Noh Theatre Essay

683 Words3 Pages
Noh theater is a highly stylized and abstract theatrical form of Japanese entertainment that emphasizes spiritual aspects of human emotion and actions. Noh plays are beautiful performances that make use of a combination of drama, dance, music, poetry and masks to mesmerize audience. Noh masks and theatre have made a huge impact on masks, people and theatre itself. The word Noh can literally be translated to the English words, “skill” or “talent.” Noh theatre’s sole purpose was religious at one point, but this has changed. Noh theatre can be traced all the way back to the 12th and 13th century. At the time, one of the more popular performances was ‘Dengaku no Noh’ or ‘Field-music performance.’ It was light-hearted and emphasized acrobatic juggling. By the 14th century, however, Noh took a more opera-oriented approach to entertainment where performers recited while sitting next to each other and then danced. By the end of the 14th century, Saragaku, the predecessor of Noh, which used a lot of buffoonery, evolved into a serious dramatic performance. It was during the Muromachi period, that the religious meaning of the masks began to diminish and performers began to think more about profundity and yugen (mysterious beauty). As a result, masks began to display more human characteristics. Noh plays were very entertaining to watch however setting it up was a very intricate process. Elaborate costumes were utilized in order to give the most striking performance. If a play starts out slow, the audience will get bored therefore Noh actors have bright and colorful wardrobes. Costumes can help convey symbolism as well. A hat made from bamboo could symbolize country life. Stage props were barely used at all. The most important part of the costume is the mask. The mask represents what kind of person the main character is in a better way than reality could. They have to be
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