Research Investigation
Research question:
To what extent do traditional Noh masks express the personality of the lead characters such as Lady Aoi, Hikaru and Jasko in the play Aoi No Ue?
Introduction
The NOH theatre
Noh theatre is derived form Japanese language as a word for skill or talent, so the full translation on English is a talented theatre . Noh is a Japanese form of theatrical art that has been transferred through the generations and it also has been marked as one of the oldest theatre arts in Japan , and even the world. Unesco has designated the Noh theatre as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage” . Noh is an art form, which has some elements of drama, music and dancing. While NOH theatre is compared to western opera, the differences can be quite immense. Due to the use of masks in Noh plays, one can call Noh theatre a “mask theatre” .
Aoi no Ue
Aoi no Ue is a famous Noh play, and the meaning of the phrase Aoi no Ue is Lady Aoi. She is a formal wife of Hikaru Genji and the lady Aoi is a daughter of the Sadaijin who is a minister in Japan. Lady Aoi has been possessed by a demon and after this the daughter of a minister got seriously ill. Although her
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The name of the mask is Koomote-1. The word Ko represents cuteness, youth and beauty. Omote means face. The mask represents a very young woman. It is one of the well-known female masks in the NOH theatre company. The nurse character is not as important for the play as her mask is for the NOH theatre, as it is one of the most demanded in the Noh theatre. However the audience needs to see the pretty nurse, as the stage direction in the dialogue between Hikaru and the nurse, when she speaks about the patient dreams in the hospital we may see that she is young and beautiful too. “Pause. Silence of the young nurse comes in inexplicable
This prop is a long piece of white material (that has characteristics of a silk scarf) and is used to symbolise the boundaries and restraints in the lives of the slaves. Her emotions change throughout this section, she is hidden at first but then she progressively becomes angrier as she is frustrated & confined while doing things she does not want to do.
Creativity of this production is the reason for the success. Their expertise in the field proves that they were qualified for this wonderful production. The theater environment of this play was thrust structure, which allows them to innovation stunning method to display all of scenes.
Olaudah Equiano (Gustavus Vassa) was kidnapped from his African village at the age of eleven, shipped through the arduous "Middle Passage" of the Atlantic Ocean, seasoned in the West Indies and sold to a Virginia planter. He was later bought by a British naval Officer, Captain Pascal, as a present for his cousins in London. After ten years of enslavement throughout the North American continent, where he assisted his merchant slave master and worked as a seaman, Equiano bought his freedom. At the age of forty four he wrote and published his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African. Written by Himself, which he registered at Stationer's Hall, London, in 1789. More than two
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During Maus, the illustration of masks is made very obvious. The features are pronounced and it is very clear that the characters are wearing masks. The illustration of
Theatre is a collaboration of various forms of fine art which utilizes live performances presenting before the audience on a stage at a specific place within a scheduled time (Dugdale 10). The message is communicated through a combination of various channels like songs, speech gestures or dances. Stagecraft skills are combined with elements of art to make the performance more physical and near to real life experience. Theatre is categorized broadly into drama, musical theatre, comedy, tragedy and improvisation. Any form of these accepts integration of various production modes and collective reception to influence the artwork being presented. As a result of this cooperation of items in the theatre
"A Philosophy of Theater « " East of Mina. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2011.
The examining use of color within Princess Mononoke establishes the social roles of the characters within their respective societies. The costumes worn by the characters, is the most integral aspect of the story as the clothing is representative of the intentions of the characters, which is mostly seen in Lady Eboshi’s attire. Firstly, Lady Eboshi is represented wearing
Theatre today as in ancient Greek times is a popular form of entertainment. Today’s theatres share many similarities with the Greek predecessors however they are also very different. There are in fact many differences for example; layout, special effects, seating arrangement, the importance of drama and religion, setting, location and architectural features.
Nextly, every villain has a mask or something they hide behind. Take the Joker for example, as he hides behind his clown make-up. The Nurse tries to mask her femininity. She does this because women, especially during this time period, wouldn’t be seen as a leader like a villain. “A mistake was made somehow in manufacturing, putting those big, womanly breasts on what would of otherwise been a perfect work, and you can see how bitter she is about it,” (page 6). The Nurse is bitter because she wants to be taken seriously, like a
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This sculpture is of a women breast feeding her child. The face of the two people is elongated, as well as the breasts of the mother. This is common to all African Art because they wanted representation of what is being expressed. In this particular sculpture, a supernatural power is being called upon. The power has been asked to protect the mother and child, and to
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Matsukaze is one of the most popular Noh plays of the third category, originally written by Kan’ami and revised by Zeami Mototkiyo. Matsukaze tells the story of two lingering sister spirits, Matsukaze, which means Pine Wind, and Murasame, which means Autumn Rain. The play begins with a traveling priest asking about the memorial for the girls and we soon learn all about their life story. As with other Ancient Japanese Noh theatre, this play shows us one prevailing emotion throughout the text. The most noticeable emotion found in the text of Matsukaze is the overwhelming sense of melancholy. Through text and Japanese Noh conventions, I can convey the emotion of melancholy in Matsukaze.
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