Don't Say Noh to Noh Plays

I, too, was puzzled and intrigued as we watched the Noh play in class on Monday. However, this experience did remind me of these plays' connection with Zen Buddhism. It is important for us to remember that one of Buddhism's key teachings is that only through the limitation of the emotions and self-control over pleasure can one reach enlightenment. This is why many Asian Buddhist cultures have such amazing craftsmanship ability; their worship involves self-discipline-a self-discipline that will produce excellence and ultimately harmony with the universe.

Zen Buddhism also emphasizes meditation as part of religious practice, and many Buddhist rituals are intended to evoke altered states of consciousness in the participants. Maybe that is the best way to view these plays. They are not necessarily intended to be representational of actual events or characters, although that may be part of it, but they are intended to evoke a new or heightened way of perception. Western minds have a hard time grasping this idea, because we are mostly unaware of when our consciousness is altered, but even in the West, we begin to grasp such ideas through yoga and similar practices.

So, let's be open-minded about the Noh plays, because they require an open mind in order to enlighten us.

Confusion

Okay I really had no idea what was going on in this play and I'm so glad I wasn't the only one. But I don’t think it was the translation I just couldn’t get the story line. I've just one question, was the movie suppose to help clear things up? At all? Because for me if it wasn't for the subtitles and the overview by Amy I would not have been able to partially keep up. I can understand the actors wanting to symbolize important parts of the play but I never got how the princess was in a jealous frenzy, until I was told about it. First of all she was just standing there, Second even if she were walking slowly maybe a bit more gesture would have helped, just a little, she was so still. However I do think that the rhythmic walking was cool, and because the music was so repetitive it must have helped out with staying in step. Crossing the bridge was suppose to indicate distance right or was it the walking very slowly and sedately the way how?


I read Meredith's post and some of the same questions she asked I thought up myself, but the main one that kept recurring to me was what happened to the sick princess/lady Aoi? The entire play was about the princess and her jealousy, what about the person who was affected by it. Did she die? Get better, become an invalid, did she get better and try to get revenge on Rokujo? What happened to this woman, it seems like she was a driving figure in the plot considering she was the cause of the princess's jealousy.

This is my first time actually reading The Colored Museum. Before the reading, I had only seen parts of episodes of the play from the made-for-tv version. I am really moved by the beginning episode entitled, "Git on Board" simply because the playwright invites the audience to become active spectators. The play gives voice to the stories that may have been heard but not given attention to. I believe this play is timeless and makes a statement to the audience,"We are here. This is our history, and you will know it.

Alright, I know that I sound like the total dunce in the class but Aoi No Uye was so confusing to me. It was short and sweet but I when I was done I just found myself confused. I wasn't completely sure who was who and if the princess ever was cured...or if she had died and if she was the ghost. I was completely lost.

I'm curious about how much the translation is to blame for my confusion. If you all recall, I was also completely oblivious when we read The Trojan Women, which was also a translation. This seems to be a common theme with me. I'd be interested in knowing how everyone else overcomes this or if I'm the only one that is having a consistent problem.

Episodic Theatre

In reading The Colored Museum, I am forced to reconsider a preconception that I've held regarding what I consider strong theatre. I've always been a bit prejudiced (maybe the wrong term to use in discussion of this play) against episodic theatre - I don't like Spoon River, or Galileo because these plays are basically chopped up into little vignettes. I prefer one story, even if it's complicated, to a series of chopped up events.

I am, however, beginning to see the value of this type of theatre. It certainly has a long history; one might even argue that The Trojan Woman is episodic theatre. I think that this style is especially useful to the playwright trying to make an activist point. Often, when we as playwrights get into a storyline, we lose our way in regard to overall theme. In those cases, and often powerfully, the story resonates more than the point we are trying to make. If, however, we desire to use theatre as a tool for social or cultural change, it might be important to simply craft smaller scenes that offer less complication and confusion to the viewer regarding our driving point.

The Colored Museum

The colored museum, I really don't know what to say. I think it was said in class that this play is realism but I'm not so sure. Time Warps, Cooking up black people in a pot and a girl laying eggs doesn't seem realistic to me. Anyway I think that this is a very interesting play, although it's a little crazy. And since I'm doing a visual response to this it made me think just how I would direct something like this. I've never actually wanted to direct any play but the colored museum just sparked my interest. To begin with I would consider the costumes, specifically Miss Roi's and Miss Pat's. For Miss Pat I don't know exactly what kind of stewardess costume I would choose. Should I go more modern with it? My version of the play dictates that she's in a mini skirt ensemble. This seems to me like a modern type of outfit. Not one that but it has to be pink. So should I follow directions or just go my own way completely. And then there's Miss Roi. I see a lot of flamboyant colors when I think of this character. And a feather boa around his neck or something. Or perhaps I should add a whole lot of jewelry. Necklaces and such. Lots of makeup and I don't know that's as far as I can see.
Putting this thing on stage, I don't know I can see like all of the exhibits lined up upstage and as it's each ones turn the occupants can step forward and do their parts. And step back to their places once they're finished. But that leads to a problem of props. If I did it this way then there would be a minimum of objects that I would use.
This play is fun to speculate on how it should be produced; now the only question is, to follow stage directions or not to follow stage directions.

Towards the end of class on Monday, one of the questions that was posed was "Do you think the play ends where it ends or can their be another story to be told after the Younger family packs up and leaves?" Some felt that once the play is over, it is over, that the drama happens within the play, for that given time of the performance, end of story. I happened to differ on the subject. I feel that when the Younger family packed up to move, the drama would be able to continue even after the play ended. The play did not end for me because I was left thinking, "What is to happen after this family moves to this particular neighborhood, especially during the time period they live in?"I believe that plays, like this one, are meant to stir up questions and encourage people to think about the society in which they live. A Raisin in the Sun does just that, even though the Younger family was not seeking to be leaders of the civil rights movement, they, in their own way, served as examples of how advancement in one's life can be made possible, no matter what race you are.