Final Reflection

       As I sat down in our circle for one last time on Wednesday, I began to realize how much I truly learned from this class. Coming into the class, to be completely honest, I wasn't expecting much and just wanted to get a GER out of the way. I am so grateful to be sitting here today and be able to say that I have gained so much more from this class than I thought I could have. Classical Asian Theaters has opened my eyes to an entire new rich culture I had no idea about and forced me to reevaluate my conception of what art is and more importantly, to reevaluate the art of cultural expression.
       I have been participating in theatre since I was in high school. With this said, I have always had an extremely narrow mind as to what theatre is meant to be and the correct and incorrect ways of depicting it. With that said, as the semester began to progress, I understood more and more about how truly wrong I was in my understanding. The dance forms of ancient India, the culture rich parades of Indonesia, and the spiritual and symbolist driven forms of Japan all opened my eyes to a complete new realm of theatre. I am able to say that my perceptions are no longer restricted to "realism." I have come to be able to appreciate all new forms what they do for the people who participate in them. When I began to redefine what theatre was; a form of cultural expression, a depiction of human life (and ALL parts of human life), I was better able to come to terms with these different forms. They are in their very essence theatre because they are expressions of culture, reflected all different areas of human life, whether real life, or one's connection with a spiritual world. In turn, these practices bring people together and enhance, expand, and enlighten the community, just as theatre does for Western socieities.
        Therefore, I came to realize that although we have been focusing on the inherent differences of theatre between the West and the East, I couldn't help to conclude by stressing the similarities we have with one another. Although the forms are extremely different, no matter where in the world you experience them, they all reflect human life and in the end bring people together to express their values and belief systems. In essence, theatre is a reflection of the culture itself. We all go through pain, happiness, doubts, occurrences with spirituality and God, and attempts at characturizing who we are, amongst other things. The West and the East, at least in art expression, are no different from one another. I believe this should be a ground in which we can advance our understanding of one another and establish the common bonds that unite us under human experience. The manifestations of such experience may be culturally independent, but that human experience itself is perhaps the deepest universal trait that connects all of us.

Depictions of Japanese Culture and Sondheim

       In 1976, Stephen Sondheim's production of Pacific Overtures graced Broadway's stage for the first time. The show is set in 1853 Japan and follows the complicated Westernization and modernization processes of Japan as told from their own view point. Overall, the play was met with both raving reviews and serious criticisms.
       Sondheim's masterpiece was the first time anyone had ever focused on non-western society on Broadway. The original production was presented in traditional Kabuki style. Men played all the parts of women and set changes were mde in full view of the audience by people dressed in black. Most importantly, however, was the fact that all Asian roles were played by Asian or Asian-American actors.
       Sondheim attempted to craete an ironic marriage between Western and Eastern idioms through its staging, storytelling techniques, and the haunting songbook. While the staging was intrinsically Kabuki, the songs were rooted in traditional American musical forms. Furthermore, the lyrics themselves attempted to purport the marriage of Western and Eastern culture by emphasizing the westernization and modernization that the Japenese were currently going through. For its time, the production was extremely progressive, one which America had not seen before. The use of traditionalized Kabuki styles and all Asian actors was truly revolutionary. Yet by todays standards, the play fails to represent anything accurate about Japanese art forms or culture at large.
       When watching the clip from the original Broadway production, it was evident to me how hegemonic and Westernized the play was. The choreography didnt resemble Japanese theatre movement in the slightest and was inherently "American." The majority of the actors, as we discussed in class, were Asian American and not Asian, further distancing the show from true Asian culture. It seemed as though the production was merely a commercially a driven exploitation of the Pacific nation used for their own economic pursuits. Looking at the overall production, their attempts to represent the play as an inherently Japenese one failed in the sense that they were no where near to reality. One could argue that such a production technique was used in order to cover their real desire for economic gain while not being overtly hegemonic and racist. An uneducated American audience regarding Japenese culture definitely lended itself to such economic motives of Sondheim.
      Today, it is clear that we have come along way since the 70's and our representations of other cultures in art form. Although continually dramatized for media affect, movies like "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" and "Memoirs of a Geisha" attempt to stick to more culturally accurate truths and representations. We are beginning to purport the idea of an independent and autonomous Eastern society. No longer do we (for the most part) depict a Westernizing and modernizing Japanese or Asian culture as seen in Sondheim's version. We have begun to accept their differences in culture and individuality in such a respect. American society still has a long way to go in understanding Asian culture and allowing that culture to remain culturally separate from our own. But we have definitely progressed since the already antequated times of the 70's as exemplified by Sondheim's failed depiction of Japanese culture.

