CSB3

//**Among the Noh plays you have read, select one that appeals to you the most and discuss why you are drawn to it above all the other works. You may wish to refer to the video illustrations of the excerpts of the plays that we saw in class, as well as the scripts to compose your answer.**//

The Noh performance I find to be the most moving is Izutsu. Having both discussed Noh performance in class as well as having watched examples of the variety of themes within Noh drama, I understood that in this theatre tradition elements appear as universal in different cultures. As in many other theatre traditions (for example, Shakespearean England) women are portrayed by men. I have never found this style to be more successful than in Izutsu. The portrayal of the classical Japanese woman as delicate and sad in combination with the beautiful garments and masks made the drama much more intense. As we had seen in class, the Noh mask can appear to express many emotions based on the angle of the face in relation to the lighting (powerpoint). I also find Izutsu to be the most successful use of minimalistic Noh stage props with the wrapped reeds formed into an object representing the well. In other performances where reeds represented a boat, I believe it, however I was not moved. When the female character of Izutsu gazes into the “well” while wearing her deceased love’s garments and is reflected as wrapped in his image, I was deeply moved. Seeing a performance that is centralized on a feminine character who is not only played by a man, but whose facial reactions are restricted by a solid mask provided a combination of elements that left me both saddened and awed. The sound of the flute and drums as the woman silently reflects upon herself is the image that I immediately think of when considering Noh.

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