Comments under this blog entry are my discussion about texts used in Unit 3.
(Note: 15th edition Chicago citation format for bibliographies)Fiodosov, Mikhail. ed. “Izanagi and Izanami.” In
A World Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Folktales: Stories from Six Continents. Unknown (London ?): HNA Books, unknown.
Ortolani, Benito. “Nogaku, Chapter VI.” In The Japanese Theatre: from Shamanistic Ritual to Contemporary. Leiden, Boston, Tokyo: E.J. Brill, 1990.
The Last Samurai, widescreen ed. DVD. Directed by Edward Zwick. Hollywood: Warner Brothers Home Video, 2004.
Andrew Tsubaki International Classical Theatre Company, Busu (Sweet Poison) performed by Marsha Paludan, Laura Kirk, Kentaro Fukada. Recorded in Tokyo, 1993. AFP9 file. URL behind University of North Carolina at Greensboro password protected firewall for MLS 610C–Global Arts. Marsha Paludan, professor. (accessed September 11, 2006).
Paludan, Marsha. Kani Yamabushi (Crabmask) performed by UNCG students. Greensboro, North Carolina, date unknown. AFP9 file. URL behind University of North Carolina at Greensboro password protected firewall for MLS 610C–Global Arts. Marsha Paludan, professor. accessed September 17, 2006).
Paludan, Marsha. Kamabara (Attempted Suicide with a Sickle) performed by UNCG students. Greensboro, North Carolina, date unknown. AFP9 file. URL behind University of North Carolina at Greensboro password protected firewall for MLS 610C–Global Arts. Marsha Paludan, professor. (accessed September 17, 2006).
Paludan, Marsha. Lecture of Stage and Training. AFP9 file. URL behind University of North Carolina at Greensboro password protected firewall for MLS 610C–Global Arts. Marsha Paludan, professor. (accessed September 17, 2006).
Paludan, Marsha. Kyogen Lecture. AFP9 file. URL behind University of North Carolina at Greensboro password protected firewall for MLS 610C–Global Arts. Marsha Paludan, professor. (accessed September 17, 2006).
Monsaku Performance. Kyogn Komai. AFP9 file conversion of a film converted to video on 6-4-89. URL behind University of North Carolina at Greensboro password protected firewall for MLS 610C–Global Arts. Marsha Paludan, professor. (accessed September 17, 2006).
Paludan, Marsha. UNCG Performance: Kyogen Demonstration. Greensboro, North Carolina, date unknown. AFP9 file. URL behind University of North Carolina at Greensboro password protected firewall for MLS 610C–Global Arts. Marsha Paludan, professor. (accessed September 17, 2006).Paludan, Marsha. Podcast # 6 - Unit 3, Lesson 2
3 Comments:
Fiodosov, Mikhail. ed. “Izanagi and Izanami.” In A World Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Folktales: Stories from Six Continents. Unknown (London ?): HNA Books, unknown.
A Japanese creation myth that reminds me of the Greek myth about Orpheus who went into the darkness to retrieve his wife, Eurydice and was warned not to look back.
"Izanagi and Izanami" is also reminiscent of the Judeo Christian myth about Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt when she disobeyed and looked back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Ortolani, Benito. “Nogaku, Chapter VI.” In The Japanese Theatre: from Shamanistic Ritual to Contemporary. Leiden, Boston, Tokyo: E.J. Brill, 1990.
These are my reading notes for Ortolani, pp. 85 thru 112, as well as my tangent inquiries and ideations. Please do not use material in quote marks without citing Ortolani. Please do not use material in double brackets without citing Yona R. Owens at http://yona677.blogspot.com/ or appropriate URL as indicated.
[[Y Notes:
p. 86 Theories on Origins of N short for nogaku (- over the “o”)
Sociological origins inherited through previous generations. Komparu School is prob oldest. Traced to Mimashi, who “introduced gigaku into Japan from the Korean kingdom of Paekche in 612. Another theory places the invention of the play to “a group of outcastes.
And in 1957, p. 86 Matsumoto “based on the Marxist concept that the birth and development of new art forms depend strictly on social and economic conditions of the time.” When the dynasty ended so did the art forms but…
p. 87
“Matsumoto […] described no as the art of outcastes, who sought with all their might to obtain the favor the new ruling samurai class by catering to their tastes.”
p. 87
the other kinds of researchers think no has similarities to “shamanistic rituals of possession.” No isn’t usually funny but kyogen is.
p.88
transfer and blending of types occurred during Heian period.[[13th and 14th C???]] “Kyogen was considered inferior to no.”
p. 89
Zeami’s ghost plays – possible developemtn of
No theatre cont.
p. 90
Chinese Yuan drama - possible influence but likely that city and country elements blended into “a fascinating mirror of the colorful and multifaceted medieval Japanese culture.”
p. 91
flute “instrument to bring down the gods.” “Many no plays are structured very much like an illustrated, acted-out narration of a past event – more like a narrated reenactment than like the apparent presentation of the actual event itself, as…
p. 92
…is the common practice in kabuki and western drama.”
