Noh Perfomance

I really think that one of the many elements of Noh theatre is that of the openness of the stage and how it should not allow any separation of the actors and the audience unlike western stages which take advantage of the use of a curtain. The Noh play should last long as well as frees the surrounding emotions of the actors with the mask while freeing the sense of time of the audience through its nonpulsatile music. It should also consist of a group of musicians at all times playing along as the actors use their art of walking to guide the storyline. The instruments definetly should include the taiko, the o-tsuzumi drum, the ko-tsuzumi drum and the nohkan transverse bamboo flute. I think these instruments truly define the Noh performance. The mask is a crucial element in Noh theatre as well because skilled actors can use one expression that is imprinted on the mask to create a copious amount of more expressions and emotions to communicate with the audience and tell the storyline. The Noh chanting during these plays is also one of the most pivotal elements. One is called kotoba which is free speech and fushi which is song like. I think this Noh performance has both and the vocals are rather heavy, loud, and quite passionate.