EA 120 Examples of Final Exam Questions

BRING A BLUEBOOK! You may write notes (short definitions, examples, etc. ) on the inside covers of the bluebook ahead of time and bring it with you to the test. NOTES MUST BE HANDWRITTEN ON THE BLUEBOOK USED FOR THE EXAM.

NOTE: I will provide you with a list of the names of the plays and the names of characters.

Bunraku and Kabuki:

Plays: Love Suicides at Amijima, Saint Narukami, Maiden at Dôjôji, "Suma Bay" act from The Battle of Ichinotani, “At the Farmhouse” and "Ichiriki Brothel Scene" from Treasure of Loyal Retainers (Chushingura), Yotsuya Ghost Stories (Yotsuya Kaidan)

Author Names: Chikamatsu Monzaemon, Tsuruya Nanboku

Actor Names: Bando Tamasaburo (onnagata); Ichikawa Danjuro and Ichikawa Ebizo

Possible Questions

1. Define jidai mono, sewa mono, and kizewamono and give an example of each. Alternate question: Is Love Suicides at Amijima (or Battle of Ichinotani, or Yotsuya Ghost Stories) an example of jidai mono, sewa mono or kizewamono? Explain why.

2. What kind of acting would be used by Jihei in Love Suicides at Amijima: wagoto, aragoto or iroaku? Explain why.

3. Define kumadori (or mie or hikinuki or bukkaeri etc.). How is it used to convey character/character transformation in Kabuki? Be able to recognize examples in images from plays we've studied (eg. Saint Narukami and Maiden at Dôjôji). Compare how kumadori makeup conveys character versus masks in Noh or Kyogen.

4. Pick ONE play (Love Suicides at Amijima OR the Treasury of Loyal Retainers Acts 6 and 7 (“At the Farmhouse) and "Ichiriki Brothel Scene") OR Battle of Ichinotani acts 1 and 2 (“Suma Bay" and “Kumagai’s Camp”) and explain how it exemplifies the conflict between “giri”(duty) and “ninjo” (human emotion).

5. Compare Yotsuya Ghost Stories and Treasury of the Loyal Retainers (Chushingura). How does each deal with the values of Neo-Confucianism and Bushido (the Way of the Samurai), including the ideal of a righteous vendetta? An alternate question might be to compare the women in each of these stories (Okaru in Ichiriki Brothel Scene and Oiwa in Yotsuya Ghost Stories).

6. Discuss how the Atsumori story is transformed from the original story from the Tale of the Heike to Noh Atsumori and then to Kabuki in Battle of Ichinotani (acts 1 and 2). What are the main changes in the plot? How might these changes reflect changing ideology and audience (Buddhism versus Neo-Confucianism, elite patronage versus popular merchant audience etc.).

Modern Theater (Shimpa, Butoh and Post-Shingeki Theater):

Plays: Demon Pond (Yashagaike), The Water Station (Mizu no eki)

Names: Osanai Kaoru, Izumi Kyoka, Suzuki Tadashi, Ota Shogo, Ninagawa Yukio, Hijikata Tatsumi, Ohno Kazuo, Neo-Kabuki troop Hanagumi Shibai, film directors Shinoda Masahiro (1979 Demon Pond), Miike Takashi (2005 Demon Pond)

1. Define terms: Shimpa, Shingeki, Post-Shingeki, Butoh

2. Define terms: ganimata, beshimi, shômen engi (frontal staging), etc. Be able to recognize examples of these in images from the course (eg. an example of ganimata performed by a Butoh actor, or the Suzuki stamping excercise).

3. List three ways that Suzuki Tadashi (OR Ninagawa Yukio OR Ota Shogo OR Hijikata Tatsumi and Butoh) has used traditional Japanese theater and dance techniques in developing their actor training techniques and staging of plays or dance productions.

4. How does Izumi Kyoka’s plot of The Demon Pond (Yashagaike) incorporate elements of previous plays about serpents (eg. the Noh Dojoji, and the Kabuki Maiden at Dojoji (Musume Dojoji) and Saint Narukami? What elements of traditional theater (staging, costumes and makeup, acting, etc.) did Shinoda Mashiro (director) and Bando Tamasaburo (playing Yuri and Yuki) include in the 1979 movie version of Demon Pond ? In Hanagumi Shibai's Neo-Kabuki 1991 performance? (This might also be a comparison question of different versions with images.) How would you stage this play?

5. What role has politics played in the formation of the major forms of modern Japanese theater? Be as specific as you can.

Images
I'll give you images from all the theatrical forms we've seen in class so far, and ask you to identify the form (noh, kyogen, kabuki, bunraku, butoh etc.) and as much about the character as you can. If the image is of a technique, I'll ask you to give me as much information about it as possible. I'll also give you at least one image you have not seen in class, and ask you to tell me as much as you can about the character being represented, based on the mask/makeup, costume, props etc.