Training of Noh Actors and the Dove

97 Pages·1998·4.229 MB·English

by  David Griffiths

THE TRAINING OF
NOHACTORS
AND
THE DOVE
Mask: ARelease of Acting Resources
Aseries of books written and illustrated by David Griffiths
Volume 1
Acting through Mask
Written and illustrated by David Griffiths
Volume 2
The Training of Noh Actors and The Dove
Written and illustrated by David Griffiths
Volume 3
The Italian Commedia and Please Be Gentle
Written and illustrated by David Griffiths
Volume 4
The Masquerades of Nigeria and Touch
Written and illustrated by David Griffiths
This book is part of aseries. The publisher will accept continuation orders which
may be cancelled at any time and whieha utomatief or automatie billing and shipping
of each title in the series upon publication. Please write for details.
THE TRAINING OF
NOHACTORS
AND
THE DOVE
Written and illustrated
by
David Griffiths
First published 1998 by Routledge
Published 2013 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OXI4 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint ofthe Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 1998 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) Amsterdam BV. Published
under license under the Harwood Academic Publishers imprint, part of Routledge.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any informa
tion storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Griffiths, David
The training of noh actors; and, The dove. - (Mask: arelease of
acting resources; v. 2)
1. No 2. Acting 3. Masques 4. English drama - 20th century
I. Title 11. The dove
792'.028
ISBN 978-3-718-65716-2 (pbk)
Applications for permission to perform The Dove should be addressed to David
Griffiths, Quaker Cottage, Quakers Lane, Rawdon, Leeds, LS19 6HU, England.
Cover illustrations by David Griffiths.
I dedicate this book to 1ny late parents Jack and Doris,
who initiated and inspired the opportunity,
and to Vicky who supported me unselfishly throughout the per iod of
research and writing, and shared the joy of its completion.
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CONTENTS
Introduction to the Series ix
Acknowledgelnen ts Xl
List of Illustrations xiii
Introd uction 1
Chapter 1
ABrief History of N oh 3
Kan'ami and Zeami to the Present Day 3
The Origins of the Noh Stage 5
The Noh Stage and its Occupants 8
The Constituent Parts of a Noh Play 13
The Kyogen 16
The Noh Mask: Design and Use 19
Costume 19
Chapter 2
The Training of the N oh Actor 31
Chapter 3
An Evaluation of the Treatises of Zeami 49
Introductory notes to rhe Dove 59
rhe Dove 61
Index 81
vii
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INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES
Mask: ARelease of Acting Resources is a fully illustrated four-volume series,
which ex amines the effect of mask in performance.
This series reflects my practical work and draws upon my research into
the secret world of the Noh of Japan and the Masquerade of Nigeria the
l
comic style of the Commedia Dell' Arte and the training of actors through
mask in Britain.
The series also includes my three written masked plays called The Dove,
Please Gentle and Touch, which transform and test the results of my
experiments into theatrical practicality.
Da vid Griffiths
ix