 Noh is the oldest form of theater in Japan. The history of Noh is about 600 years old. Although it's origin is not certain, Noh encompasses certain varieties of act, ranging from "Dengaku", a farming prayer for good yield, "Sarugaku", a mimicry art handed down from China, to "Sangaku", a variation of dance, mimicry, and acrobatics, all mutually and alternatively influencing each other and developing over the years. The elements of music and dance steps were gradually incorporated in to "Sarugaku", to establish an art form that pursues subtle and profound beauty as it's present completed form. While during the Edo period, both "Kabuki" and "Bunraku" were popular forms of theatre for the masses, the advanced performing arts such as Noh were reserved for the pleasure of samurai ranks. After surviving eras of government collapses, the Meiji Restoration, and wars, to this day, Noh still remains as a pristine form of entertainment to Japanese people. There are about 240 acts of the Noh theatre accepted now as a program. For the most part, Noh depicts the after life of the person, or a ghost. While it may be treated as a fearful element in modern times, ghost is a suitable subject where unchanged essence and feelings of the man over time maybe portrayed. Although wearing a mask is a popular conception of Noh, not all characters in the act wear a mask. The actor who does not belong to the real world, such as God, a spirit of a departed person, or a ghost, attaches a Noh mask, and the actor who plays actual human being does not wear any mask. When the Noh mask is attached, the actor is unable to express joy, anger, humor and pathos through any facial expressions. Although it is a form of a theater, since neither a laughing voice nor a cry is permitted, actor is only able to express himself through action and behavior. For example, to express happiness, one turns the face upward for a while, and to express sadness, one turns down a face subtly. To express crying, one looks down and use his straightened four fingers other than the thumb, brings them closer and further under a face. All behavior is expressed with the limited motion of changing the face angle, changing the motion of a hand, progress of a leg, and the speed of these operations. The accompanied music is played with four instruments: a flute, a small hand drum, a large hard drum, and a drum, and is performed on the stage. This is a unique setup that is not seen in other theatres. Although there are only four musical instruments, there is a rich spread in the tone and there is also the echo effect by performing on the stage. Moreover, there is a special vocalist called "Jiutai" who accompanies the act. Jiutai is an important role that is utilized for a deeper description of a scene, or sometimes substitutes the leading role's expressions. In Noh, there are also a guardian who ascertains so that the stage may carryout smoothly, and those who roll the curtain up and down with perfect timing, helping the effective expression of the stage. The stage of Noh is based on a peculiar structure. Although the stage is encompassed in a building, there is a dedicated roof over a stage with four pillars. A roof serves as an echo medium while the pillar not only serves as a structure, but also as a location marks for the actors with masks. A big pine is drawn on the wall in the background. This is the symbolic statue carried over from the past when an ancient pine tree really existed as a background of the field stage. The pine drawn is that of a great ancient one. Moreover, there is a bridge structure that connects the stage and a curtain to differentiate between the inside and outside space symbolic of real and the next world. In this way, the structure of the stage, a Noh mask, the dance, clothes, and the music all orchestrates an expression of unique beauty of the subtle and profound world. In recent times, the stage held in the outdoors called "Takigi Noh" with the flame of a bonfire like ancient times is very popular. End   |