Class Evalutaion

As a theater major I think this class is extremely important to me. During our last ban jar meeting I heard a lot about how this class should be a requirement for everybody and that it is indispensable to WM. I disagree. I think a very select type of person can extract meaning from this class, for those who are interested only on GERs and 4 credits, this class will not enrich or elucidate.

What I most took out of this class was not the specifics but the general. I learned about the essence, the chi, of Asian performing arts. I learned that asian theater is symbolic and religious as much as it is about action and meaning.

It saddens me however, that what I learned in this class at William and Mary in Wiliamsburg, Virginia is not what I've witnessed in my experience in Asia. What I mean is that we learned about a relic of Asian culture which is alive today only to a few. The majority of asians of my generation do not care or care to know about these things.

This I believe is a function of a western, philosophical invasion into the minds and interests of the east. For example, Japan in the mid 1800's modernized and westernized in a way that comprised a metaphorical extinction of its original culture. This artificial integration of world-views resulted in the calamitous "lost decade" for Japan. In the surface, this collapse was a result of bad economic policy but in reality, it was a function of being without culture.

I think its important for everyone to stay close to that which sustains our histories. This is what I appreciated the most from this class.

Religion

I noticed that in asian culture, religion used to be much more active than it is today. Especially when shinto was a more prominent belief system, worship was a matter of action. For example, the kagura was designed to be performed for the gods. Failure to perform the kagura meant bad things would happen. The same for the vietnamese water puppets and its analogs in Korea, China and Japan. To not perform these rituals meant a bad harvest.With the influx of Christianity in the 1900's, these beliefs and cultures began to dilute. It makes sense though that modernity would usher in Christian religious practices.

Take the example of rice cultivation. Rice can only be grown during periods of rain and thus there is a lot of free time for people to spare. During the period between planting and harvest, people performed rituals.  With modern innovations that came from the west such as tomatoes and wheat, people began spending that time used previously for worship, to plant and thus made money. To fill the spiritual gap, people embraced Christianity.

Amaterasu

Amaterasu

The importance of theater in Japan is not only ritualistic but also political. Theater is ritualistic as I’ve discussed previously, because of Queen Himiko’s ability to bring Amaterasu back to the people as a representation of the shaman’s and theatrical performance’s role as a bridge between the celestial and the earthly. However, it is also important to note that the emperor of Japan was believed to be a direct descendent from the Goddess Amaterasu. Because of this link, theatrical arts in Japan must also be linked with the affirmation of the legitimacy of the emperor.

I find this very interesting because it is smart political positioning in the part of the first schools of theater. Not only did theater represent ritualistic and didactic elements in its being but also it became an indispensable token of the emperor’s right to rule.

Miko

Miko

Miko are sacred female Shinto shamans. According to Japanese tradition, theater was created to entice the goddess Amaterasu to return from a cave in the earth to bring back the light to the people. To lure the goddess out of the cave, Queen Himiko (a miko), performed kagura. The kagura thus became known as a ritual to entertain the Shinto gods and therefore bring favor. Like in many ancient traditions, specific members of society were entrusted with the knowledge of rituals like the kagura. It is interesting that in Japanese history, it was a female goddess who returned to bring humanity back to the people and also, a female shaman to perform the ritual. This evidence is in line with many cross-cultural anthropological theories of the role of the female as the carrier of humanity. Particularly, horticultural societies such as the Indian tribes of the American mid-west, the ancient Yayoi or even the inhabitants of Mesopotamia in the fertile crescent, tend to feature female deities as the primary bringers of life- the virgin, Amaterasu etc. 

