Traditional Japanese Theater

Traditional Japanese Theater

Author: Karen Brazell

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 580

ISBN-13: 9780231108737

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The first book of its kind: a collection of the most important genres of Japanese performance--noh, kyogen, kabuki, and puppet theater--in one comprehensive, authoritative volume.


A History of Japanese Theatre

A History of Japanese Theatre

Author: Jonah Salz

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2016-07-14

Total Pages: 1066

ISBN-13: 1316395324

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Japan boasts one of the world's oldest, most vibrant and most influential performance traditions. This accessible and complete history provides a comprehensive overview of Japanese theatre and its continuing global influence. Written by eminent international scholars, it spans the full range of dance-theatre genres over the past fifteen hundred years, including noh theatre, bunraku puppet theatre, kabuki theatre, shingeki modern theatre, rakugo storytelling, vanguard butoh dance and media experimentation. The first part addresses traditional genres, their historical trajectories and performance conventions. Part II covers the spectrum of new genres since Meiji (1868–), and Parts III to VI provide discussions of playwriting, architecture, Shakespeare, and interculturalism, situating Japanese elements within their global theatrical context. Beautifully illustrated with photographs and prints, this history features interviews with key modern directors, an overview of historical scholarship in English and Japanese, and a timeline. A further reading list covers a range of multimedia resources to encourage further explorations.


The Japanese Theatre

The Japanese Theatre

Author: Benito Ortolani

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 1995-03-09

Total Pages: 432

ISBN-13: 9780691043333

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From ancient ritualistic practices to modern dance theatre, this study provides concise summaries of all major theatrical art forms in Japan. It situates each genre in its particular social and cultural contexts, describing in detail staging, costumes, repertory and noteworthy actors.


Japanese Theatre

Japanese Theatre

Author: Faubion Bowers

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Published: 2013-01-08

Total Pages: 339

ISBN-13: 1462912184

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Japanese Theatre presents a full historical account for Westerners of the theater arts that have flourished for centuries in Japan. Kabuki, arising in the late seventeenth century, is the theater of the commoner. The successive syllables of Kabuki mean "song – dance – skill." The precursors of Kabuki were the puppet theater and the comic interludes in the stately, aristocratic Noh drama – all fully described by the author. In the modem era the Japanese have broken away from Kabuki, and their stage has shown a realistic trend. Left–wing theater groups arose in the 1920’s, were suppressed by the militarists, and then revived during the occupation. Appended to the historical chapters are Mr. Bowers's translations of three Kabuki plays: The Monstrous Spider, Gappo and His Daughter Tsuji, and the bombastic Sukeroku. This book, with its many excellent photographs, is a permanent addition to the West's knowledge of the exotic, exciting theater of Japan and its tradition of great acting.


Modern Japanese Theatre and Performance

Modern Japanese Theatre and Performance

Author: David Jortner

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9780739123003

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Modern Japanese Theatre and Performance is a collection of sixteen essays on Japanese theatre, including historical overviews of twentieth century theatre, analyses of specific productions and individuals, and consideration of the intercultural nature of modern Japanese theatre. Also included is a new translation of a 'Superkyogen' play.


Japanese Plays

Japanese Plays

Author: A.L. Sadler

Publisher: Tuttle Classics

Published: 2010-03-10

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13:

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Classic Noh, Kyogen and Kabuki Works Nothing reflects the beauty of life as much as Japanese theater. It is here that reality is held suspended and emptiness can fill the mind with words, music, dance, and mysticism. A.L. Sadler translates the mysteries of Noh, Kyogen, and Kabuki in his groundbreaking book, Japanese Plays. A seminal classic in its time, it provides a cross-section of Japanese theater that gives the reader a sampler of its beauty and power. The power of Noh is in its ability to create an iconic world that represents the attributes that the Japanese hold in highest esteem: family, patriotism, and honor. Kyogen plays provide comic relief often times performed between the serious and stoic Noh plays. Similarly, Sadler's translated Kyogen pieces are layered between the Noh and the Kabuki plays. The Kabuki plays were the theater of the common people of Japan. The course of time has given them the patina of folk art making them precious cultural relics of Japan. Sadler selected these pieces for translation because of their lighter subject matter and relatively upbeat endings—ideal for a western readership. More linear in their telling and pedestrian in the lessons learned these plays show the difficulties of being in love when a society is bent on conformity and paternal rule. The end result found in Japanese Plays is a wonderful selection of classic Japanese dramatic literature sure to enlighten and delight.


N? ; And, Bunraku

N? ; And, Bunraku

Author: Donald Keene

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 9780231074193

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Donald Keene combines informative works on two forms of classical Japanese theater into a single volume. The No text looks at all aspects of this traditional theater form including its history, its stage and props, the use of music and dance in its performances, the plays as literature, and the aesthetics of No. Also discussed are Kyogen, the comic farces that are typically interspersed with the solemn No dramas.


Onnagata

Onnagata

Author: Maki Isaka

Publisher: University of Washington Press

Published: 2016-01-01

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 0295806249

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Kabuki is well known for its exaggerated acting, flamboyant costumes and makeup, and unnatural storylines. The onnagata, usually male actors who perform the roles of women, have been an important aspect of kabuki since its beginnings in the 17th century. In a “labyrinth” of gendering, the practice of men playing women’s roles has affected the manifestations of femininity in Japanese society. In this case study of how gender has been defined and redefined through the centuries, Maki Isaka examines how the onnagata’s theatrical gender “impersonation” has shaped the concept and mechanisms of femininity and gender construction in Japan. The implications of the study go well beyond disciplinary and geographic cloisters.


The Kabuki Theatre

The Kabuki Theatre

Author: Earle Ernst

Publisher: University of Hawaii Press

Published: 1974-01-01

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 9780824803193

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Studies the production and psychology of this Japanese drama form and compares its techniques with those of the Western theater


A Guide to the Japanese Stage

A Guide to the Japanese Stage

Author: Ronald Cavaye

Publisher: Kodansha

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 9784770029874

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Japan has a wide range of unique, highly refined performing arts that haveeveloped over centuries. This guide provides a brief history andntroduction to the features of each genre, together with recommendations oflays that are accessible to non-Japanese audiences. Brief synopses arerovided to approximately fifty selected plays, and well-known popularompanies, actors, writers, and directors are introduced. The text is widelyllustrated, and includes information about theatre listings, how to getickets, and which plays are available on DVD. It will be invaluable fornyone planning a visit to Japan and keen to experience its theatre firsthand,s well as providing additional insights for students of Japanese theatrend literature.