During this lecture, we were introduced to the Asian
traditions of physical theatre. We looked at different aspects of the
techniques created and exploited by different practitioners such as Ohno
and Hijikata.
We started the lecture off as we always do, with a full body
warm up, which included stretches, body shapes and rotations. As we were looking
at the methods of Asian physical theatre, we specifically designed our warm up
to suit what was planned ahead for the lecture. For example, triangles was the
basis for how we moved around the space, meaning that however we moved we had to maintain a perfect triangle, whether that be with the arms or the legs. The
position of our bodies meant that we had to have our knees bent facing outwards
but with an upright torso. I personally thought it was difficult because I could not
seem to keep my back straight, no matter what position I was in, and when I did
finally get into that position, it didn’t feel comfortable and was quite
painful. The warm up that we did linked to the 8 Indian Classical Dance forms
which are as follows:
·
Bharatanatyam
·
Gaudiya Nritya
·
Kathak
·
Kathakali
·
Kuchipudi
·
Manipuri
·
Mohiniyattam
·
Odissi
·
Sattriya
After the warm up, we looked at the Japanese art forms of Kabuki
and Noh theatre.
‘Kabuki is an art form rich in showmanship. It involves elaborately designed costumes, eye-catching make up, outlandish wigs and arguably most importantly, the exaggerated actions performed by the actors.’'
Kabuki is a Japanese dance-drama. It is often performed as a full day program, rather than the tradition 1-5 hour performances that we usually see in western theatre. The dramatic pacing would usually start as slow at the beginning of the day, speed up as the hours pass and end quickly. Kabuki plots are usually based on historical events, warm-hearted drama, moral conflicts, love stories and tales of tragedy, of conspiracy, or other well-known stories.
Most full length Kabuki plays would be performed within 5 acts. The first act is a slow introduction to the characters and the plot. The next three acts would correspond and gradually speed up, building up to a dramatic moment at the end of act 3, and possibly a battle in the 2nd and/or 4th acts. The final act is a short but satisfying conclusion, as almost all Kabuki shows have a happy ending. Kabuki is performed only by men, who are covered in stage make up.
‘Kabuki is an art form rich in showmanship. It involves elaborately designed costumes, eye-catching make up, outlandish wigs and arguably most importantly, the exaggerated actions performed by the actors.’'
Kabuki is a Japanese dance-drama. It is often performed as a full day program, rather than the tradition 1-5 hour performances that we usually see in western theatre. The dramatic pacing would usually start as slow at the beginning of the day, speed up as the hours pass and end quickly. Kabuki plots are usually based on historical events, warm-hearted drama, moral conflicts, love stories and tales of tragedy, of conspiracy, or other well-known stories.
Most full length Kabuki plays would be performed within 5 acts. The first act is a slow introduction to the characters and the plot. The next three acts would correspond and gradually speed up, building up to a dramatic moment at the end of act 3, and possibly a battle in the 2nd and/or 4th acts. The final act is a short but satisfying conclusion, as almost all Kabuki shows have a happy ending. Kabuki is performed only by men, who are covered in stage make up.
Noh is a form of theatre which includes music, dance and
drama and originates from the 14th Century.
‘Noh performers are simply storytellers who use their visual appearance and movements to suggest the essence of their tales rather than to enact it.’
Noh was popularised by Zeami and Kan’ami, as they wrote some of the first Noh pieces, some of which can still be seen in Japan today. Noh plays are usually short, and the actors tend to wear masks. They use their body language and movements to show emotions, making it more accessible for the audience. Their movements are very precise and the space in which it would be performed was very specific, with the stage measuring just 5.4 metres on each side.
There are five different types of Noh plays, and they are as follows:
‘Noh performers are simply storytellers who use their visual appearance and movements to suggest the essence of their tales rather than to enact it.’
Noh was popularised by Zeami and Kan’ami, as they wrote some of the first Noh pieces, some of which can still be seen in Japan today. Noh plays are usually short, and the actors tend to wear masks. They use their body language and movements to show emotions, making it more accessible for the audience. Their movements are very precise and the space in which it would be performed was very specific, with the stage measuring just 5.4 metres on each side.
There are five different types of Noh plays, and they are as follows:
·
The Kami (God) Play – involves a sacred story of
a shrine.
·
The Shura Mono (Fighting Play) – centres on
warriors.
·
The Katsura Mono (Wig Play) – has a female
protagonist
·
The Gendai Mono (Present Day Play) – story that
is realistic and contempory
·
The Kyojo Mono (Demon Play) – features devils,
supernatural beings and strange beasts.
Butoh was the main focal point of this session, as we looked into detail some of the exercises that the people training in the practice would take.
‘Butoh is a form of Japanese dance theatre that encompasses a range of techniques, activities and motivations for dance, performance and movements.’
Butoh was developed after the Second World War by Hijikata Tatsumi and Ohno Kazuo.
The first exercise we did was an easy but time consuming one. All we had to do was walk across the room slowly, putting heel to toe without using any other muscle in the body, and keeping the head up, staring out into space. The exercise was useful, as we found that we had more of an awareness of our bodies, as we knew what we needed to do, but were trying not to concentrate on doing it. It is also a good way to develop a mind of concentration, as it requires your full attention at all times until the exercise is over.
Another exercise we did was standing up against a wall and having to peel ourselves away from the wall, as if we was losing our skin as we were doing so. We had to imagine how it would feel and show the pain of it without exaggerating. Again, it was a task that required full concentration and a slow pace. We found that as we got further into the exercise, we would slightly speed up. This reminded me Kabuki theatre.
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