An afternoon at the theater...

The noh theater, to be exact. My culture class instructor wanted us to be able to watch a noh play, so we spent the afternoon at the Nagoya Katayama Noh Theater. Any of my classmates who didn't show up missed out on something pretty amazing. I wasn't able to take any pictures or video of the actual plays, but I did manage to get a shot of the stage during intermission:

I was able to track down synopses of the plays we watched this afternoon.
The first was "Hagoromo:" http://www.the-noh.com/en/plays/data/program_011.html

The second was "Mochizuki:" *Note: I've been pulling my hair out trying to find an English synopsis for this play, but this is as much as I've been able to find:
"Another kind of giri is that of avenging the death of a master: in the Noh Mochizuki, a retainer whose master is treacherously killed by Mochizuki succeeds together with his master's widow and son in killing him, after entertaining him incognito."
(http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Japanese+Noh+and+Kyogen+plays%3A+staging+dichotomy.-a0153361499)

Last March, I was able to watch a noh performance by the Kashu-juku Noh Theater from Kyoto at Portland State University. The next day, the troupe came to Pacific and hosted a small workshop for a small group of students. We were able to get up close and personal with the masks, the costumes, and the musical instruments, as well as just being able to speak with the actors and musicians. The troupe ended the afternoon performing the maiden's dance at the end of "Hagoromo."

*Note: I was going to supply a video of the dance from the workshop, but both Blogger and YouTube are being stupid and won't let me upload it. If I'm able, I'll edit and add the video at another time. I have other things to do than deal with the internet and its problems. In any case, here are two good shots from the workshop so you can see the musicians and the full costume of the maiden from "Hagoromo."

Noh is unlike anything I've ever seen. I admit that I'm unable to follow the older style of Japanese used by the actors and the chorus, and I do need to research the plays beforehand so I can sort of have a grip on what's going on. Movements made by the actors are slow, deliberate, and, to say in the least, perfect. Unlike kabuki, noh performances have very simple sets and props, if any are used at all. Dialogue is chanted (except by the more comical kyogen actors who appear to lighten the atmosphere from the dramatic noh), and the story is moved along by vocal calls and drum beats from the musicians. Very cool. I hope to fix the video problem soon to share a bit with you!

Okay, I need to get more homework done. This weekend has been flying by...

Until tomorrow~~ ^_^v