Iemoto System

Iemoto System

The Iemoto System was not unique to Noh theater. This highly Confucian ideology of rank, became the way by which the Japanese transmitted knowledge in various areas- dance, incense-making, martial arts, tea ceremony etc. At the head of the Iemoto system is the grand master. The grand master has the power to issue licenses to his pupil to teach or advance in the respective art. This supposedly allowed for the art to stay faithful to the original style. At the highest levels, a license to teach can cost millions of yen. Often the grandmaster position is transmitted by heredity.

Shimpa and Shingeki

Shimpa and Shingeki

Both Shimpa and Shingeki were modern developments in Japanese theater.

Shimpa, or new school, shared some elements with Kabuki like onnagata and the off-stage music.  Shimpa featured melodramatic themes and can be traced to agit-prop theater in the 1880’s. Shingeki did not feature any of the elements common to Kabuki plays, but instead attempted to imitate the western theater genres. Shingeki focused on modern, self-contained plots and realistic themes starting in the 19^th century. Shingeki became one of the first cinema genres in Japan and often featured realistic and foreign costumes. Singeki film also featured close-ups. 

Noh Theater History

Noh Theater History

Noh comes from Kagura, the story of the reemergence of Amaterasu, the sun goddess, from a cave. Therefore, the origin of Noh not only explains the origin of theater in Japan but also serves as an offering for the gods.  Kagura developed into Gigaku, which incorporated Korean motifs, including songs, props, instruments and masks through Mimashi.  During this period, there were also musical influences from China and India (and Indo-China). Gigaku featured a masked procession of Lions (like Topeng), Parody of the Princess (links to Chinese story), and the Baroman (peroformance of the Brahman, India). Later, there was the emergence of Bugaku which had strong links to India, Tibet and China. Later, Dengaku emerged. Dengaku is related to the Vietnamese Water Puppets in that its purpose was to entertain the water gods and performed by rice farmers to ensure good harvests. Sangaku later emerged with heavy influences from China- acrobats, comedy, dances and songs. Sarugaku featured monkey-music, which is an obvious link to Monkey Gods in Hinduism (Hanuman). 

FREEDOM WITH RESPONSIBILITY: Respone to Ian Goodrum's "Disappearance Disappoints"

TO: The Flat Hat Editors, Ian Goodrum

RE: Disappearance Disappoints

1. It is not my practice to respond to reviews but I am doing so here because of my responsibilities as a Professor at the College of WIlliam and Mary, where it is my duty to teach all students, whether they are enrolled in my class or not.  In this case, Mr. Ian Goodrum, a student at the College has written about my work, so it is incumbent upon me to educate in return. Further, I am extremely concerned as to the impact of Mr. Goodrum's writing in my capacity to fulfill my responsibilities as an officer of instruction in the College of William and Mary.

2. Freedom comes with responsibility and on a good day, maybe an ounce of civility especially on a campus that prides itself as ONE TRIBE, MANY VOICES.  Further, freedom exercised gratuitously sometimes becomes oppression itself.  I wish to make it known that Mr. Goodrum's article has caused much pain not only on myself, my students, but also on my family--my wife, my children, and my mother who bear the sacrifice of my being an absent husband, father, and son during the extensive rehearsal process.  I would have gladly accepted Mr. Goodrum's disappointment in Disappearance had he written with an ounce of respect, and left me and my student collaborators a dust of dignity.  Everyone has a mother, even Professors.  In my case, my mother called me to ask why a student was writing with so much HATE in response to my work with my students.  I am afraid only Mr. Goodrum can answer that question.

3.  To be clear, Mr. Goodrum wrote a response to the play DISAPPEARANCE but not a review. 

4. Flat Hat Editors have a responsibility to make very sure that writers are educated in the genre where they write, because in the end the lack of training and education does not only cast aspersion on the writer or even the Flat Hat, but the entire College.

5.  Flat Hat Editors must also do all they can to take care of their writers so that they are healthy and in good disposition to exercise their responsibilities.  In this case, Mr. Goodrum was asleep for much of the show.  Had he written that he fell asleep because of the experience I provided through the show, that would have been fair to write.  I was right behind him during the show while he slept for a good period of the evening.  I debated internally whether I should awake him. Alas, my choice to leave him in slumber was not the best choice to be made.

