibliography
“Noh theatre.” The Encyclopedia Britannica. Volume 8.
“Noh theatre.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 3/10/2007
John, Emma. “East Meets West.” The Guardian. 4th June 2007.
Uy Jr, Joesph. “Noh Photo Gallery”.
“Hannya Mask Tattoo”. http://www.tattoosymbol.com/articles/hannya.htm
Picture from Kill Bill Vol. 1 Courtesy of the Internet Movie Database.
