Notes on Japanese theatre - Mrs Moon

• It is a living theatre. 
• Even though it is a thousand years old it is always alive
• Passed down from parent, child, master, disciple, generation to generation (No, Kabuki, Bunraku, Kyogen)
• How are modern theatre (Butoh, Suzuki) reactions to traditional theatre?
• What are you learning about japanese cultures and beliefs?
• Traditional performances are done in the most traditional form but new innovations are made.
• Non tradition in traditional, traditional in non traditional
• Suzuki uses a traditional training form and applies it to non traditional theatre
• Japanese theatre stays traditional while also staying modern whereas in the Beijing opera, they refuse to modernise it and therefore is becoming obsolete
• Throughout most japanese history, most performing companies were single sex.
• Kabuki was mainly women and become more of a sexualised performance than theatre, as a means of moving away from this, they banned women.
• 14th century was when full fledged theatre in Japan. prior to this, all the other art (art, music, poetry, literature) forms began to flourish.
• Characteristics
• 1) the text speaks itself, it is not ordinary dialogue. There's a potential for a choral type of approach. Often read by a chanter. descriptions and commentary on the set. One character may say another character's lines. Poetry or metered prose. sung, chanted, etc. Stage figures that are voicing the text.
• 2) Fluid narrative stance, break the speakers up. Gives lines to voices that are not the characters. THIS IS ALL SOLEY FOR AESTHETIC PURPOSES. Kabuki "passing along the dialogue" The chorus shares in the creation
• 3) Flexibility of time and space. You have to think about it spiritually rather than the business side of Japan. Time can be expanded or used however in order to tell the story how it is wanted to. This is completely aesthetic. Hanamichi (walkway) vital way of incorporating the whole of the set. Theatre time is as pliant as theatre space. Moments of stillness. Slow motion action. Duels simultaneously (going back and forth). Time is expanded to allow audience to react
• 4) Centrality of form. Music, text, movement, costumes. Take out the most beautiful things of something (e.g. of old age) and create something stylised and aesthetic of old age. Movement (e.g. crying eye, biting of sleeve in bunraku) these are purely for beauty. Yu shire buri (showing off of the kimono). Fixed patterns in their music. Music is abstract but the way of performance isn't abstract. The style of music will change depending on what the scene of the play is (even is the base may be the same). Use same props, costume in all costumes but in each performance they vary in speed, timing, intensity, design or colour
• 5) Mastery of form. Students learn for imitating the master. Once he's mastered EVERYTHING can he even question interpretation. Everyone learns each character from a specific teacher and only get together to rehearse at the end. Form dimities interest in verisimilitude (the element or aspects of reality that you have in your literature without verisimilitude, your writing has no truth.)
• 6) Theatricalisation of the mechanics of theatre. e.g. the puppeteers in bunraku are extremely critical to the performance.
• 7) Intensity of intertextuality. 
• Art of illusions.
• Japanese theatre is presentational theatre rather than representational theatre.

The Pajama Game

I've always really just had pure fun with musicals but, for some reason, this particular musical was a totally different experience from the past few musicals that I've been in. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, I did enjoy it. A lot. The musical was really fun, the songs were beautiful and the cast was awesome, but I found myself just completely stressed out and exhausted by the entire process. A lot of this was, of course, me and my own problems and my own school work and all the various assessments that IB requires. I also think that by being in IBTA, I have begun to take productions more seriously that I had previously and think about the production elements and the actual context of the story more that I had before. It might also be that fact that it's much more of a serious musical that Back to the 80's was and therefore it was more tricky to do it justice portraying these characters (that, as we discussed, although seemed light on the surface had all these layers of problems that followed the war) and performing the music and dances in a way that doesn't work against the actors and the way they portrayed their characters.