6. With the right to freedom of expression comes a responsibility to be educated about what one writes about.  For instance in the program, I state very clearly that it was only in 2009 that I have explored full time the various genres of Japanese Theatre.  Mr. Goodrum should have acknowledged his own scope of knowledge or lack thereof which might have impacted his experience of the performance. I have already apologized for all my failures in the show in the same program, so I hope Mr. Goodrum will take the time for himself to re-read the apology for the suffering he incurred in the 150 minutes of DISAPPEARANCE.

7. We are in academic theatre. Our primary responsibility is to educate, including the audience. I take responsibility for not having been able to educate Mr. Goodrum appropriately but such is the case in our College.  As Professor of World and Multicultural Theatre, I only began my job in 2005 in a College that has been producing plays since the 17th century.  Thus I have a long way to go in educating our community in world and multicultural theatre.  But the job and responsibility can not be mine alone.

8.  Diversity is not only about numbers but about getting to know the people who are here. If nobody spends time getting to know one another, diversity is useless. Numbers mean nothing. All my theatre productions are made with this in mind.  They are meant to stir up conversations not controversy, courage not fear, friendships not enemies.  As I mentioned, I can not live up to my responsibilities as a Professor of World and Multicultural Theatre on my own because what has been happening here at William and Mary has been happening since 1693.  I need help from the Tribe.

Disappearance performance disappoints

Written By: Ian Goodrum

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April 12, 2012

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Posted In:

• Variety

An adaptation of Keralino Sandorovich’s “Disappearance” is playing in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall this weekend. PHOTO BY MICHELLE GABRO / THE FLAT HAT

As this, the final year of my college career and my tenure as theater critic for The Flat Hat, winds to a close, I have been able to look back and question what I’ve written: “Was I too harsh?” “Did I give shows a pass?” And “Why did I review modern dance?” While hindsight rears its ugly head, there is a certain retrospective clarity when it comes to performances that truly stood out these past four years. The triumphs — “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” “Bones,” “The Shape of Things” — seem more auspicious, their success bolstered in comparison to their weaker counterparts. Although there have been some pieces with more misses than hits over the years — “Rhinoceros,” “Table Manners,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” — it’s been a rare occasion when there wasn’t something to like about what’s been put on stage.

Leave it to the cruelties of fate, then, to saddle me with one hell of a farewell gift.

Francis Tanglao-Aguas’s adaptation of Keralino Sandorovich’s “Disappearance,” being performed this week in Phi Beta Kappa Hall’s Studio Theatre, has outdone all opposition. Unless “Ruined” is an unmitigated disaster — which seems highly unlikely — I can say without reservation that “Disappearance” is the worst theatrical production I have ever seen on this campus.

Why the bluntness? Well, after upwards of 150 minutes spent watching an incoherent, inconsistent parade of poor characterization and even poorer execution, I have little patience left. Taken on its own, “Disappearance” is an occasionally insightful synthesis of a panicked post-war malaise and its resultant psychotic attachments; but in this production, the bastard child of Japanese Noh drama and the high modernism of Samuel Beckett, the decent becomes the defective and the good, grotesque. Noh plays traditionally use movement and dance to display states of high emotion, but “Disappearance” has plenty of words, despite its pretensions to the contrary. The dialogue not only lacks emotional resonance, but it also presents a bizarre rendering of simple phraseology, creating glaringly inept readings of lines that would get a symphony of groans in impolite company. I would love nothing more than to write these off as moments of theatrical experimentation, but when most other dialogue is spoken in a naturalistic manner, incompetence is the only diagnosis.

Some in the cast are truly dedicated to their performances, despite quite obviously struggling under the ponderousness of the whole affair: Shaan Sharma ’15 acquits himself well enough as the simpleton living under the benevolent dictatorship of his brother Chaz, played by Abhay Ahluwalia ’12, and Grace Mendenhall ’13 does much with her brief periods of focus as the renter in this house of horrors. Mendenhall has come a long way since her performance in Shakespeare in the Dark’s “The Tempest,” and perhaps someday she’ll be in a production worth her development. She and Rebecca Turner ’14 are one of two pairs of actors playing their roles on alternating nights; needless to say, I won’t be checking in again to see how the others fare. I wish them the best of luck.

