noh and kyogen

7/31/2019 Noh and Kyogen

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N oh and kyogen are two of Japan’s fourforms of classical theater, the other

two being kabuki and bunraku. Noh , which inits broadest sense includes the comic theaterkyogen , developed as a distinctive theatricalform in the 14th century, making it the oldestextant professional theater in the world.Although noh and kyogen developed togetherand are inseparable, they are in many waysexact opposites. Noh is fundamentally asymbolic theater with primary importance

attached to ritual and suggestion in ararefied aesthetic atmosphere. In kyogen ,on the other hand, primary importance isattached to making people laugh.

In the early 14th century, acting troupesin a variety of centuries-old theatricaltraditions were touring and performingat temples, shrines, and festivals, often

with the patronage of the nobility. Theperforming genre called sarugaku was oneof these traditions. The brilliant playwrightsand actors Kan’ami (1333– 1384) and his sonZeami (1363–1443) transformed sarugaku intonoh in basically the same form as it is stillperformed today. Kan’ami introduced themusic and dance elements of the popularentertainment kuse-mai into sarugaku , andhe attracted the attention and patronage ofMuromachi shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu(1358–1408).

After Kan’ami’s death, Zeami becamehead of the Kanze troupe. The continuedpatronage of Yoshimitsu gave him the

NOH AND KYOGEN

chance to further refine the noh aestheticprinciples of monomane (the imitation ofthings) and yugen , a Zen-influenced aestheticideal emphasizing the suggestion of mysteryand depth. In addition to writing some of

the best-known plays in the noh repertoire,Zeami wrote a series of essays whichdefined the standards for noh performancein the centuries that followed.

A f t e r t h e f a l l o f t h e M u r o m a c h ishogunate, noh received extensive patronagefrom military leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi,and in the 17th century no h became an“off ic ia l property” of the Tokugawashogunate. During these years, performances became even slower and more solemn thanin Zeami’s time.

With the fall of the shogunate, noh in theMeiji period (1868–1912) was kept alive bythe dedication of performers like Umewaka

History of the Noh Theater

NOHAND KYOGENThe world’s oldest living theater

Noh performanceScene from a Kanzeschool performance of theplay Aoi no ue (Lady Aoi ).© National Noh Theater

For more detailed information on Japanesegovernment policy and other such matters,see the following home pages.Ministry of Foreign Affairs Websitehttp://www.mofa.go.jp/

Web Japanhttp://web-japan.org/



agemaku(curtain)

hashigakari (bridge)

san no matsu(third pine)

ni no matsu(second pine)

ichi no matsu(first pine) butai (main stage)

kizahashi(steps)

waki-bashira(subordinateactor’s pillar)

wakiza or jiutaiza(side stage)

atoza (rear stage)

kijinguchi(nobleman’sentrance)

fue-bashira(flute

pillar)kagamiita

(mirror board)

kirido(sliding door)

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Minoru I (1828–1909) and by the patronageof the nobility. Since the end of World WarII, noh has had to depend entirely on thepublic for its survival. Noh today continuesto be supported by a small but dedicatedgroup of theatergoers, and by a considerablenumber of amateurs who pay for instructionin no h singing and dancing techniques.In recent years noh performed outdoorsat night by firelight (called takiginoh) has become in creasi ngly po pu la r, and th ere

are many such performances held in thesummer at Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines,and parks.

Stage

The no h stage, which was originallyoutdoors but is now usually located withina larger structure, is itself a work of art. Themain stage, measuring six by six meters, is built of polished Japanese cypress (hinoki)and covered by a magnificent Shinto-styleroof, and there is a bridge (hashigakari) thatserves as a passageway to the stage. To theright and rear of the main stage are areaswhere the musicians and chorus sit. Thepine tree painted on the back wall serves asthe only background for all plays, the setting being established by the words of the actorsand chorus.

The three or four musicians (hayashikata)

sit at the back of the stage and play theflute, the small hand drum (kotsuzumi), thelarge hand drum (otsuzumi), and, when theplay requires it, the large floor drum (taiko).The chorus ( jiutai), whose main role is tosing the words and thoughts of the leadingcharacter, sits at the right of the stage.

Many people, both in Japan and abroad,

who have little or no direct knowledgeof noh theater have nevertheless comeinto contact with noh through its famous

masks, which are often shown in museumsand special exhibitions. The many mask

variations fall into several general types,such as young woman, old man, and demon,and even among masks used for the samerole there are different levels of dignity (kurai)which affect how the role and play as awhole are to be performed. Joy and sadnesscan be expressed with the same mask through a slight change in the way shadowsfall across its features.

Usually only the leading character (shite)wears a mask, though in some plays a mask is also worn by accompanying characters(tsure). Subordinate characters (waki), theiraccompanying characters (wakizure), andchild characters (kokata) do not wear masks.

Along with its masks, noh is also knownfor i ts boldly patterned extravagantcostumes, which create a sharp contrast withthe bare stage and restrained movements. Ashite costume with five layers and an outergarment of rich brocade creates an imposingfigure on stage, an effect that is heightenedin some plays by the wearing of a brilliant

red or white wig.The ability of the shite and waki to expressvolumes with a gesture is enhanced by theiruse of various hand properties, the mostimportant of which is the folding fan (chukei).The fan can be used to represent an object,such as a dagger or ladle, or an action, suchas beckoning or moon-viewing.

A traditional noh program included five

noh plays interspersed with three or fourkyogen , but a program today is more likelyto have two or three noh plays separated by

The noh stage

Elements of a Noh Performance

Masks, Roles, Costumes,and Properties Program and Plays



The sorceress (tsure role) summons thespirit possessing Lady Aoi.

