These are selected definitions for the theatrical terms relevant to the SPIA educational archive.
The Alexander Technique is a discipline of alternative medicine, often used by theater artists, musicians and dancers to improve their performances. The technique focuses on gaining control over the muscles involved in the relationship between the head, neck, and spine with the goal of improving posture and developing freer and more natural movements and voice. An example of its use in theater: actors habitually enter a "startle pattern," by tilting their head backwards and downwards, causing them to lose the strength of their voice, or actually lose their voice. The Alexander technique allows them to unlearn these habitual muscle reactions and gain more precise control over the systems important for voice projection in the theater.
Beijing Opera (Peking opera, Jingju)
Beijing opera is a traditional type of Chinese Theater that uses speech, song, dance, and combat, such as The Contemporary Legend Theatre's production Revenge of the Prince, an interpretation of Hamlet from 1990. The movements are not realistic, but rather, suggestive, with emphasis on the grace and beauty of the movement. The four main roles of the opera are the sheng, the main male role, the dan, which is any female role, the jing, a painted-face male role, and the chou, a painted-face male clown role. The jing and chou roles are both very difficult because of the painted faces, requiring the actors to have strong voices and to exaggerate their movements.
Yanzhi hu yu shizi gou (Rouge Tiger & Lion Dog), Taming of the Shrew, 2002/2003, dir. Chuanxing Zhong
Biwa (Japanese instrument)
The Biwa is a Japanese teardrop lute, similar to the lute and the oud, with a short neck and frets. There are seven main types of Biwa, each distinguished by the number of strings, sound produced, and use. The Gaku biwa was used for court music, Mōsō biwa was used by Buddhist monks, the Heike biwa had four strings and five frets and was originally used by traveling minstrels known as hoshu biwa, reciting the epic poem the Heike, and Chikusen biwa is the modern, common version of the biwa. The Biwa is not a tempered instrument, so pitches are approximated to the nearest note.
Bunraku (Ningyo Joruri)
Bunraku is traditional Japanese puppet theater, with puppets ranging from 2.5' to 4' tall, depending on the age and gender of the puppet. The puppets seen in the Ryutopia 2007 production of Hamlet, especially in the Dual scene with puppets are essentially life-sized. Almost all of the puppets require 3 puppeteers, one for the right hand, one for the left hand, and one for the legs and feet. Bunraku and kabuki share similar themes, and often plays are adapted for performance by both puppet troupes and human troupes, although Bunraku is famous for its lovers' suicide plays.
There are three different roles in Bunraku:
1. The Ningyōtsukai, or Ningyōzukai, are the puppeteers.
2. The Tayu are the chanters - usually one chanter recites the parts for all of the puppets, changing intonation for different puppets.
3. The Shamisen are the instrumentalists.
"Madness", Hamlet, 2007, Ryutopia Noh-theater Shakespeare, dir. Yoshihiro Kurita
"Dual scene with puppets", Hamlet, 2007, Ryutopia Noh-theater Shakespeare, Yoshihiro Kurita
Butoh (Japanese Dance)
Butoh is a type of modern Japanese dance that came into existence after World War II, in conjunction with the Japanese student riots. The inventors of Butoh, returning to Japan after studying modern dance in Germany, sought a new form of expression through movement that maintained a cultural connection to Japan rather than copying the western techniques. The first Butoh performances were provocative, and wild, causing the style and performers to be banned.
Butoh performers commonly wear white body makeup and use slow, hyper-controlled motions. The idea behind butoh is to allow the body to express itself much more naturally than traditional Japanese dance, to reenact the movements of the common people rather than those of trained dancers. By distorting the face and body, the performer frees him/herself from the socially acceptable forms of expression and instead allows the body to move in an organic, natural way.
Crosstalk (Xiangsheng, Chinese drama form)
Crosstalk is a comedic monologue, dialogue, or multiplayer sketch that uses puns, allusions, and quick, playful banter. An English example of crosstalk is Abbott and Costello's "Who's On First?" sketch. Crosstalk is considered the second most popular form of social commentary in China, and the small teahouse performances are being revived after decades of performances in large performing arts centers.
Distancing effect (Brechtian Verfremdungseffekt)
The distancing effect is a technique used in theater and cinema that prevents the audience from losing itself completely in the narrative, instead making it a conscious critical observer. The actor accomplishes this by directly addressing the audience, barring them from feeling empathy (film), interrupting the narrative (cinema), or drawing attention to the filmmaking or theatrical process. Several clips from the library demonstrate this technique, including the Tainaner Ensemble’s 2005 production of Hamlet Unplugged.
"Ramparts", Hamlet Unplugged, 2005, Tainaner Ensemble, dir. Boshen Lu
"The Fool explores his role", Lear is Here, 2001, Contemporary Legend Theatre Company, dir. Hsing-kuo Wu
Gamelan (Indonesian instrumental ensemble)
Gamelan is an instrumental ensemble including metallophones, xylophones, drums gongs, bamboo flutes, and plucked strings. In Indonesia, gamelan usually accompanies dance wayang puppet performances, such as the 3.14 Company’s 2001 Wayang Tempest production, rituals, or ceremonies. There are several different tuning systems associated with Gamelan, and each orchestra may include instruments tuned in several different systems. The music is improvised and tonal, featuring complex harmonies and rhythms.
Wayang Tempest, The Tempest, 2001, 3.14 Company, dir. Roger Jenkins
Hanamichi (Kabuki stage design)
The hanamichi is a long, raised stage that runs through the audience from the back of the theater to the stage in Japanese theater. Located to the left of center, it is used for character's entrances and exits. Dramatic moments, such as exiting actors' final words, or entering actors' initial addresses to the audience occur on the Hanamichi, 7/10 of the way to the stage, at a spot known as the shichisan. The Hanamichi makes the theatrical experience much more intimate than other traditional forms of theater because it puts the actors and some of the action in the midst of the audience.
