What?! Noh Way!

Japanese theater takes to Manhattan
Friday, July 13, 2007

By EVELYN SHIH
STAFF WRITER

Shakespeare in the Park? That's practically modern. This year, the Japan Society will resurrect an ancient theatrical tradition -- outdoor noh theater -- that predates Shakespeare by more than 100 years. [Photo left, courtesy of Japan Society]

Samurai in the 14th century enjoyed the tragic Zen-inflected noh plays and the comic kyogen interludes under the stars. This tradition was called takigi-noh or "bonfire Noh" because the stage was lit with torches.

There will be no actual sparks flying in "Noh & Kyogen in the Park," the finale to a spring/summer Noh-Now! program series in New York, says Japan Society artistic director Yoko Shioya. But on the plus side, the shows will be out in the open -- with free seats and standing room for those who have missed out on advance tickets.

"If some people are just interested in seeing what it is like, they can stop by for 30 minutes," said Shioya. The two noh pieces are 60 to 90 minutes each, while the intervening kyogen will run 25 to 40 minutes. "You can just stop by and take a look, and if you like it, you can come back the next day and get a free seat.

"And if you don't like it, you can just go away," she quipped.

Shioya admitted that noh has a reputation for difficulty -- not unlike Shakespeare. The language of noh is poetry, similar to the blank verse of the Bard, and it is set to music. Even a native Japanese audience cannot be expected to catch all the nuances of these 600-plus-year-old texts.

"When you see noh in Japan, you don't see any contemporary wording translation," said Shioya. "But here with the English translation [in subtitles], you can easily follow what is going on -- not only for Americans, but people [from Japan] who are living here."

[Photo left courtesy of Japan Soceity. Copyrighted by Tessen-Kai]

To accommodate the larger outdoor audience, the society will set up two plasma displays for subtitles as opposed to the one screen it has been using for subtitles throughout the season, she said. Detailed program notes also will be available.

But take note: If you consider yourself up to the challenge, the reward is considerable. This final installment of the Noh-Now! series gathers several top stars of Japan's noh and kyogen circuit in one show.

"I am proud to say that even if you are in Japan, you cannot see those stars lined up in the same program," said Shioya.

Among those coming are renowned noh actors Kanze Tetsunojo IX and Umewaka Rokuro and renowned kyogen actor Nomura Mansai. Mansai, who appeared in Akira Kurosawa's "Ran" and spent a year with London's Royal Shakespeare Company, will perform a kyogen with his 7-year-old son, Yuki.

"The Japanese performing arts are inherited through the family, so when you are born into such a family, you are destined to become a performer," explained Shioya. Yuki made his international debut three years ago at a Japan Society performance in New York, a show in which he played the role of Baby Monkey and shared the stage with his father and grandfather.

This time, young Yuki will be tricking two adults with a hat that makes him invisible.

A rascally younger Harry Potter? "I think this story has an international theme," said Shioya.

E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
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Mini-guide to Japanese theater

Noh: A revered form of musical theater that dates to the 14th century. The samurai were patrons of the form because its spiritual themes echoed those of Zen Buddhism, especially that of transience. During the war era of the 15th century, the ruling samurai class began performing the plays themselves as a complement to their Zen meditation practice. Actors use masks when portraying the main character, women, supernatural spirits, old men or young boys.

Kyogen: The comic mini-plays that offset the heavy, serious tone of noh. Each noh performance consists of two noh plays separated by the kyogen. The name literally translates as "wild speech," but physical comedy also is an integral part of the art form. Kyogen actors also are part of the noh theater.

Kabuki: The Broadway musical to the opera of noh. Kabuki is more flamboyant than noh and intersperses comedy within dramatic plays. Costumes and sets are extremely elaborate, unlike the pared-down look of noh. As in noh, all actors are men, and famous acting families dominate the scene.

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