No performed and place becomes sacred. [[Y Note: more on space and time.]]
“Shamanism operates in the gray area between Shinto and Buddism.” Fn.16.
Drums traditional for trance inducing.
Flute = “conjuring the descent of the spirits”
Actors gliding movements are meant to convey “midair locomotion of a ghost or supernatural being.”
“Stamping fee derives from movements for the pacification of the souls of the dead …”
Main actor almost always has fan or similar object which is…
p. 93
…traditionally where spirits have temporary housing. “This prevented the performers from abandoning the sacred prop even after the conscious influence of its original function had faded away.”
Nogaku (long dash over the “o”)
Middle of 14th C.
Kan’ami began profession. Born in 1333, “the year of the transferal of the shogunate from Kamakura to Kyoto. Samurai/priestly family.
p.94
Kan’ami – combo of mime and higher court preferences. Performance in 1374 determined his and his son, Zeami’s future. Thus began friendship between “most powerful man in Japan and Zeami, the outcaste.’
p. 95
Kan’ami – stagecraft par excellence. Also a playwright, maybe first of no plays. Also Gen’e founde of Okura School of kyogen active at this time. “The kyogen actors were always considered as inferior to those of the no.”
p. 96
Zeami’s bio. Born 1363.
Homosexual relationship with Shogun (age 17) and “the beggar actor’”(age 12).
p. 97
wrote about secrets and art of no. shows he had “deepened fmilirarity with Buddhist though, probably the Zen sect.” New shogun. Politics changed by 1430 Zeami barred from performing in Imperial Palace. Sons not actors. 1434 bancished to Sado.
p. 98
He died at about age 80 in 1443. Genius of world theatre.
p. 99
The family passes on traditions and Zeami’s manuscripts.
p. 100
more family and Zenchiku
p. 101
Zenchiku’s friends were upper of then. “They were among the most intelligent and significant personalities of his time. It was an epoch [[circa turn of 14th to 15th C]] of decadence in the shoguntate, a gradual erosion in the feudal system, political restlessness, and social distress – a sharp contrast to the splendor of Yoshimitsu’s firm rule during Zeami’s youth and early maturity.
p. 102
called Nogaku during the civil war period ending in 17th C. had more of the present day understanding of drama and conflict between human characters as well as the spirits.
p. 103
Nogaku became so popular it was talked about and performed from the court to the streets. The civil wars caused mixing of classes. Kyogen transformation “was [..] still open and had not yet reached the frozen form which became traditional during the Tokugawa regime.
During Tokugawa nogaku stabilized at form present today. Kabuki and joruri were getting popular.
p. 104
Tokugawa regime was “hierarchical and bureaucratic” and favored nogaku’s trend toward formalization and viewed no as noble skill or devotee or revered the teachers in this “new Japanese aristocracy.” […] “The phenomenon of members of the new cultured middle-class joining the elite inlarge numbers began around the middle of the Tokugawa period.”
p. 105
[[Y Note: Tokugawa Shogunate – 1603-1868; Elizabeth I – 1533 - 1603]] the iemoto or head of the school “since the Meiji era, also holding the copyright for all textbooks and material published by the school. [[Y Note: Shakespeare April 23, 1564 to April 23, 1616 fn. http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/122 accessed 09 September 2006.]]
It is no wonder that the iemoto began…
p. 106
“…to feel as if they belonged to the highest strata of society, since, in fact, they had the means to associate with the rich and the powerful – thus becoming oblivious to their outcaste beginnings.”
The Tokugawa era – cultured middle-class was the “heart of the new social mobility in the apparently static structure of the late Tokugawa society.” One way up was to do it through no.
[[Y Note: Dr. Paludan describes the stage where “This particular performance of Busu was presented in 1993 on a 500 year old stage in Tokyo.”]]
“During the Tokugawa period kyogen achieved a state of stabilization – from the practice of improvising from a scenario, which continued into the first decades of the Tokugawa era, to the practice of using a fixed text. Following the fixed text, a fixed choreography of movements and patterns of action also prevailed. There was, however, more flexibility than in the no because of the more realistic nature of the dialogue and the need – amid the fierce competition of the schools – to keep a fresh and original sense of humor.
