KYOGEN AND bUNRAKU
Traditional Japanese Theatre
Kyogen is a genre of Japanese Theatre that developed alongside Noh as a more lighthearted, comic style of performance. Kyogen is performed by actors either wearing masks, as in Noh, or bare faced to allow for more extravagant expressions.
Kyogen and Noh are performed together, usually with a Kyogen piece done between two Noh pieces, to bring some levity to the theatre. The pairing of Kyogen and Noh is referred to as Nogaku.
Kyogen actors are often less respected than the other members of Nogaku performance, including the chorus and musicians in Noh drama. That being said, Kyogen is still widely enjoyed in Japan and in world tours.
The Nogaku stage consists of an elevated, square platform with pillars at each corner to hold up a peaked roof. The platform is connected to the "backstage" area by means of a long, open walking path, with railings on each side and a colored curtain called the agemaku that raises and lowers to allow performers to enter from the green room, or kagami no ma, the mirror room, where Noh performers prepare for their performances. There is a space against the upstage wall, which is painted with an ancient pine tree, for the musicians to sit, and a porch-like area stage left for the chorus of chanters to sit.
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