Traditional Theatre

Five traditional schools of theatre/music/dance exist within Japan. The five are:

1) Gagaku: very slow, comes from Chinese and Korean influences; very large costumes and masks; very “oriental” looking; created for elites; about 1400 years old.

2) Noh: very traditional; about one to two hours in length; based on characters from history, myth, spirits, etc; poetic with dancing and musicals; to properly appreciate Noh theatre, it is necessary to have a knowledge of Japanese history and mythology; created for elites; about 1000 years old.

3) Kyogen: comedy; most have two to three characters and average roughly 20-30 minutes in length; characters wear various masks; plays based on “every day”/daily life things; costumes based on the time period, so “samurai” looking; about 1000 years old.

· Usually, Noh and Kyogen are performed together due to their contrasts; some plays may be as long as ten hours.

4) Kabuki: “Shakespearean” in form with many details taking place; began as the popular theatre of the commoner class; Kabuki originally meant “off-beat” or not quite normal; men play women’s roles; about 400 years old.

5) Bunranku: nearly identical to Kabuki but performed with puppets that are about 2/3 human size; about 400 years old.

Lectures given by:

Mark Oshima

Don Kenney

October, 2004