What else is there to be said about this unfortunate exercise? The ensemble? Effective enough, although they rarely act as a true chorus. The lights? Well, just how important is lighting when your head is in your hands? The music? Fine, when it happens. That just about covers it. If anyone wants to know more about the specifics of the play, I’ll be drinking somewhere.

If “Disappearance” succeeds in one thing, it is in helping the audience to understand Chaz’s motivations for selectively deleting his brother’s memory. Never have I wished more that such a device existed than after being subjected to this dramaturgical torment. Where’s Lacuna, Inc. when you need it?

Farewell My Concubine

          After the class in which we watched an excerpt of this movie I went home to watch the rest because I was so intrigued by it. I must say that while I did learn a lot about Chinese Opera, I also experience more Chinese history that I ever have before. The way the story was told, in which what was happening in the world affected the theatre and the lives of these two men was astonishing.

           I found that I sided more with the man who wished to keep the traditions in the opera. I feel that if you want to do something that is completely new and different from the traditional style do not try to pass it off as traditional style, which was a problem that the opera faced in the movie. The younger generation wanted to call their modern musicals traditional Chinese opera. Let new things remain new things and gain popularity through their devices alone.

            Now that I have ranted on tradition for a while I also wanted to segue to my thoughts on how the students used to the taught in the theatre. Personally, I think it is a crying shame that teachers can no longer be strict with their pupils and still be respected. That’s what makes us actually learn in my opinion, being challenged. We have a certain level of laziness in us that must be bypassed. The teachers of opera in this movie understood this, even if it was a bit extreme for western tastes. But as seen in the movie as we move on to the younger generations, the students become more and more lazy and want things to just be given to them without effort. Hey lose respect and that’s when the art form begins to lose its polished charm.

Chi

            The prospect of reciting a poem or a song in front of a class is intimidating no matter how many times you have recited it perfectly alone.   In grade school about once every two months each student would have to go in front of the class and relay a poem from memory.  I always had the poem perfectly memorized and luckily got through it each time without problem, except for my hands sweating, insides trembling and voice a bit shakey.  Not only was that uncomfortable but I felt uncomfortable watching others recite as well.  When they couldn’t remember lines they had worked so hard to memorize it was heartbreaking to watch their frustration and disappointment ooze through their previously composed selves.  Teachers were understanding to a minimal extent: kids who did well in class and got flustered a bit were not met with disapproving help from the teachers with a word mid poem.  Anyone who goofed off a bit did not receive any support from the teacher, and when they needed help mid poem, received annoyed prompts.

            When the singers were asked to go to the center of the room today and sing alone for everyone, these memories rushed back.  I assumed my past audience stance of not making eye contact with the performer as to make them feel less on the spot.  But when the first mistake was made, my peer was told, “its okay look at the sheet, it’s the chi that matters” and then sung with as a duo so she could get back on track.  If kids in my grade school had been told this, I am positive they all would’ve done better.  It even affected me as an audience member.  For the first time ever in this kind of situation I felt comfortable making eye contact with the person reciting; I felt that my eye contact offered support and a safety net for them.  Put bluntly reciting from memory is hard.  Some people get more nervous than others and success of these kinds of performances should be measured by chi.  The energy, care, and effort in striving to reproduce something by memory is certainly more admirable than an unenthused, mechanical regurgitation.  Someone struggling for success when they have to reach so far out of their comfort zone deserves the respect given in our classroom.  Other classrooms too often only reward ones able to regurgitate, and even just typing that sentence, it’s clearly wrong. 

            So how can more environments become like ours?  I think it begins with professors and students being exposed and open to different styles of teaching.  As we learned in our first lecture, oral tradition allows knowledge to live within the person rather than on paper.  I know it will be a challenge because there are many people who aren’t open to alternative ways, but my goal after taking 334 is to pass on the knowledge and outlook I have now absorbed in hopes that it will motivate others to seek an opportunity for their own broadening.    