“About 150 plays were in the repertory of the kyogen schools. The most important book of kyogen theories, the Warambe gusa, was written in 1651 by Okura Toraaki. The major collection of plays, the Kyogen ki, was published around the same time.
[[Y Note: “Only eighteen of Shakespeare's plays were published separately in quarto editions during his lifetime; a complete collection of his works did not appear until the publication of the First Folio in 1623, several years after his death. Nonetheless, his contemporaries recognized Shakespeare's achievements. Francis Meres cited "honey-tongued" Shakespeare for his plays and poems in 1598, and the Chamberlain's Men rose to become the leading dramatic company in London, installed as members of the royal household in 1603.” From http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/122 accessed 09 September 2006.
These two publications sanctioned the stabilization of kyogen in a form that was transmitted with few changes to the present time.
p. 106 cont.
“F) After the Meiji Restoration. The fall of the shogunate was a tremendous blow to the no, an art traditionally identified with the Shogun’s court and financially supported by the shogunal government. The actors, including famouse iemoto who just a few years before reigned almost like kings, had to face hard choices to survive in a time of great confusion and…
p. 107
…uncertainty. [[Y Note: If the stage where the Busu we saw perform was over 500 years old and at the Meiji restoration “many no stages were destroyed during the upheaval or converted to other uses,” how did the one in Tokyo survive?]] “A great number of no performers had to
p. 107, cont.
“abandon their art, many no stges were destroyed during the upheaval or converted to other uses, and invaluable no masks and costumes were sold.”
“…foreign diplomats and visiting artists, created a new atmosphere which made possible a slow reopening of stages and reorganization of companies, audiences, and amateur practitioners.”
Pres. U.S. Grant in Japan in 1879 – saw no.
p. 108
[[Y Note: “During World War II the no was favored by the government because of its pure national character. New plays stressing patriotic themes enjoyed a brief period of popularity. The desctruction of almost all theatres forced the schools to share one stage right after the defeat. The new prosperity after the war, however, provided new buildings and the luxury of more comfortable seating arrangements for the audiences.”
The no went on tour in Europe, America, and a number of Asian countries. Universities taught nogaku, lots of Westerners learned about it. Nogaku became world known. During 1980-1989, the Showa (long dash over the “o”) era, money built more no theatres. Great masters, now dead, end of 20th century “enjoys a healthy and broad base of support, which promises artistic continuity for the future.” It’s still an exclusive club to be picked for and join.
p. 109
Zeami’s Secret Tradition of the No
“…passed on iemoto to iemoto, one generation after the other.” Complex terms, inside info, body to body and tacit knowledge.
“the main part of which was written about 1402, and then completed (the sixth and seventh section) by 1418.” [[Y Note: Portuguese missionaries arrived in Japan 1542. See time line and pics of 25mm samurai figures: http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/iberia/1492/japan/index.htm accessed 15 September 2006.]]
“The introduction [to Zeami’s first book] presents some important statements about the Indian origin of the no, as handed down since the age of the gods, and developed in Japan since the reign of Empress Suiko, when the Prince-Regent Shotoku commanded the legendary Hat no Koatsu to create public entertainments for the sake of national peace. The origin and the illustrious transmitters of the sarugaku claimed by Zeami place this art completely in the religious tradition of the main temples of the country, and by implication place the sarugaku actors in a position as respected religious members of the staffs of such temples or shrines – a great contradiction to the harsh reality of Zeami’s outcaste youth. The introduction also states the need…
p. 110
“…of total dedication […] “exclusion of any other art, with the exception of poetry, and prescribes basic prohibitions of sensual pleasures, gambling, and heavy drinking.” [[Y Note: No wonder women were excluded from the casts!]]
p. 110, cont.
“The second chapter explains some basic elements of monomane (imitation, mimesis) and examines the roles of women, old men, mad persons, Buddhist priests, shura (dead warriors), gods demons, and Chinese roles. Zeami gives advice for a successful interpretation, suggesting the appropriate age of the shite [the lead actor], the attitude demanded by each role, a wise choise of mask and costume, and other practical tips.”
[[Y Note: See pdf text for more on the 4 – 7 chapters and amzing reiteration that the Indian Buddah taught Japan how to sarugaku.]]
The acting troupes traveled to keep peace in the country.
p. 111
“the purpose of no being, after all, to bring happiness and prosperity and to promote long life for everybody, from the nobility to audiences in mountain temples or in the far-off provinces.”
How to act to become one with the craft and how to write a play is included in Zeami’s writings.
