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Definition
Shite: in act 1, a grass cutter without a mask; in act 2, the ghost of Atsumori
Tsure: two or three other maskless grass cutters
Waki: Rensho (or Rensei); te priestly name of Kumagae no Jiro Naozane, the man who killed Atsumori in battle
Ai: a local man |
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Definition
Shite: in act 1, a village woman; in act 2, the ghost of Ki no Aritsune's daughter
Waki: a traveling priest
Ai: a local man |
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Definition
Shite: the mother of Senmitsu
Kokata: the child Senmitsu
Waki: the chief priest of the Miidera
Wakizure: two other priests from the temple |
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Definition
Shite: Shunkan, a member of the Minamoto clan, who was the chief of Hossho before being exiled for his involvement
Tsure: Captain Naritsune, an exile and member of of the Fujiwara family
Ai: boatman
Waki: a messenger, one of Taira no Kiyomori's men |
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Definition
Shite: In act 1, a dancer; in act 2, a woman serpent
Waki: the abbot of Dojoji
Wakizure: two priests of the temple |
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Definition
Shite: in act 1, an old woman; in act 2, Yamamba
Tsure: a dancer called Hyakuma Yamamba
Waki: her chief attendant |
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Definition
Shite: Daimyo 1
Ado: Daimyo 2
Koado: Messenger |
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Definition
Shite: Taro Kaja
Ado: master
Koado: Jiro Kaja |
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Definition
Shite: a mountain priest (yamabushi)
Ado: a man from the neighborhood
Ado: up to twelve mushrooms |
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Definition
Shite: a warrior priest
Ado: master
Koado: Taro Kaja |
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Definition
Shite: a man named Taro
Ado: his wife
Koado: mediator |
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| The Battle of Coxinga (6 characters) |
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Definition
Watonai: later known as Coxinga
Ikkan: his father, also called Tei Shiryuu Roikkan
An Taijin: a captain under Ri Toten
Mother of Coxinga
Komutsu: wife of Coxinga
Sendan: a Chinese princess |
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| The Love Suicides at Amijima (8 characters) |
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Definition
Kamiya Jihei: a paper merchant
Osan: Jihei's wife
Aunt: Jihei's aunt and Osan's mother
Gozaemon: Osan's father
Magoemon: Jihei's brother
Koharu: a courtesan at Kinokuni House
Tahei: a rival for Koharu
Proprietress of the Kawachi house, which is also called Kawasho
Dembei: proprietor of the Yamato House |
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Definition
| the sun goddess, most important deity in Japanese mythology, from whom the imperial family traced their lineage. After her brother Susanoo kills her heavenly weaving maiden, Amaterasu hides in a cave, which causes the darkness to enshroud the world. To get her to come out again, the eight hundred deities assemble in front of her cave and make lots of noise while Uzume dances. |
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Definition
| “Heavenly Woman-with-Hair-Piece” who, in mythology, performs the first Japanese dance. Medieval theorists point to her dance before Amaterasu’s cave as the first kagura and the origin of the Japanese dance/drama tradition. |
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Definition
| “skilled entertainment” from the 7th century. Gigaku was a masked dance derived from Buddhist plays in India that went through China and Korea before arriving in Japan. It used flutes, drums, gongs, and cymbals; its masks influenced Noh masks, but it died out early. |
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Definition
| “dance entertainment”, also from the 7th century. It was a stately, ritualized, synchronized group dance, often using masks, which was designated the official dance form of the court. It used wind and string music that, taken by itself, was called gagaku or “elegant entertainment/music”. |
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Definition
| “field entertainment” that used ritualistic motions and was imported from the silk road. It was performed in the fields to celebrate rice planting, sometimes alongside sangaku performances, and in the 14th century was brought to the cities. Zeami’s dad, Kan’ami, incorporated the dance elements into Noh around that time. |
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Term
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Definition
| “monkey music” consisting of acrobatics, pantomime, magic, music, animal acts, and dance, also imported from the silk road. It was performed by traveling entertainment troupes that began putting on subscription performances in the early 14th century. Kan’ami and Zeami transformed sarugaku into Noh. |
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Definition
| a Japanese lute, used by (often blind) travelling storyteller monks called biwa houshi. The biwa houshi recited famous stories, like the Tale of the Heike, to their own instrumental accompaniment. Their voices focused not so much on melody, but rather on emotion – it isn’t considered bad form to miss notes too high or too low. |
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Term
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Definition
| a three-stringed, banjo-like Japanese instrument played with a plectern (similar to a guitar pick). It is used in bunraku and kabuki and has a sharp, percussive sound. In bunraku, the samisen establishes the mood or atmosphere through set phrases of chords and single notes. The samisen player pairs with one gidayu chanter for a long time, and the two often form a mentor/protégée bond. In a puppet play, the pair of samisen player and chanter changes each act. |
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Term
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Definition
| a Japanese mouth-organ wind instrument introduced from China. It is made of 17 thin bamboo pipes, and it featured in gagaku – the Japanese court music that formed a pair with bugaku. Also refers to a small metal gong if written with a different character. |
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Term
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Definition
| a Japanese flute, traditionally made from bamboo. It was used by Zen Buddhist monks for meditation. |
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Term
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Definition
| the Noh flute, made from strips of bamboo. Instead of harmonizing with the voice, it provides “melodic embellishments to sung sections and joins the drums in instrumental passages for entrances, exits, and dances.” |
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Term
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Definition
a serious dramatic art that evolved in the 14th century from sarugaku, gigaku, dengaku, and other dramatic forms. It’s motions, music, and manner of speech are highly ritualized, and Noh actors often train from childhood, learning from their fathers until the last few years of apprenticeship, when they train under the heads of their schools.