       Going into the final performance sharing today, I was very nervous at first about having to sing in front of the class.  This was my first time ever performing a song for others by myself.  However, it was nice to know that I was not the only one nervous about performing in front of the banjar.  After I began to sing, I found myself growing less nervous as I went on and my confidence grew with the song. 

       I was very impressed with the rest of the banjar and their performances.  Everyone who chose the dancing option for performance seemed to really have the form of walking down pact.  I noticed that this group of performers did a great job at keeping their feet very flat and made strong use of the four pillars of the stage.

       As for the people who chose the option of singing the song, I continued to be impressed with the banjar.  Since this was the option I chose, I know how difficult it was to memorize the song.  Everyone did a really good with their performances of the song and even though there were a few mix-ups it did not matter.  I think everyone projected and strong chi putting their own spin on the song.  So overall, I was very proud of the banjar and I think we had great final performance sharing. 
 

Ortauyuno and Karagoz

Ortauyuno is a genre of theater developed in Turkey and disseminated throughout Europe, especially Spain. These performances rely a text and were usually open-air events. However, these performances were largely improvised.

Karagoz is one of the two main actors in Karagoz and Hacivat. In this comedic performance, the two characters are foils of each other. Karagoz  is an uneducated plebian while Hacivat has superior education with his “native wit.” Today, the genre has been popularized on television. 

Text in Noh, Kabuki and Bunraku

In Noh and Bunraku, the emphasis is on text. These styles of theater require a precise reiteration of the original. The movements and choreography is also recorded and described in detail to ensure that every performance is roughly the same. For Noh and Bunraku, the hana is based on the text.

In Kabuki, the performances are less rigid and the hana is based not only on text but in the technical devices used by the director. There is more room for improvisation. Kabuki is in general, more modern than Noh and Bunraku and often incorporated technology to awe the viewers.

Brecht

Brecht was a German actor, playwright and director. His principles of theater revolve around his style of epic theater. Brecht strove to keep his audience aware that theater is a representation of reality and thus must have implications in society. Brecht therefore dealt with social and historical events and sought to critique as a form of aesthetic. To achieve this, Brecht made use of elements of Chinese theater in his western dramas.

Artaud

Artaud was a French playwright, actor and director. He believed that theater should be an impactful and uncomfortable art for the audience. Similar to Suzuki and Yeats, Artaud wanted to leave his audience unsettled and engaged through the use of movement and symbols. He believed that the reaction of the audience is a measurable effect and this he placed emphasis on ritualism. Ritualism, according to Artaud, conveyed a message beyond text and thus incited a corporeal experience on the viewer. He makes use of elements of chak and legong in his plays. He was also known to be mentally unstable.








Artaud: goes insane. the importance of ritualism, need beyond text, corporeal experience. Incorporates, chak and legong to to a specific symbolism that measured the emotion conveyed to the audience

Yeats

Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright who incorporated some elements of asian theater in his plays. Yeats never saw a Noh performance and therefore, he couldn't create a visually authentic recreation of the style. He did however, incorporate the symbolism of Noh performances. Yeats also used extensive use of masks. His interest in Noh was inspired by his realization that written and spoken languages were limited and could not achieve a somatic expression. Instead, Yeats attempted to use body and movement, much like is done in Noh.

Suzuki's approach

Suzuki is a Japanese actor, playwright and philosopher who adapted several western dramas into the traditional Japanese Noh and Kabuki styles of theater. Suzuki placed emphasis on strengthening the body and in the message contained within movement. This concept, which he derived from his training in Noh and Kabuki, is clear in his use of jugs under his stages that amplify the effect of the actor's movements. Other than his signature use of body to convey emotion and kata, Suzuki also believed in creating tension in his scenes but never releasing the tension. This technique is designed to leave the audience without a sense of closure and thus, a persistent afterimage of the performance. Like in Kabuki and Noh, Suzuki's plays have emphasis on being grounded, a concept largely derived from Daoist principles. 

