Transcript They are dressed like the chorus

Eastern
Theatre
Eastern Theatre
One of the immediately visible appeals
of any form of theatre is the lure of the
sound and the color
 Easter theatre seems to have perfected
this
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 Larger than life costumes
 Expressive masks
 Life-like puppets
 Contagious, rhythmic beat
NOH
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Pronounced “no”
Oldest form of Eastern theatre
Deeply rooted in religion and ceremony
Combination of acting, dance and music, rhythmically
entwined in a strict form that was passed to each
generation in rigid training
Training starts in childhood
Short plots generally deal with myths and legends
Stock characters symbolized on-stage by masks
Each Noh also has a kyogen (a comic interlude)
○ Like the Greek satyr play
Performance combined gliding movements, chanting and
stomping in unison with a flute and drum accompaniment
 Strength of performance is the fluid beauty of the
combined movement, sound and speech.
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Bunraku
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Form of Japanese theatre
Uses intricately hinged wooden puppets
Puppets stand four feet tall and have
moving fingers and facial expressions
Three puppeteers for each figure
Puppeteers are masked in all black but are
visible to the audience
Once the story begins they seem to
disappear
This form originated in Korea but migrated
to Japan in the sixth century AD
Kabuki
Most influential of Asian theatre
Employs singing, dancing, and acting
ka=singing, bu=dancing, ki=acting
Originally produced by women
Newest of the three Eastern forms was an imitation of Noh and
the Bunraku
 Plots based on historical tales or stories about everyday life
 Kabuki actors do not wear masks
 Characterized by
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 dramatic face paint
 Stylized movement
 Elaborate costumes
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Today only men act in the plays
They spend most of their lives studying their art, starting as
children and are loyal actors until they die.
Kabuki Stage
Raised wooden platform
 Because of rhythmic stomping is such a
prevalent part of the style, amplifying
wooden sections are often laid on top of
the stage
 The hanamichi (flower path) is a raised
passageway that extends from one
corner of the stage through the audience
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Kabuki Stage cont.
Like Greeks, Kabuki audience will hear
narration and dialog from a chorus of
twelve to eighteen members
 The chorus members are uniformly
dressed and carry a fan
 This adds to the beauty of the performance
 The orchestra sits at the back of the stage
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 Drums
 A flute
 Stringed instrument (samisen)
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They are dressed like the chorus
Kimono
Traditional, floor-length robe with
draping sleeves
 Worn by both male and female
characters
 Distinguished by a variance in color,
fabric, or accessories
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Kabuki performance
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Stylized wigs are worn to add size and color
Unrealistic make up is painted with brightly colored,
sharply contrasting lines meant to show expression
The actors do not try to achieve realism.
Kabuki is fantasy storytelling
Actor‘s movements look more like dancing than acting
Props are brought on stage by crew members dressed in
all black
Speeches are told with rhythmic musical accompaniment
May be told by several actors in unison or speaking in
turn.
Very ceremonial theatre
China
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Peking Opera
 Harmonious blend of song, dance, dialog, and acrobatics
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Subjects of the operas come from fiction, legend,
and history
Superb costumes serve to enhance the performance
Color is used to indicate rank and temperament
Originally acted by men, women were later
introduced to the Chinese stage
Unfortunately, after the establishment of the People’s
Republic in 1949, new plays were saturated with
military propaganda
Some new playwrights occasionally surface, and
when they do, the entire world has reason to
celebrate.