Noh uses a small, bare stage with few props. The costumes are heavy, bulky, and decorative; masks are central. The principle of jo-ha-kyuu governs all of Noh; jo is the slow introduction, encompassing one section. Ha is the development, usually encompassing three sections, and kyuu is the rapid finale, usually encompassing one section. The shite is the main character, and the secondary characters – waki, tsure, kokata, etc. – oftentimes do are not characterized. In fact, they often remain unnamed, as their purpose is to either develop the shite or add to the overall essence of the play. Noh is short on paper (though performances take a looong time), often with little plot, uses classical texts and Buddhist writings, and uses dense poetic language. There are five categories of Noh – God, Warrior, Woman (“Wig”), Present-day (“Madwoman”), and Demon plays. God and Demon plays have generally even less plot than other Noh, and are remnants of the kagura roots; they’re really just an excuse for singing and dancing. There are a little under 250 plays in the current Noh repertoire.
Kan’ami pioneered the transformation of sarugaku into Noh. His son Zeami – with help from the patronage of shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu – established many of its precepts, including hana and yuugen, incorporated zep principles, developed and wrote down actor theory, and penned up to 90 plays, thereby implanting Noh into Japanese dramatic culture. Both Kan’ami and Zeami were sarugaku actors. |
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Definition
| son of the Noh pioneer Kan’ami who lived from 1363-1443. He was a sarugaku actor who teamed up with his patron, the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, to spread Noh throughout Japan. Zeami developed the ideal of hana (“the flower”), the aesthetic of yuugen (“mystery and depth” that can’t be explained through words – if you get it, you get it), and actor theory. He wrote his many of his theories down in works such as The Three Elements in Composing a Play. Zeami also wrote up to 90 plays, one of which is Atsumori. |
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Definition
| a shogun and Zeami’s patron who lived from 1358-1408. The meeting of Zeami and Ashikaga was super important for spreading Noh’s popularity. |
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Term
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Definition
the shite is the main character in a Noh play; it also refers to the main character in a Kyōgen play. In Noh, the shite determines the type of play (God, Warrior, etc.); the shite usually appears as an ordinary human in the first part and informs the waki of past events. In the second part, he or she reappears transformed. Shite in Noh almost always (or maybe all-the-way always) wear masks. In present-day Noh, actors have split into specializations either as shite or waki actors.
The waki is the secondary character (deuteragonist) in Noh, usually a travelling priest, who serves as a foil to enable the shite to explain the situation. Most waki are unnamed, as the focus is on the shite or the situation, and most are developed very little as characters. Waki never wear masks.
