A stage polished to mirror-like brilliance...a huge pine tree with widespread branches, a stark wooden wall...the kagami-ita (mirror board). A corridor runs diagonally across the stage: The hashi-gakari (the bridge between) is the passageway for the actors of the Noh theater as well as part of the stage. Three young pine trees are set at intervals along the hashi-gakari.
The hashi-gakari is divided by a curtain. At the end is a room known as the kagamino-ma (the mirror room) where Noh actors don their masks before going on stage. The curtain rises, and the actors make their entrances. The area bordering the stage and the hashi-gakari is covered by small pebbles (shirasu). Today most Noh theaters are situated within pavilions known as Noh-gakudo. In ancient times, however, they were freestanding and outdoors. Few such theaters of this kind exist today.
Music sounds from the kagamino-ma, announcing it is time for the performance to begin. The audience feels the thrill of expectation as the Noh is about to be performed. Shortly, musicians emerge from the hashi-gakari, taking their places on the mirror board. Then, the jiutai (the singers) enter through a small door at stage right, form two rows, and sit on the floor. They represent the chorus, explaining the actions and feelings of the characters in the drama as it progresses. The notes of a flute soar, an actor appears, the Noh play has begun.
Masking Differences
The leading actor's role in the Noh theater is known as shite. He usually wears a Noh mask. Characters wearing masks, with the exception of an old man personifying a god, fall into three categories: supernatural figures, a very elderly man, and men and women of all ages. The origins of these masks are unknown. By the end of the sixteenth century, however, some sixty varieties of basic masks had evolved with the development of various Noh dramas and had become stylized. Some of these masks are used in a variety of different roles while others are limited to specific characters. Despite their rigid form, these Noh masks express a wide variety of human emotions. Many are artistic masterpieces jealously preserved by families of Noh actors.
Costumes in Noh theater are truly splendid. Patrons of Noh often compete, as they have through the centuries, in presenting gorgeous costumes as gifts to the actors. Sometimes these patrons were Noh actors themselves, gladly paying large sums for such wonderful costumes. The development of techniques of embroidery, textile marking, and dyeing are reflected in the costumes of the Noh theater.
Noh acting consists of highly stylized movement, dances using gliding steps, and dialogue accentuated by utai (melodies). In short, Noh is a kind of musical drama, with certain fixed forms in which joy and sorrow are expressed, accompanied by gliding movements. The musical accompaniment is simple: fue (flute), taiko (drum), ohtsuzumi (large hand drum), and kotsuzumi (small hand drum), with the jiutai functioning as a chorus. Compared to Noh, Kyogen acting is more stylized and broader, with more emphasis on dialogue. The dialogue dates back to the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Noh plays are known as Yohk-yoku. Today there are some 250 such plays, grouped according to themes: celebrations,
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