Greek Masks: Visibility and Projection

• Greek theatre is so linked with ritual and religion and religious beliefs (like asian theatre, korean, japanese)
• A lot of theatre was purely religious and ritualistic (myths and gods)
• Incredible stories trying to explain life and the nature of life
• Aristotle 4th century BC (some suggest he was the origin of greek theatre)
• Humans are instinctively imitative
• First definitive information about theatre from Greece
• Greek theatre was only in connection with festivals (Dionysus - understanding or cycle and irrational forces. Also recognises mans' passions)
• believed that if they failed to worship nature there would be disasters
• Dithyrambs - showed honour of the Gods - out of these is where drama emerged
• First definitive drama from Greece 435 BC - contest Thespis (first actor/won a contest) (introduced one actor to speak back to another actor) (introduction of mask) (chorus unifying force)
• 5 writers that were the key play writes of the plays that exist (see sheet
• All these plays were from this one time period
• Escalus - earliest dramatist, persians, introduced the second actors (meaning you could have face to face conflict), chorus was still a dominant force
• Oresteia (one of the great examples of dramatic literature) (deals with the concept of justice)
• Sophocles - one of the greatest dramatists, Antigone (greeks believed spirits kept wandering the earth unless properly buried), also wrote a satire play, introduced the third character, very much concerned with human relationship,
• Euripides - one of the last great playwrights from Greece - reduced role of the chorus, mainly psychological, skeptical of 

Terms

• Chorogi - Patrons of the Chorus
• Chorogus - Person who was responsible for everything but the theatre itself and the actors (Medieval Theatre workers sponsored theatres), had to make sure that the playwright making 3 dramas and 3 comedies
• Chorogus
• Theatron - name of the theatre
• Scheme (scene house)
• Paraschenia - sidewings
• Paradoi - where the chorus comes in
• Ecciglema - platform to bring bead people out (people never die on stage)
• Deus ex machina - God Machine

Characteristics of the Greek actor - projection, visibility, dance, singing, versatility. Wear large tunics, stand on platform heels, motions were very stylised

• Mask might've been used as a projectophone
• Chorus would wear masks too
• Masks made from linen wood leather

Greek Chorus 

• Singing, dancing
• Engagement
• Actor in drama
• Express opinions/give advice
• Threaten to interfere with the play
• What's right/What wrong
• React to situations
• Add mood/colour/movement/spectacle
• Keep rhythm and speed and/or change it
• USE THE IDEA OF THE GREEK CHORUS

Elements of Tragedy

• Role of Fate - Fate triumphs everything. Rules everything

Naturalism - present reality in as convincing and natural way possible

Presents a bleak outlook on the world because he wrote it after WWII

Modernisation in the Love of Three Oranges

- Modernised language
- Use of technology(cell phones, lightning, tv, etc.)
- Jokes/References/Allusions to modern ideas/events/pop culture/ lifestyle (boxing, other sports, drugs, medicine, etc.)
- References and jokes to other cultures
- Some scenes have very specific directions (isn't very improvised)


Commedia Character video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_0TAXWt8hY

My own mask

- Earthy colours (brown, green, reds, etc.)
- "forest dweller"
- Birds nest hair?
- Body movement would be very low and close to the ground.
- Fantastical
-

A good mask must always be neutral: it's expression depends on your movements

Commedia Dell Arte: The Masks Of...

Rich part of Italian Culture: Mask is huge part of the culture
Whole idea of Mask is that when you wear a mask, everybody was on the same plain. (status didn't matter)
Helps you understand yourself better.
Character mask
- 16th Century
- Masters of improvisation - rooted in physical training
- One stock character per actor (archetypes) - elements of character that we can all relate to and universally understand
- Actors would improvise around scenarios embellish basic plot outline with physical routines know as LAZZI
- Virtuoso linguistic digressions (verbal riffs of standup comedians) - using sounds in ways that people recognise the meaning even gramalot
- A model for improvisatory and movement orientated performance
- Actor centered theatre (acrobatics, body training, improvisation, ensemble, stagin techniques)
- Street psychology
- Through comedy, we can glimpse tragedy (Charlie Chaplin)
- Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Marx brothers
- Le jeu of Lecoq

