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Noh is the oldest existing form of Japanese theater. "Noh"
means ability or skill. The Noh performance combines elements
of dance, drama, music, and poetry into one authentic stage
art. It started to develop long ago, combining Chinese performing
art, known as sarugaku, and traditional Japanese dance called
dengaku. In the 14th century, the troupes of the Noh actors
were under patronage of Japanese temples. Their performances
were entertainments and sermons at the same time. In the end
of the 14th century, the Noh theater started to achieve its
modern forms. That time was marked by works of two famous
Noh actors and playwrights - Kannami and his son Zeami. Zeami
is the author of many plays that are still performed today.
Takasago and The Well Curb are among them. Zeami was the one
who elaborated the basic ideas of the Noh theater as we know
it today. It's believed that the Noh Theater represents the
austere Buddhist way of life, while the kabuki represents
the Shinto philosophy.
The modern Noh performances take place indoors, but the stage
is decorated with pebbles and small trees. The Noh actors
used to perform outdoors, and nowadays the stage decorations
reconstruct the original scenery. All the actors are men.
The profession of the Noh actor is inherited from father to
son.
Each Noh performance is accompanied by three or four traditional
musical instruments and the chorus of six or eight people.
The Noh actors are limited by strict canons. Each performer
has his prescribed place on the stage. The performance includes
songs, dialogs, music and dances. The progress of the play
can be determined by the positions of the two main actors
- shi-te and waki. Shi-te is the main hero, who declares thought
of philosophers and thinkers, quotes literal works and historical
figures. Waki listens to him, sometimes gives advices and
comments his actions to the audience. The language of both
prose and poetry are beyond the comprehension of majority
of modern Japanese people. But the dialogues are not so important
in the Noh theatre, as the plot is already familiar to the
audience. The atmosphere created by the actors, their movements
and intonations are the main elements of the performance.
There are five categories of the Noh plays. They feature the
following characters: gods, warriors, beautiful women, miscellaneous
figures (for example, crazy women) and demons or supernatural
creatures. Each character wears recognizable colorful mask.
The Noh performances are usually very long, and some people
find them too slow. The performance divides into sketches.
Noh is a very complicated art, and those who watch a play
for the first time might be a little confused. But if the
viewers are patient enough they will be awarded by a great
experience. The Noh admirers believe that the Noh theater
is much more powerful than any realistic theater.
The National Noh Theater of Tokio has capacity of 591 persons.
A performance usually lasts up to 6 hours. There is a one-page
explanation of the plot for the English-speaking visitors.
The repertoire of the Noh Theater changes 5-6 times a year.
The performances take place 15 or 16 times a month.
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