Stages in Noh and Kabuki

In Noh, the stage is largely influenced by the kagura shinto shrine style. There are four pillars that signify the four directions. The stage is elevated about 3 ft off the ground and are polished to aid in movement. The backdrop always contains the image of a pine tree. The Noh stage also includes the hashigakari, a narrow bridge in which actors enter and exit the stage. It extends from stage right to the back of the auditorium. The entrance of actors is often cued by clappers.

In Kabuki, the stage is similar to that of Noh. However, the narrow bridge is called the hanamichi and is also used for entrances and exits. The hanamichi and the Kabuki stage are designed with traps and revolving doors to create effects.

Zeami Question

Zeami (1400's)

_aesthician and Noh actor, playwrite

_contributed to the fundamental monomane (principles) of Noh

1. Hana: cultivation of relationship between audience and performer like a gardener cultivates a flower. Like a flower, Noh is meant to be understood by any audience. Two forms of hana- beauty of youth and beauty of performance. 

2. Yugen: especially related to Noh in that it emphasizes the beauty of the transcendental world, the beauty of loss and sadness 

3. kokoro: heart/mind, performer must have no mind

4. rojaku: the last stage of the performance in which the actor presents himself as an old man, eliminates all unnecessary actions

5. monomane: *imitation) accuracy of depicting motion

THAT Broadway Production

I thought that today I might focus on my feelings towards that modern day clip we saw of the Japanese Broadway show. I will admit that at first it disturbed me quite a lot. I wasn’t expecting something so very Western after so much Asian influenced pieces that we have been watching throughout the semester and I believe that’s why I instantly hated it. But, after I went home and mulled it over in my brain I found that it was actually not all that bad. It’s not like they are trying to mock the culture or anything. It’s just a different interpretation of it in a way that isn’t all that traditional. They still had the accents that are clearly Asian such as the narrator and the costumes and the technical effects that are common to a Kabuki show. So, after countless circles running around in my head I have come to the conclusion that some faith in Western culture has been restored. I think this is a step in the right direction to incorporating Asian theatres into Broadway as much as any other culture that premieres on its stage.  

Opinion of This Class

Overall, I enjoyed taking this class this year.  The material was interesting, new, and diverse.  We were able to cover so many different areas of Asia and take an in-depth look into the theater practices of each.  One aspect of the course that was really nice was being able to split up time between learning about the different theaters of Asia and actually performing some of the types of dances/theater styles.  I feel like this was really beneficial to my learning.  It made it so I could study the theater form, watch videos of others performing it, then actually do it myself.  This gave me a clear and complete picture of each of the different styles we learned about. 

I also really liked the format of grading/testing for the class.  There were several ways to show what you had learned.  I think this is beneficial because it allows people several outlets to showcase their knowledge.  You could show what you have learned through writing/the blogs, through an actual test, or through performance of what we had studied. 

The material of this class was surprisingly very interesting and diverse.  I have never been a theater person but I was able to appreciate the different performances of the different regions of Asia.  This class allowed me to really expand my knowledge base and learn more about areas of study that I knew nothing about.  It was nice to take a class on this very unique subject that most people will never get the chance to hear about. 

My only criticisms of the class are the duration/timing of it.  Since this class is almost two hours long, I occasionally had those days where it was hard to focus on the material for such a long period of time.  It just occasionally felt overwhelming to go over so much information in one day.  I also feel like the time of the class was not evenly split between lectures and dancing.  I would have liked to see a more even split between the two but I understand it is hard due to the quantity of the material.  Still, I am really glad I took this class and would definitely recommend it to others (it is also a great way to obtain two GERs).         