4 Principles

• Stillness 
• Awareness of your partners on stage
• Communication with the audience as individuals
• Ability to express feeling and thought through body

Characters

Pantalone - chicken - about suspicion, middle aged, rich, greedy, miserly, protective of money, paranoid about losing his possessions, vain, old man wanting to hide his old age, a father who competes romantically with his son, husband deceived by a young wife, an overly protective father guarding his young daughter from suitors. Large nose (leads by his nose)

Dottore - pig - elderly gentleman, friend/rival of pantalone, originally a law professor, later a medical man lacking common sense, ancestor of absent minded professor, master of double talk and jargon, stutterer like priest in princess bride. Studies alot but understands nothing

Arlecchino/Harlequin(zanni) - monkey and cat - usually clever persuaders and schemers, excellent at ad libbing and acrobatics, clever pranksters, agile in mind and body, illiterate, source of conflict, opposite of pantalone (too hungry, too tired, not too smart) - Curiosity, mischievous  shapeshifter, disguises, never thinks about consequences, just acts.

Zanni - group of birds/penguins/fish - Proto clowns, pre verbal, like animals, always sleepy or hungry, do things/play off each other in a group, servants, not very intellectual, scheme for their masters, emotional reactions, emotionally driven

Innamorati/Innamoratae - Oratio and Isabella - less creature like/more human like - Beautifully dressed young lovers, speak a refined language, no mask/leads with chest, parody of ballet, use breath and points of lightness, elegant, high status but the status is brought low by their obsession with each other, vain (mirrors), well read, spoilt, drama queen, selfish

Scapino (Zanni) - rascally, always running away, gets confused about everything, fall in love just for the fun of it, never gets deeply involved, schemes against old men, driven by the moment

Capitano - Peacock, bloodhound, mastiff - Boastful, cowardly spaniard who brags of battles never fought and romances never experiences, braggart, bullheaded, not smart, kinda afraid of women, brags a lot

Pulcinella (zanni) - hump backed, doltish male character, dorky, awkward, violant, powerful figure in the sense that he'll use violence to get his way, imporsonates animals in inanimate objects, clever pretending to be stupid, likes to quaral, sees everything in his own image

Pedrolino (zanni) - simple, awkward male character, effeminate, tense, ocd, excitable/devil wears prada Stanley Tucci, cuckolded, dreamed, worries about his dress, tragic, simple minded, butt of jokes, doesn't seem to have any feelings but invents his feelings when he's alone, loner, faithful to his master, always tired

Scaramuccia - a moustached servant, sometimes clever, sometimes cruel, very expressive with face and body

Senora - no mask - bossy, bawdy, offers hersul in exchange for money/high status, vain, proud, goes after men, forever 29 years old, "cougar"

Brighella (zanni) - cunning, corrupt, leads by fear, uses weaknesses against you, boss of zanni

Fontesca/Columbina/Clarice - fox - serving maid, clever, high spirited flirt, often moving, clever, high spirited, flirtatious, the maid, often to the innamoratae, often corresponded with arlecchino, ballet like movement

- Zanni - comedic/clown like characters - They do "Lazzi" which are comedic interludes (popular mid 1500s). Different kindas of lazzi (food, sex, sleep, social class rebellion, stupidity, trickery etc.), zany ones
- Lazzi - conversations, little comic interludes, moments of humor grabbed between scenes/during scenes, stage tricks, Comic stage business, Comic routines, planned of unplanned, that could be performed in any play

Working with the mask
- cheat up with mask/face/ head. Keep head up
- Use the physical characteristics of your mask
- Make the mask come alive
- Don't touch the mask
- Don't be subtle

x

BTB: Arts Education in School

The article that we had to read was, by far, incredible. I really did feel like the author of  it knew exactly what he was talking about, and it is a topic that he is passionate about

- philosophers and art
tbc