Do Now

Open your Theater

Production notebook/HUM II
Kit
Write Three things that stood
out to you about the movie
we watched last week, Ran

Japanese Theater!
Noh Theater

When was Noh Theater

created?
Noh Theater was created during the
latter half of the Kamakura period
(1185-1333) and early part of the
Muromachi period (1336-1573)
Noh was influenced by Zen Buddhism
and ink painting

Who was the founder of

Noh Theater?
Nohs founder, Zeami, is one of the most
important historical figures in Japanese
Theater.
A collection of his treatise on Noh, Fushi
Kden, was published some 200 years before
Shakespeares Theatrical debut.
Even today his treatise lives on in Japanese
culture.

What exactly is Noh?

Noh Classical Japanese Music
Drama
Chanted drama
Sometimes called Japanese Opera
Performed for the higher class of
samurai
Influenced Kabuki

Comparing Noh to other

theater
One of Nohs characteristics is that it is
simple.

Unlike Kabuki or modern theater, the

stage for noh does not contain large set
pieces or many props.
In addition, the audience is not cut off
from the open stage by a curtain.

What are the roles in Noh

performances?
In the singing of noh, the leadership
responsibilities on stage are shared between
the chorus and musicians.

They, along with the performers, all appear on

stage together.
The music, like the movement, is stripped
down to create sparse, concentrated
atmosphere wherein the vocal and
instruments are more expressive.

Highly Valued Overseas:

a Cultural Heritage
From the Meiji Period (1868-1912), noh was
widely introduced overseas to many theaters
and theater artists.
Artists and thinkers were strongly influenced
by Noh theater

From the 1950s on performances of Noh

theater internationally increased

 Noh Performance