“In the seventh chapter Zeami deals in depth with the nature of hana, the flower. Pressing the parallel between the flowers in nature and the hana he is talking about, he stresses the importance of the variety of flowers,”
[[Y Note: Stanislavki’s Lee Strasberg was James Deane’s coach for Giant. Liz Taylor was trained in technical acting. i.e., natural or technical acting vs method actors. James Deane and Liz Taylor in scene on porch. The two styles are demonstrated.]]
“and the element of novelty, fruit of technical mastery, and thorough practice. He also stresses the importance of reaching the point at which imitation is no longer imitation, because the actor becomes his role and therefore no longer needs to imitate any more. The total transformation into the role will also avoid the risk of a superficial imitation of the qualities of a role, which would result in poor acting. The real flower will bloom only when the actor identifies himself with the true essence of the whole..
p. 112
“..role, reaching thus the exterior expression of the role through interior identification, and not through a direct attempt at imitating it. Other important advice concerns the importance of secrecy to preserve the sense of novelty (a decisive element of success) and the keen awareness of the Law of Cause and Effect: the cause of success being the skills the actor acquired after years of relentless training. Thus becomes clear that negligence in training results in failure.”
Zeami didn’t dictate no to be “static and painstakingly faithful repetition of fixed patterns.” The last part of his “treatise are a hymn to flexibility, adaptability, and readiness to change even during the same performance. Always, at all costs, the sense of novelty must be preserved through a constantly aware intuition of the changing wishes of the audience – an awareness which becomes second nature to the great master.”
Zeami writes that only one person per generation can be of the ilk.
p. 112, cont.
[[Y Note: remember that Zeami is writing in 1420s. So…what was the Northern Renaissance doing at this time? (1350 to 1575) What about Petrarch? 1304-1374 but no mention in wikipedia about traveling outside of Europe. So what about JN traveling outside of Japan?]]
Zeami writes about the two basic arts, dancing and chanting, and “three role types to which all other roles can be reduced, i.e., an old person, a woman, a warrior.” Characteristics and mannerisms indicative of these three characters can be used to convey other roles. [[Y Note: see text.]]
p. 113
“three basic elements in performance of no: skin, flesh, and bone” [[Y Note: see text.]]
Zeami hints at suspended disbelief; author of this book terms it “When he [actor] reaches a perfect fusion, he will involve the audience in an enraptured forgetfulness of itself. The art of the performance will then have the quality of being inexhaustible in its depth and constantly elegant.”
Last Q: Zeami “distinguishes between ‘substance’ and ‘function’ in the no. [[Y Note: see text]]
C) THE TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONS CONT. [[Y Note: see text.]]
p. 113
“…the actor’s ability to see himself with his spiritual eyes as the spectators do, from left and right, in front and behind (which makes it possible for the actor and audience to share the same image, and for the actor to master the right and the left, the front and the rear);
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[[Y Note: What about Portuguese plays? All of below search results on Portuguese theatre, accessed 16 September 2006
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Vicente
http://www.intute.ac.uk/artsandhumanities/cgi-bin/browse.pl?id=200915
http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/cvc/literatura/eng/TEATRO.HTM
“Theatre
“Portugal never developed a great Dramatic theatre tradition due primarily to the fact that the Portuguese were more passionate about lyric or humorous works than dramatic art. Gil Vicente is often seen has the father of Portuguese theatre - he was the leading Portuguese playwright in the 16th century. During the 20th century, theatre found a way to reach out to the people, specially the middle class, through what in Portugal is known as "Revista" - a form of humorous and cartoonish theatre designed to expose and criticize social (and political) issues, but in a way that entertains and amuses the audience.” From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Portugal#Literature accessed on 16 September 2006.
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Search results on “Revista Portuguese theatre” accessed on 16 September 2006.
http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/revista/revista1ru.htm
http://www.instituto-camoes.pt/revista/revista5in.htm
http://pages.unibas.ch/shine/translation_afonso.htm
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Culture_of_Portugal
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Our topics for our final project are due this week. The objective is to learn about a culture through exploration of one of its art forms. As the have to be approved by the professor, I emailed two and we're still discussing:
1) Portuguese theatre did not develop a comedic form the way that the rest of Western culture did. I wonder why?
or
2) Where did the accordion originate and how did the accordion get to Mexico?
The final project is not only a 10-12 page paper but also an online presentation that uses the online model of the Web pages for the contents of this class. In other words, we have to think of the project in terms of both a written text as well as illustrations, jpegs, mp3, megatags, etc. I only ever done one or the other -- not a combo of the two. And not an online presentation this big.
First thing: Decide on the topic!
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