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6a: Costumes,
make-up and form in Kabuki acting II: aragoto male roles
a) Review Brazell, “Elements of Performance” [TJT, 308-313]; see also “Four Figures of the Thundergod” [TJT, 39-43]
b) Saint Narukami [TJT 68-94], Japanese
Reading Questions for Saint Narukami
1. What appears to be the attitude toward Buddhism as expressed in this play?
How is Narukami, as an Esoteric Buddhist priest, portrayed? The low-ranking acolytes,
Black Cloud and White Cloud? Compare these Kabuki portrayals with the priests
and lower-ranking servants in Noh and Kyôgen plays.
2. According to this play, how are dragon and thunder gods related to rain?
How are they controlled?
3. Consider the similarities and differences with Thunderbolt (Kaminari), Kamo, and Narukami, which all depict a thunder god. How are
they each portrayed by means of costume, mask/makeup, movement? How is the thunderstorm
that occurs in each play conveyed visually and through sound? Why do you think they are portrayed so differently in each theatrical form?
Week 6B Shôsagoto Dance Plays and More on Onnagata
a. review noh Dôjôji [TJT 193-206], Japanese
b. The Maiden at
Dôjôji (Musume Dôjôji) [TJT 506-24], Japanese
Reading Questions for The Maiden at Dojoji, a “dance play” (shôsagoto)
version of the Noh Dôjôji story.
1. Consider how "women" are represented by
the different dances/moods/poetry of the Kabuki version of A Maiden at Dôjôji.
What different kinds of women are portrayed here?
2. Looking at the images in
the book and on the website, how does the Kabuki version transform the stage
setting of the Noh play?
3. What
remains of the woman's obsession with the bell, and desire for revenge found
in the Noh version of the story?
How are priests and religion portrayed in the Kabuki version?
Week 6 Discussion question:
Consider the similarities and differences between the Noh play Kamo (TJT pp. 44-60), the Kyogen play Thunderbolt (Kaminari) (TJT pp. 61-67, and the Kabuki play Narukami (TJT, pp. 68-94) which all depict a thunder god. How are
they each portrayed by means of costume, mask/makeup, movement? How is the thunderstorm
that occurs in each play conveyed visually and through sound? Why do you think they are portrayed so differently in each theatrical form (consider the historical context and goal for each theatrical form)?
For images, see TJT and here: Kamo, Thunderbolt, Narukami.
If you want to know more about thunder deities in Japan, click here and scroll down to "Gods of Wind and Thunder" (several articles).
And for more info on the Kamo Shrines depicted in Kamo, click here.