Question 1

Briefly characterize the kabuki and noh forms in terms of their stage design and the way in which design supports or accompanies the performance.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Briefly characterize the kabuki and noh forms...

Question 2

Imagine you are an actor getting ready for a Kabuki theatre performance.What do you think your training was like,who are you,walk us through the day of a performance until you walk off stage after the performance.(who is dressing you,doing your makeup,what is backstage like?)Use your imagination!

Accepted Answer

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Question 3

What is the role of the koken in kabuki? How do the koken add to the overall "philosophy" or themes of the kabuki form?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What is the role of the koken...

Question 4

Although Bunraku was once performed for adults,the puppet shows today are performed exclusively for children's entertainment in Japan.

Accepted Answer

Bunraku, a traditional Japanese puppet theater, continues to be performed for both adults and children, maintaining its historical and cultural significance, and not exclusively for children's entertainment.

Question 5

Reflecting on the current state of Asian theatre and its exchange with Western influences,propose a production that mixes techniques from both cultural traditions.What would the design be like? The acting style? The plot? Use of music?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Reflecting on the current state of Asian...

Question 6

Compare and contrast the use of music in at least two of Asian theatre forms and two of American theatre forms.(Broadway,musicals,opera,etc. )

Accepted Answer

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Question 7

Kabuki dramatic types include history plays (jidaimono),domestic plays (sewamono),and dance-dramas (shosagoto).

Accepted Answer

Kabuki theater indeed features these three main types of dramatic presentations: history plays (jidaimono), which focus on historical events and figures; domestic plays (sewamono), which center on commoners and contemporary life; and dance-dramas (shosagoto), which emphasize dance and are often integrated into both jidaimono and sewamono performances.

Question 8

Kabuki domestic dramas typically unfold the conflict between patriarchal authority and the younger generation,as fathers contend with sons for the possession of property.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Kabuki domestic dramas typically unfold the conflict...

Question 9

Noh drama may be characterized by

Accepted Answer

Noh drama is a traditional form of Japanese theatre that is known for its minimalist approach, including the use of medieval, elliptical, or obscure language, a small cast, static and solemn action, and a slow pace. This form contrasts with other types of drama that might feature lively conflicts, action plots, colloquial language, or negative plots and characters.

Question 10

What statement best characterizes the relationship between Asian and Western theatre traditions today?

Accepted Answer

Both Asian and Western theatre traditions have influenced each other over time, leading to a rich exchange of artistic ideas and innovations. This cross-cultural borrowing has enhanced the global theatre landscape, allowing both traditions to grow and evolve while maintaining their unique identities.

Question 11

Virtually all kabuki actors in modern Japan arise from lower-class children of common laborers seeking a better life.

Accepted Answer

Kabuki actors often come from families with a long history in the theater, and it is common for the profession to be passed down through generations within these families.

Question 12

What type of theatre is characterized by the following description: a highly ceremonial,musical and dance drama,mysterious,tragic and usually supernatural;the 240 texts produced today were written by a father-son team five hundred years ago;its lines were designed to be sung rather than spoken?

Accepted Answer

Noh theatre is characterized by its ceremonial, musical, and dance-driven performances, often involving mysterious, tragic, and supernatural themes. The 240 texts still performed today were indeed written by a father-son team (Kan'ami and Zeami) approximately five hundred years ago, and its lines are designed to be sung rather than spoken, distinguishing it from other forms of traditional Japanese theatre.

Question 13

If you attended a performance in which the only scenery was a single,gnarled pine,you would have good reason to guess that you were attending which kind of theatre event?

Accepted Answer

Noh theatre is known for its minimalist staging and use of symbolic props, such as a single pine tree, to suggest setting rather than elaborate scenery.

Question 14

In its early forms,kabuki was a stylized court entertainment permitted only by upper-class nobles,none of whom could be foreigners,and performed during designated times of the sacred calendar.

Accepted Answer

Kabuki originated in the early 17th century and was popular among commoners, not restricted to upper-class nobles. It was a form of entertainment that evolved from earlier forms of dance and drama, and it was accessible to a wide audience, including townspeople.

Question 15

Kabuki actors must train for much of their lives,working from small parts to larger ones,inheriting major roles in their forties,and developing a "kabuki face" by their fifties.