The spirit (shite role) approaches. (The

shite wears the deigan mask used forvengeful female spirits.) It is Lady Rokujo,Genji’s neglected mistress. Speaking forherself and through the chorus, Lady Rokujotells of the ephemeral nature of happinessin this world, and of her resentment towardLady Aoi as the wife of the radiant Genji.(Lady Rokujo had been further humiliatedwhen her carriage was pushed aside by thatof Lady Aoi at a festival not long before.)

The spirit of Lady Rokujo moves forwardto strike Lady Aoi with her fan, and thenmoves to the back of the stage. There,shielded from the audience by a robe held by attendants, the shite changes from thedeigan mask to the hannya female demonmask.

The court official calls a messenger tosummon a Buddhist mountain ascetic (waki role) to exorcise the spirit.

After the exorcism rite begins, the shite returns to center stage, now wearing thedemon mask and wielding a demon rod.

They fight and the angry spirit of LadyRokujo is overcome by the ascetic’s prayers.This triumph of Buddhist law and savingof Lady Aoi contrasts with The Tale of Genji;in the novel, Lady Aoi dies giving birth toGenji’s son.

Kyogen is thought to have its rootsin entertainment brought to Japan fromChina in the 8th century or earlier. This

entertainment evolved into sarugaku in thefollowing centuries, and by the early 14thcentury there was a clear distinction among

NOH AND KYOGEN 3

one or two kyogen. Both the program and eachindividual play are based on the dramaticpattern jo -ha-kyu (introduction-exposition-rapid finale), with a play usually havingone jo section, three ha sections, and one kyu section.

T he no h reper to ire i s made u p ofOkina , which is only performed on specialoccasions and is more of a ritual dance thana play, and about 240 extant plays classified

into five different groups. The first groupconsists of the god plays (waki noh), in whichthe shite is first a human being and later agod. These plays, slow moving even by noh standards, are performed relatively seldomtoday. The second group is the warrior plays(shura-mono). In most of these a dead warriorfrom the losing side in the Taira-MinamotoWar pleads with a priest to pray for hissoul. Wig plays (kazura-mono) represent thethird group. These plays are often about a beautiful woman of the Heian period (794 –1185) who is obsessed by love. The fourthgroup is the largest and is usually referredto as “miscellaneous noh” (zatsu noh) becauseplays on a variety of themes are included.The fifth and final group is the demon plays(kichiku-mono). In these plays, which tendto be the fastest moving of all the groups,the shite often appears in human form inthe first scene and then reveals himself as ademon in the second scene.

The play Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi) is one ofthe most frequently performed in the noh repertoire. The original author of the playis unknown; it was revised by Zeami and is based on events in the 11th-century novelThe Tale of Genji , by Murasaki Shikibu.

As the play opens, a court of f ic ia l(wakizure role) explains that Lady Aoi, thepregnant wife of court noble Genji, is ill,and the sorceress Teruhi has been called in

an attempt to identify the spirit possessingher. A folded robe placed at the front of thestage represents Lady Aoi.

A Noh Play: Aoi no Ue

History of Kyogen

Kyogen performanceScene from an Izumischool performance ofthe play Boshibari (Fit to be Tied ).© National Noh Theater



NOH AND KYOGEN 4

sarugaku troupes between the performersof serious noh plays and those of thehumorous kyogen. As a component of noh ,kyogen received the patronage of the militaryaristocracy up until the time of the MeijiRestoration (1868). Since then, kyogen has been kept alive by family groups, primarilyfrom the Izumi and Okura schools. Todayprofessional kyogen players perform bothindependently and as part of noh programs.

The word kyogen usually refers to theindependent comic plays that are performed between two noh plays, but the term is alsoused for roles taken by kyogen players withinnoh plays (also called aikyogen). Among thekyogen roles found within noh plays, someare an integral part of the play itself, but it ismore usual for the kyogen role to serve as a bridge between the first and second acts. Inthe latter case, the kyogen player is on stagealone and explains the story in colloquial

language. This gives the noh shite time tochange costumes, and, for uneducatedfeudal-era audiences, it made the play easierto understand.

In the current kyogen repertoire thereare about 260 independent plays. In themost common classification system, theseare divided into the following groups:waki kyogen (auspicious plays), daimyo

(feudal lord) plays, Taro-kaja plays (Taro-kaja is the name of the servant who is

the main character), muko (son-in-law)plays, onna (woman) plays, oni (devil)plays, yamabushi (mountain ascetic) plays,shukke (Buddhist priest) plays, zato (blindman) plays, mai (dance) plays, and zatsu

(miscellaneous) plays. With the exception ofthe miscellaneous group, the largest categoryof kyogen is that of the Taro-kaja plays.

The Taro-kaja character is a kind of clevereveryman, who, while he never escapes hisdestiny of being a servant, is able to makelife a little more enjoyable by getting the best of his master.

Kyogen costumes are much simpler than

those used for noh and are based on theactual dress of medieval Japan. Most kyogen

do not use masks, although there are about50 plays where masks are used, usually fornon-human characters such as animals, gods,and spirits. In contrast to the expressionlessquality of noh characters, whether masked ornot, kyogen performers depend on exuberantfacial expressions for comic effect.

Performances and Plays

Noh and kyogen masks(Left) A noh ko-omote mask used for youngwoman roles.(Right) A kyogen monkeymask.© National Noh Theater

A noh performance at theNational Noh Theater inTokyo.

© National Noh Theater

noh and kyogen

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