P2+Theater

__**The Japanese Theatre in the Tokugawa Period**__  By: Leo d. and Shaan D.  Theatre was a type of entertainment done by people of low social class often intended for others like them because they were separated from the rest of the Bakufu social structure. Kabuki was thought of as the least honorable of the types of theater because it was done by merchants, the lowest people in the Japanese social structure. In contrast, Bunraku is the most honorable of them, enough for samurai to watch. Kyogen and Noh, two similar forms of theatre, were simpler than the Bunraku and Kabuki theatre. Street entertainers and storytellers were also a popular form of amusement, but they were even lower in the social structure. The actors, all male, are the people who show the scene on the stage with gestures, and drama. Kabuki was a type of theatre usually done by merchants for entertainment of other merchants. It was about important merchants of the past, and was shown in music and dancing. The Kabuki Theatre was originally developed in the Tokugawa period, and then it was intended for urban people in form of historical dramas or romances. The Golden Age of Theatre, or the 18th century, was when the theatre was doing the best, or making the most money. Wooden blocks called Tsuke start the play, and in some cases end it also. Tsuke are sometimes incorporated in the middle of the play for extra drama. The Kabuki Theatre set the example for the Bunraku Theatre; and the Bunraku theatre borrowed some technology they thought was helpful. Bunraku is a form of theatre that used large hand puppets instead of real actors. The puppets were manipulated on small stages by puppeteers wearing black, so that they would attract less attention. The stories that were done in Bunraku were both serious and funny and they all were intended for adults. They sometimes told stories of historical figures and other merchants. While performing, the puppets were accompanied by music. This type of theatre was considered honorable enough for samurai to watch. Noh is a Japanese form of theatre performed on a simple stage with no scenery props, by actors wearing expressive masks and elaborate costumes. There were not many actors, and they usually played fictional characters. The actors performed in slow dances to the music of drums, flutes, and the chanting of poetry. This type of theatre was developed in the Ashikaga period by Shogun (the Japanese military and political leader) Yoshimitsu and actor Kan’ami. In the late 1300’s, Noh had an emphasis on mime and stylized dancing with music. The emotion of the character was expressed through movement. The most important aspect of the actors’ performance was form. Compared to the other types of Japanese theatre, Noh had a higher-class, nobler taste. The Kyogen theatre, focused around comical form, and was much alike Noh. Kyogen plays were improvised, so the plot was clear, but what the actors said was made up as the play went along. Kyogen plays were done in the concrete, and there were more than 200 of them. The actors are merchants, and they twisted the social structure in their plays, often making merchants clever, and daimyos stupid. Of course, they didn’t present those plays to the daimyos. Kyogen was not as popular as Kabuki, Bunraku, or Noh, but people went anyway to get a few good laughs. There were other forms of entertainment besides the more formal music, dance, and theater traditions. These include street entertainers and storytellers. There were many different kinds of street performers – about 300. Street performers were of very low social class, though they had a wide, popular appeal. They would do plays, tricks with trained animals, magic, songs and dances, comedic dialogues, and puppetry. While performing, vendors would sell food, drink, and even medicine. There was also the Yose: an Edo-period theatre with performance such as song and dance, comedy, storytelling, parody, mime, and acrobatics. Yose storytelling evolved into performing tradition, including koshaku and rakugo. Rakugo was a lot about and centered around one actor, who created a sense of connection between himself and the audience by the way he told the story. Koshaku was a popular Edo-period performance where storytellers recited tales based on historical narratives and legends. Though not as proper as actors on stage, street entertainers were still liked by many Japanese people. The actors were much practiced and took a lot pride in their work. There are many different kinds of actors, such as jugglers, acrobats, singers, and dancers. The origin of Kabuki had women actors, but the shogun banned women from acting in the 17th century. Now, men play the roles of men and women, and because of this, you can never tell what the real personality of the actor is. A shite, or the dominator of the performance, is the most important person; all the other characters are helpers. Musicians help show the scene, with their instruments sometimes on the stage, or backstage. There are two types of music; lyrical and narrative. Both of these help the actors achieve their goal: impress other people to get them to give the actors their money. The actors were the main and most important part of the performances on stage. All types of theatre need some sort of actor. For some, the Japanese theatre was an everyday thing; for others it was a special treat, but whenever one would go, they would thoroughly enjoy it.

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 * __Citations:__**

Deal, William E. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. New York: Facts on File, Inc. 2006.Print. Image.[]. [2/24/12]. Web.

Kalman, Bobbie. Japan: the culture. Toronto, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1989. Print Mitchell, John D. and Watanabe, Miyoko. Noh and Kabuki: Staging Japanese Theater. Key West, FL Inst. for Advanced Studies in 1994. Print. Odijk, Pamela. The Japanese. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Silver Burdett Press, 1989.Print.