Tsure are secondary companions to the shite and are played by shite actors. Like waki, tsure are rarely developed as characters; their purpose is to enhance either the shite or the atmosphere of the play.
jo-ha-kyū: the governing principle in all aspects of a Noh play. The jo is the slow introduction, the ha is the development, and the kyū is the rapid finale (“rapid” is, of course, relative. It’s still pretty slow). All things are split into (usually) five parts; the first part is jo, parts two through four are ha, and the last part is kyū. Plot development, speech, music, and everything else in Noh is supposed to follow this pattern. |
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Term
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Definition
| a family of Noh actors in the Kanze school. I think we watched a film about them – the dad wanted to play soccer but the grandpa wouldn’t let him, or something like that. |
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Term
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Definition
| a school of shite actors for Noh, founded by Kan’ami Kiyotsugu (Zeami’s father and the pioneer of Noh) in the 14th century. After gaining the support of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the Kanze school spread Noh’s popularity. Today, it has the most performers out of all the performance groups and schools, and its performances are “characterized by beauty and elegance”. |
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Term
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Definition
| deity or god plays, the first category or Noh plays. They are “auspicious, celebratory pieces usually featuring a Shinto deity.” They usually have even less plot than other types of Noh and are really just an excuse to sing and dance. In a series of Noh, the waki noh is performed first. |
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Term
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Definition
| a melancholy type of Noh play that features deities, the spirits of plants and animals, and the ghosts of humans. It has a two-part structure, usually with the appearance of a regular person in the first part who turns into a ghost figure in the second part. The subject material creates tension between the momentary and the eternal, and a re-enactment of the past gives the play two layers of time. Atsumori is an example of mugen noh. |
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Term
| yūgen “mystery and depth” |
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Definition
| an aesthetic concept important to Noh plays, developed by Zeami. Yūgen derives from hidden meanings in Buddhist texts that cannot be explained, but only understood implicitly. Yūgen is passed down and taught through action and example instead of writings. |
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Term
| riken no ken “distant perspective” |
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Definition
| one of Zeami’s most important concepts. It states that an actor should see himself as a whole through the reflective eyes of his audience. An actor needs the ability to “objectify himself and to visualize himself through the eyes of the audience; [as] this is the only viewpoint enabling one to see oneself completely, both physically and spiritually.” I got that off the internet somewhere…I guess it relates to the thing we read and discussed in class, where the actor needs to react and adapt to his audience. |
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Definition
another important concept created by Zeami. An actor is like a flower blooming on stage, and that flower is created by freshness, newness, and uniqueness, which creates in the audience an intrinsic interest in the character role. However, one should not do something just for the sake of being unique; an actor needs to maintain traditional elements with just enough newness to surprise the audience. There is beauty in the hidden and unrevealed – “when you keep a secret, a flower blooms.”
Hana also involves the relationship between the actor and the audience – the actor needs to adjust to the audience to display the most interesting elements. For example, a well-acted play might seem interesting to the audience one day, but the next day, if it is acted in the same way, it might seem un-interesting to the audience, even though it was acted just as well. This is because the audience does not see anything unique in the performance the second time.
Cultivating hana also involves the maintenance of symbolic realism to create a convincing – though not necessarily realistic – performance. All elements must be on the same level to maintain an unbroken dream-like quality. Therefore, hana is also realism through convention. |
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Term
| Fuushikaden “The Flowering Spirit” |
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Definition
| a treatise on Noh written by Zeami, based on his father Kan’ami’s teachings and his own philosophy. There are seven sections, and we read the sixth and seventh, “Cultivating the Flower” and “Other Oral Traditions”. It goes into detail about hana and other concepts. |
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Term
| Sandou “The Three Elements” |
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Definition
| a treatise written by Zeami about the keys to successful Noh playwriting. The first element is the seed, which refers to the choice of a “subject based on appropriate traditional sources”. The subject must be suited to the poetry and dance of Noh. The second element is fixing the actions of the chosen character in the play. Everything must follow the jo-ha-kyuu formula, and Zeami lists an even more specific formula to follow. The third element is the composition – the writer must choose appropriate words for, and incorporate suitable literary material – like poems or songs – into the play. The writer must also clearly reveal the play’s source and arrange properly all the various elements. |