different me with masks

Performances using masks are prominent in Asian theatre. So far, we touched upon three different types of masks' performances from Indonesia, China and Japan. Even though they were categorized into one genre in theatre, they were all unique and distinct to each other. Topeng dance is a typical form of mask dance performed in Indonesia. It usually represents nature or appearance of gods and usually covers most of the performers' faces. Chinese masks are considered as carriers of wishes and it can often be found to have no bottom half and a colorful upper half so that performers can talk while performing. Lots of them look as if they were generals fighting against bad demons or disasters. With a background of being built to protect people from negative things, masks were loafed that it makes the performers look very tall and authoritative. Finally, Japanese masks are very sophisticated and have movable jaws so performers can talk during the play. Despite the differences of each masks, I realized that one common aspect of masks was that when people wear the masks, they become the characters they play. Their identity changes into what the mask is meant to depict. They put all of their focus on the role and try to portray what it is they believe they are meant to be with appropriate characteristics. Also, it is an easy way to cover yourself and be someone else, which allows you to feel less embarrassed and feel more confident to act certain way. It helps create true characters of the play. I wore a money mask during my “mid-term sharing” and with it, I could perform with great confidence and become a monkey as I viewed monkeys would behave. After increasing my focus on my role as a monkey, I felt the audience become more engaged, thus feeding off of their enjoyment, I became more energetic which allowed me become more enthusiastic throughout the play. Through this experience, I learned how important your spirit should be involved in the play when you act and how the masks help you build that spirit in your mind and body. 

All about Noh

Noh (skill; talent)
-since 14th C
-traditionally 5 plays with kyogen (humorous performances) pieces  between them, now 2 Noh and 1 kyogen
-iemoto system: hierarchy within a troupe, filial piety
-inspired by traditional folktales
-sponsored by Ashikaga shogunate
-lost patronage during the Meiji Restoration
-influenced Kabuki

-shite (characters that start living then appear as ghosts), waki (foil of the shite),{both Noh and Kabuki) jiutai (chorus- utai), joruri (narrator-kataru), tsure (companion of either shite or waki)
-inspired by kaguro (shinto shrines)
-4 corners (energize the movement of performance)
-kagami backdrop (pine tree)
-use of symbolism in costumes
-use of omote (masks)
-jo-ha-kyu: motif of starting slow, speed then abrupt stop

All about Kabuki

Kabuki (sing-dance-skill)
-classic Japanese theater style
-originates from the miko (female shaman), Izumo Taisha
- riverbeds of Kyoto circa 1600's.
-patroned by shogunate
-many Kabuki schools open due to popularity
-females play male and female roles
-related to prostitution

-in 1629, the shogunate bans female kabuki performances due to prostitution
-and concerns about mixing of social classes

-(onnagata) males start playing male and female roles

-bunraku (puppet performance) develops from Kabuki
-many themes, particularly lover's suicide

-mie (pause for emphasis, climax)
-roppo: entrance style (flying, swagger, cat paw)
what's shosagoto?
-shamisen: 3 stringed musical instrument , accompanies performance of kabuki and bunraku

-banned by shogunate in 1840's

-Kabuki rises from underground
-new genres emerged
-aragoto: style of Kabuki that emphasizes exaggerated movement and dynamic kata (forms of movement). Exaggerated costumes and extensive use of red and blue to differentiate roles.

-sponsored by Meiji Emperor

-uses hanamichi (bridge that extends from stage right to the back of auditorium; trap doors; flower path)

My Experiences with Theatre: Then and Now

       Before taking this class, I had very little experience with theater.  I had been in a few school plays in elementary school and took a semester long drama class when I was in middle school.  However, this was the only personal theater experience I possessed (so almost none).  I did have some experience indirectly with theater though.  In high school, I went to several of my school's plays.  I saw shows like The Crucible, Guys and Dolls, and You Can't Take It with You.  I also was able to see a Broadway play while on a trip to New York.  It was The Lion King and it was very well done so I really enjoyed watching it.

       After taking this class I definitely have a lot more personal experience with theater.  I was also exposed to a type of theater I had never before encountered.  The midterm performance sharing was the first time I have ever sung and danced for a group of people.  This class taught me many different movements and practices of theater from all over Asia.  Now I have practice with the theater styles of all of these different cultures.  I also gained some more indirect experience with theater through this class.  Along with all of the videos we watched throughout the semester, I was able to see my first live Noh play (a modern Noh play) by going to watch Disappearance.  This class has really broadened my theater background and expanded my knowledge in this area.  I can now say that I have performed for others, learned new dance forms, and understand a wide variety of theater styles.