Accepted Answer

Kabuki actors undergo extensive training from a young age, often within family lineages, gradually taking on larger roles and perfecting their craft, including the expressive "kabuki face" used for emotional storytelling, over decades.

Question 16

Bunraku's life-size puppets are manipulated by three handlers: one for the feet,one for the head,and one for the hands.

Accepted Answer

In Bunraku, the life-size puppets are manipulated by three handlers: one for the feet and legs, one for the left hand, and one for the head and right hand.

Question 17

All noh plays center on the shite,

Accepted Answer

Noh plays focus on the shite, a principal character that can represent a wide range of beings such as gods, ghosts, women, animals, or warriors. This character is central to the narrative and is often engaged in a dynamic with a secondary character, who prompts and challenges them, driving the plot forward.

Question 18

Because of kabuki's plots frequently ending in suicide,the government attempted to ban such plays because they were leading to real suicides as a consequence.

Accepted Answer

The Japanese government indeed attempted to ban plays with themes of love suicide in kabuki theater during the Edo period, as they were concerned about the influence these plays had on the public and the potential for them to inspire real-life imitations.

Question 19

The hanamichi is a runway that extends from the right side of the stage all the way into the back of the audience.

Accepted Answer

The hanamichi is a runway that extends from the right side of the stage all the way into the back of the audience.

Question 20

In xiqu,men and women perform on the stage,although,since 1911,"gender" in this context is defined by makeup,costume,and the associations of the role.

Accepted Answer

In xiqu, which encompasses traditional Chinese opera forms, both men and women perform on stage. Since the early 20th century, the gender of a character is primarily determined by makeup, costume, and the traditional associations of the role, rather than the performer's actual gender. This allows performers to play roles of any gender, a practice that has been part of xiqu for centuries.

Quiz 15: The Theatre of Asia

Briefly characterize the kabuki and noh forms in terms of their stage design and the way in which design supports or accompanies the performance.

Imagine you are an actor getting ready for a Kabuki theatre performance.What do you think your training was like,who are you,walk us through the day of a performance until you walk off stage after the performance.(who is dressing you,doing your makeup,what is backstage like?)Use your imagination!

What is the role of the koken in kabuki? How do the koken add to the overall "philosophy" or themes of the kabuki form?

Although Bunraku was once performed for adults,the puppet shows today are performed exclusively for children's entertainment in Japan.

Reflecting on the current state of Asian theatre and its exchange with Western influences,propose a production that mixes techniques from both cultural traditions.What would the design be like? The acting style? The plot? Use of music?

Compare and contrast the use of music in at least two of Asian theatre forms and two of American theatre forms.(Broadway,musicals,opera,etc. )

Kabuki dramatic types include history plays (jidaimono),domestic plays (sewamono),and dance-dramas (shosagoto).

Kabuki domestic dramas typically unfold the conflict between patriarchal authority and the younger generation,as fathers contend with sons for the possession of property.

Noh drama may be characterized by

What statement best characterizes the relationship between Asian and Western theatre traditions today?

Virtually all kabuki actors in modern Japan arise from lower-class children of common laborers seeking a better life.

What type of theatre is characterized by the following description: a highly ceremonial,musical and dance drama,mysterious,tragic and usually supernatural;the 240 texts produced today were written by a father-son team five hundred years ago;its lines were designed to be sung rather than spoken?

If you attended a performance in which the only scenery was a single,gnarled pine,you would have good reason to guess that you were attending which kind of theatre event?

In its early forms,kabuki was a stylized court entertainment permitted only by upper-class nobles,none of whom could be foreigners,and performed during designated times of the sacred calendar.

Kabuki actors must train for much of their lives,working from small parts to larger ones,inheriting major roles in their forties,and developing a "kabuki face" by their fifties.

Bunraku's life-size puppets are manipulated by three handlers: one for the feet,one for the head,and one for the hands.

All noh plays center on the shite,

Because of kabuki's plots frequently ending in suicide,the government attempted to ban such plays because they were leading to real suicides as a consequence.

The hanamichi is a runway that extends from the right side of the stage all the way into the back of the audience.

In xiqu,men and women perform on the stage,although,since 1911,"gender" in this context is defined by makeup,costume,and the associations of the role.