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Term
| Shikadou “The True Path to the Flower” |
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Definition
| another treatise written by Zeami concerning an actor’s training. An actor must combine both yuugen – singing and dancing – with mastery of monomone – the three prototypical roles of old man, woman, and warrior. Couldn’t find much more on this thing. |
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Term
| Kakyou “The Mirror Held to the Flower" |
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Definition
| a treatise on Noh, six chapters and twelve articles long, of Zeami’s “personal experience in Noh, to be distinguished from Fuushikaden, which is as much his father’s as his own.” Kakyou deals with beauty of sight, sound, and spirit, along with striving for a deep artistic experience. Couldn’t find much here, either. |
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Term
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Definition
| a treatise written by Zeami that describes nine levels of artistry, and explains where dance, chant, and monomane (imitation) fit into those nine levels. Again, not much else I could find. |
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Term
| Sarugaku dangi “Discussion on the Art of Noh” |
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Definition
| a book written by Zeami about Noh; it contains anecdotes and lists of names. |
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Term
| Nikyoku Santai “Two Arts, Three Roles” |
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Definition
| a concept created by Zeami that aligns the elements of song and dance with the techniques of imitation. The two arts are dance and chant, and the three roles for imitation are the old man, the woman, and the warrior. It might also be the name of a treatise Zeami wrote about his concept, but I’m not sure. |
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Term
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Definition
| Zeami’s theory of imitation in acting. An actor must strive to capture the essence of the character in an artistic way. When playing an old man, for example, the actor should be always a little behind the beat, because though old men want to be young again in spirit, their bodies can’t physically keep up. However, Zeami warns against being too realistic at the expense of art. For example, even though retainers in real life wore no make-up and had un-kept beards, such a thing on stage would only seem vulgar. Capturing the artistic essence is more important than capturing something realistically – monomane is basically symbolic realism. |
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Term
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Definition
| calls of yo, ho, yoi, and iya performed by the drummers in Noh plays. “The quality of these sounds (loud, quiet, urgent, lulling, gentle, or vigorous) helps establish the mood…and their precise placement in the drum patterns is an important means of controlling the rhythm” (TJT 118). |
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Term
| mondou “questions and answers” |
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Definition
| a spoken segment, usually between the waki and shite, in a Noh play. The waki usually asks, and the shite usually answers; the exchange sets up the background for the play. |
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Term
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Definition
| a type of Japanese drama closely related to Noh. Like Noh, Kyougen grew out of sarugaku in the 14th and 15th centuries; it Noh’s comedic cousin, sharing the same stage and performed in-between Noh plays. Kyougen interludes are sometimes also performed between acts in Noh plays, and Kyougen actors play roles in Noh (though the reverse is never true – Noh actors never play in Kyougen plays). The actors don’t wear masks except in special cases (like Mushrooms) and speak in both Kyougen-style intoned speech and sung portions. It borrows Noh chanting and other songs and popular music (like the songs in Two Daimyou and The Snail). However, the plays don’t use instruments. Like in Noh, props outside of fans and jars are sparse. There are a little over 250 plays in the current Kyougen repertoire. |
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Term
| kyougen kigo “wild words, fancy phrases” |
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Definition
| refers to the futility of poetic expression compared to Buddhist practice (I think…I got this from Wikipedia). Can be solved by seeing poetry as an intellectual instrument of Buddhism. |
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Definition
| The author’s moral message could best be conveyed to her readers. |
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Term
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Definition
Not referring to specific people. rather Taro Jiro is the protégé of the head apprentice, Tarō Kaja. Jirō Kanja appears together with Tarō Kaja, depicting the world of kyōgen on stage. The audience can always identify with his words and actions, and he has been loved throughout history together with Tarō Kaja. Jirō Kaja’s protégé is Saburō Kaja, with the three often appearing together. Tarō Kaja appears with different personalities depending on the type of play and performer.
