From time to time the Japan Society, NYC, graces New York with a production of Noh – traditional Japanese theatre. The Noh plays were coupled with a kyogen.
The first play was brief, a mai-bayashi, a form of Noh presenting a solo performer without mask or costume.
The kyogen followed, comedy suggesting commedia dell’arte. Kyogen is traditionally presented with Noh. It’s concerned with the routine trivia of life. This play presented to servants trying to get at their master’s saki, as countless characters have schemed for wine in European farces.
Unlike kyogen, Noh is musical; the delicate music is incomparable to western tonality. Actors wear gorgeous, elaborate costume, prints and plaids. Magnificantly artificial, Noh addresses transcendent issues. In this production the play was Lady Aoi, about a virtuous women hunted by a ghost sent by a spiteful rival. The culmination is a fight between the demon and a Buddhist priest, essentially a battle between good and evil. The two glide fro and back across the stage wordlessly, to the eerie music of the traditional Noh instruments. The succuba intermittently stamps her foot, and the sound personifies the anarchic intent of the Evil One. Stunning.
No dates from the 14th century. In this tradition skills are passed from one generation to the next; the actor begins training in childhood. In performance, he uses about 25 stylized gestures variously combined. This company was Kashu-juku Noh Theater, comprised of prominent Noh actors. Its mission includes outreach to audiences unfamiliar with the Noh.
We applaud the Japan Society for their marvelous contribution to New York theatre, and we’re looking forward to the next touring Japanese company.
