P2+Theater

The Theater: Bunraku, Kabuki, & Noh

Cole Sweetwood and Rachel Shelton Through the years, Japanese theater played a very large role in Japanese history and culture. Japanese theater told the stories of love suicides. It also took the viewer through a world of demons and monsters. There were three different types of theaters. They were called Kabuki Theater, Bunraku Theater, and Noh Theater. Each one had a different style and social status. Noh was held in the highest honor and Kabuki was held in the lowest. Kabuki Theater was the theater of merchants and artisans, and Noh Theater was for higher officials. In this essay, you will find information on all three types of theater, and actors.

The 18th century was the golden age of theater in Japan. This was when most plays were written. Out of the three theaters (Kabuki, Noh, and Bunraku), Kabuki theater was the only one outlawed for a samurai to see. This was because Bunraku Theater was the only theater to use puppets instead of actors. This picture shows a Kabuki theater. It is beautiful, large, and decorative. Even though Kabuki was forbidden for the upper class, some lords still saw Kabuki shows. Lord Matsudaria, the Yamoto governor, was one of them. He enjoyed all forms of entertainment and theater, even if they were below his honor.

Kabuki Theater was a colorful and dramatic performance which took place on a revolving stage. It was traditionally for only merchants and artisans. Since women could not be in Kabuki Theater, men played both male and female roles. The art of Kabuki Theater was developed in the 17th century, during the Tokugawa period. Samurai and lords were forbidden to attend Kabuki theater, as it was below their honor. The picture shows a Kabuki actor in full makeup and attire. His face paint shows the colorfulness of Kabuki Theater. Since they were forbidden to see Kabuki Theater, the lords were unsure of the actor’s potential to change the morality of the people and even start a protest. For this reason, actors have low social status and are considered as good as dirt. Clearly, as wonderful as Kabuki was, it was not held in such high standards as the other types of theater in Japan.

Bunraku Theater was a type of Japanese play in which almost life-size puppets play the characters while being controlled by master puppeteers. Another name for Bunraku was ningyo-joruri, which literally translates as puppets and storytelling. Although the puppets were huge, the stage was relatively small and did not revolve like the Kabuki stages. Most Bunraku plays were wrote mostly in the 18th and 17th centuries and were mostly about either samurai or tragic love stories. Even most love stories involved samurais. The picture was taken during a Bunraku play about a samurai. The picture shows a giant puppet raising its hands, and shows the strategic planning and beauty that goes into each performance. Bunraku is a difficult art to master, but the performances are breathtaking. Also, this is one of the two types of theater that samurai are allowed to see.

Noh was a very simple form of Japanese theater that used no props. Noh was developed in the 14th century. Very elaborate masks and costumes were used in the play to reenact historic dramas. Noh actors also recited poetry. Noh began as various religious ceremonies and developed into theater. That is why some stages are set up in shrines or temples. The picture shows a mask that seemed to be a devil or demon. It is very expertly designed shows the elegance of Noh theater. Noh is the highest form of theater and samurai are allowed to go and enjoy the art. We have talked about all 3 forms of theater and their place in Japanese culture, but not yet have we talked about the actors and performers. Although costumes or props play a large role in Japanese theater, the actors play an even larger role in every breath taking performance.

Many actors were banned from society were called //eta.// This meant that they had lower social class then other members of the community. Actors were also called //hinin// - non human. Military leaders and samurai had to high of honor to associate with many actors. The picture that was analyzed was a picture of actors in a Noh play playing out a scene on stage. They are dressed simply and yet elegantly. Although the actors were treated as scum, many had hidden talents, such as sword or armor making.

Theater was essential to samurai culture because without it there would be little left for entertainment. Also, how would lesser people learn the great stories such as the //47 Ronin// without theater? Theater reenacts important parts of history in a fun play. Although, Samurai and other leaders were worried if the actors were using their plays to instill a sort of resentment in the people of them. Because of this, actors were treated like dirt. That explains theater in Japan and how it relates to samurai, thank you for reading.

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Dunn, Charles. Everyday Life in Traditional Japan. North Clarendon, Vermont: Tuttle Publishing, 1969. Print . Lee A. Makela. "Traditional Theater in Japan." //About Japan.// Lee A. Makela, Feb. 1995. Web. Feb. 17, 2010.
 * __Citations__**

 [|Shizuko Mishima]. "Japanese Kabuki." //About.com. New// York Times Company, 2010. Web. Feb. 16, 2010

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Noh Costume." //Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.// The Metropolitan Museum of art, 2000. Web. Feb. 16, 2010.

Explanations to Noh masks. []