Taro Kaja is a general term for the protagonist or main actor, and the Jiro Kaja is the secondary character in a kyogen play. the general role of the Taro Kaja to be duped by yamabushi, or by contrast, to dupe his master. |
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Term
| yamabushi “mountain priest” |
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Definition
| A character in kyōgen. Living a ascetic life in the mountains and said to possess supernatural powers, the Yamabushi, or “mountain monks” were a symbol of awe for the people of the middle ages in which kyōgen was born. The Yamabushi, who studied Buddhism, were also revered as members of the educated class. However in kyōgen, regardless of status or profession, everyone can experience either luck or misfortune, which becomes a comedic element of the plays. Ex: kusabira |
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Term
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Definition
| Precursor to bunraku, he folk songs that had an influence on the lyrics |
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Term
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Definition
| Precursor to bunraku, popular songs that had influence on the narrative |
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Term
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Definition
| 5-7 syllable patterns, Tales of Heike put into song |
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Term
| shirabyôshi “white-robed entertainers” |
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Definition
| Female court dancers, started out at doing folk songs, repetitive, short, imayo songs, adapted into court |
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Term
| naniwabushi “musical ballads” |
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Definition
| Preformed by Biwa Hoshi, played lute or shamise, sometimes used the tale of heike stories |
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Term
| biwa hôshi “blind minstrels” |
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Definition
| blind priests, who excelled at playing Biwa, no dancing, did performance in episodes, based on historical, exaggerated, focused on elegance of soldiers |
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Term
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Definition
| An epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan at the end of the 12th century in the Genpei War (1180-1185). |
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Term
| The Tale of Princess Jôruri in 12 Episodes |
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Definition
| Bunraku, first used with shamisen then replaced with biwa to make story stronger, simple puppets acted out actions of chanting and shamisen recitation, uses choreography of puppets, helped development of joruri |
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Term
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Definition
| Type of chanted recitative that came to be used as a script in bunraku puppet drama. Its name derives from the Jōrurihime monogatari, a 15th-century romantic tale, the leading character of which is Lady Jōruri. At first it was chanted to the accompaniment of the four-string biwa (Japanese lute); with the introduction of the three-stringed, plucked samisen (or shamisen) from the Ryūkyū Islands in the 16th century, both the music and the scripts became more complex. |
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Term
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Definition
| Kinpira puppet theatre, a popular puppet genre of the late seventeenth century that began in Kyoto and later flourished in Edo. Plays about super human: strength, beheadings, knocking over moutians, very violent. Puppets often got abused. |
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Term
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Definition
| a reciter, known for plays with violent scenes (Kinpira joruri) |
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Term
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Definition
| The “Takemoto-za” (竹本座) was a bunraku theatre in Osaka, founded in 1684] by Takemoto Gidayu. Osaka 1685, people who preformed were outcasted, based stories around temples and shrines, local legends. |
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Term
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Definition
| was a joruri chanter and the creator of a style of chanted narration for Japan's puppet theatre which has been used ever since. The name "gidayu" has since become the term for all jouri chanters.He was a close colleague of the famous playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon, and founder and manager of the Takemoto-za puppet theatre. |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Puppeteer, had no social status (records unknown), expert in manipulation and crafting of puppets, interested in creting efficient puppets; was concerned with choreography and narrating |
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Term
| michiyuki “lyric journey” |
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Definition
| In shinju, the traveling suicide site. “travel song” describing the character’s travels. Where lovers evoke the happier moments of their lives and their attempts at loving each other. The vocals often include the place name and description of the setting as well as the events of the journey. The Michiyuki is most often sung by the Waki after the name and character introduction, plays include an important dance by the shite in unison with the chorus. In kyōgen, journeys and excursions are known as Michiyuki, with the performers usually reciting lines while circling the stage. After the Michiyuki, a line is included to indicate the character’s arrival at their destination, which is known as the tsuki-zerifu, or “arrival line.” |
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Term
| sewamono “domestic dramas” |
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Definition
| dramas, focused primarily upon commoners, namely townspeople and peasants. Generally related to themes of family drama and romances. Produced rather quickly, recent things that happen in news (lovers committing suicide) |
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Term
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Definition
| Based on real events, townsmen and prostitutes as protagonists committing suicide |
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Term
| jidaimono “period pieces” |
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Definition
| Portrayed current events, as “past events” so they wouldn’t get censored (just changed names, the time period), more characters, more battle oriented stories |
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Term
| giri-ninjô “duty vs. feelings” |
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Definition
| Ninjo is human feeling that complements and opposes the value of giri, or social obligation |
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Term
| Love Suicides at Sonezaki |
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Definition
| Hailed as first sewamono. Characters: Tokubei, ohatsu, Kuheiji(bad guy), 1703 |
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Term
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Definition
| 1969 film directed by Masahiro Shinoda. It is based on the 1721 play The Love Suicides at Amijima by Monzaemon Chikamatsu. This play is often performed in the bunraku style (that is, with puppets). In the film, the story is performed with live actors, but also makes use of Japanese theatrical traditions such as the kuroko (stagehands dressed entirely in black) who invisibly interact with the actors, and the set is non-realist. The stylized sets and the period costumes and props simultaneously convey a classical theatricality and contemporaneous modernity. Jihei's fatal love interest, Koharu the prostitute, and his neglected wife, Osan, are both played by actress Shima Iwashita. |
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Term
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Definition
| Born 1931, New wave director in 1960s, married to iwashita shima, filmed double suicide |
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Term
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Definition
| Did the film score for double suicide |
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Term
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Definition
| Stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre, who dress all in black. The convention of wearing black to imply that the wearer is invisible on stage is a central element in bunraku puppet theatre as well. |
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