Physical Stage & Costumes
Scenery:
- Noh is performed on a square stage with a roof that is supported by the four corners by pillars. All sides of the stage are open except for the
back, which consists of a wall with a painted image of a pine tree. A
bridge runs at an angle off the stage for performers to enter
the stage. It was once performed only outside, but modern plays are held inside.
A typical Noh stage
Costumes:
- Costumes consist of multiple layers and textures that create an effect
of resplendent elegance but also a bulky, massive figure. Expressiveness
is enhanced by props, most notably a folding fan. Closed, partly closed
or open, the fan may represent any object as suggested by its shape and
handling, for example a dagger or a lantern.
- For costumes, the Waki enters dressed as a priest. The Shite and his companions are dressed as "humble grass cutters", each having a bamboo pole with grass attached to the end. Atsumori's costume, which the Shite changes into for act 2, is described as a warrior. It is only described as having long/big sleeves, because there's a stage direction that says he "flips his sleeve over his left arm." The Shite and the Chorus have some kind of fans that they wave around for dramatic effect, which is the only prop listed.
An example of Atsumori's costume
- One key element of noh is masks. They tell
the audience what kind of character is being portrayed. Frequently used
masks represent demons and spirits, as well as women and men of various
ages. The masks are carved from blocks of Japanese cypress. Their three
dimensional properties allow skilled actors to induce a variety of
expressions with changes in head orientation.
- In Atsumori specifically, the Shite is listed as at first not having a mask at all to play a grass cutter, but in the second act dons a mask of the ghost of Atsumori. The Kyogen plays a regular man with no specifics for the mask, the Waki plays the man who killed Atsumori in battle, again, with no mask specifics given. There isn't a description in the script of what any of these masks are meant to look like, and there are no other mask specifics given for the chorus, companions, musicians, or attendants.
Time Period:
- Atsumori is period-accurate in terms of what the script and stage directions call for. The costumes are elaborately decorated and move gracefully onstage. Each principal character has a mask and they follow the conventions set in our "Characters" section.