The hoshu biwa are the Japanese traveling performers, called "lute priests", who earned a living by reciting epic war poems and playing the biwa as accompaniment. They were often blind, shaved their heads, and wore the robes of Buddhist monks. There are repeated images and motifs to the poems because the biwa hoshi used certain formulas to try to remember all of the stories.
Hua Ju (Chinese drama form)
Hua Ju is the Western style of theater that became popular in China during the early 20th Century. The original works performed were adaptations of western works, but since Hua Ju was performed in the local language, it was understood by the commoners. It became an important political tool, especially during War of Resistance against Japan (1937–45), when troops were sent across the country to spread propaganda. It was used again later to spread ideas supporting the Chinese Communist Party.
Kabuki is a form of modern, stylized Japanese theater that includes singing and dancing. Originally women were the only actors, playing both male and female roles, but as the performers began gaining the wrong kind of attention, young male actors called wakashu took over the roles.
There are 3 main types of Kabuki plays:
1.Jidai-mono tells of a historical moment in Japanese history, but during times of censorship was also used to discreetly comment on current events.
2. Sewa-mono is a domestic story, focusing more on commoners such as villagers and townspeople, that tells of family and romantic drama. The most famous of these are the lovers'-suicide plays, based off of Bunraku stories.
3. Shosagoto is a dance piece.
The full length plays usually have 5 distinct acts:
1. The jo is a slow opening which introduces the characters and plot.
2.,3.,4. In the ha, the events speed up, usually with a dramatic or tragic moment in the third act, and a battle in the second or fourth.
5. The kyu is a quick, satisfying conclusion.
Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, 2005, NHK, dir. Osome Hisamatsu
Othello, 1960, dir. Tsuneari Fukuda
Desdemona, Othello, 2008, dir. Yoshihiro Kurita
Lord of the Lies, Richard III, 2007, Shochuku Theatre, dir. Hidenori Inoue
The Tempest, 1994, dir. Hanagume Neo-Kabuki
Karakuri Ningyo (Japanese mechanical dolls)
Karakuri Ningyo is a mechanical puppet from Japan. One type of puppet, the Zashiki, is used to serve tea to guests during a tea party, rolling across the table, offering tea, and then returning to its original location with the empty cup. The Butai karakuri were used theaters, the Zashiki karakuri were smaller and played with in homes, while the Dashi karakuri were used in religious festivals during the reenactment of myths and legends, influencing noh, kabuki, and bunraku theater.
Khon (Thai dance)
Khon is a masked, stylized form of traditional Thai dance. The performers do not speak, but rather a chorus set to the side tells the story. The performances feature Ramakien, the national epic story of Thailand, and traditional costumes, including colored masks. The four main types of characters are males, females, monkeys, and demons with elaborate khon masks.
Kunqu (kunju or kun opera, form of Chinese opera)
Kunqu is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera and has greatly influenced the rest of Chinese theater. It combines drama, opera, ballet, poetry and music recital, as well as elements from earlier Chinese theater such as mime, farce, acrobatics, ballad recitals, and medleys. In Kunqu, spoken sections are broken up by traditional melody arias called qu-pai, with gestures coordinating with the music and percussion. A kunqu play takes several evenings to perform, such as SH Kunqu Opera’s 1986 production Story of the Bloody Hand , so a performance instead includes selected scenes from many different plays. Kunqu uses minimal props and scenery so that greater emphasis is put on the actors’ movements.
Story of the Bloody Hand, Macbeth, 1986, SH Kunqu Opera, dir. Zuolin Huang
Kyogen (Japanese theater form)
Kyogen is a form of traditional Japanese theater that developed as a sort of intermission and comic relief between the solemn noh acts. The kyogen is very short, so costumes, masks, and props are simple and minimal. There are usually only two or three roles, always played by male actors, of which Nomura Mansai is one of the most famous. He has also directed several productions, including a 2007 production of Richard III by the Suzuki Company of Toga. In kyogen the acting is exaggerated, featuring slapstick and satire, and although the performance is accompanied by the music of flute, drums, and gongs, the main emphasis is on the dialogue and action rather than the music or dance. (Ai-kyogen refers to noh interludes).
Kuni Nusubito (Country Stealer), Richard III, 2007, Suzuki Company of Toga, dir. Schoichiro Kawai and Mansai Nomura
The Braggart Samurai, The Merry Wives of Windsor, 1991, dir. Mansai Nomura
Nihon buyo (Japanese theater dance)
Nihon buyo is a Japanese dance, intended for the stage, which combines elements from many Japanese forms of dance. Nihon buyo uses the scenes of daily life and exaggerated, stylistic movement of kabuki, the circular movements of noh, the jumping and springing of Japanese folk art, and some of the creative, original ideas of modern Japanese dance.
Noh is a Japanese musical drama involving 4-5 characters that lasts for 30-120 minutes. The actors, typically male, never rehearse as a group before the performance, resulting in a very fluid type of theater. The main prop used is a fan, carried by all characters, although other small hand props are also seen from time to time. One of the most famous productions is the Ryutopia 2007 Hamlet, directed by Yoshihiro Kurita.
There are 4 main characters in Noh:
1. The Shite is the main character, generally the only character to wear a mask.
2. The Waki is the antagonist to the Shite.
3. The kyogen performs between the acts of the Noh.
4. The Hayishi plays 4 instruments, the transverse flute, hip drum, shoulder drum, and stick drum, as accompaniment for the Noh.
There are 5 main moods of Noh:
1. The Kami mono (or waki no) tells the mythic story of a shrine or praises a particular spirit, featuring the shite is a human in the first act and a deity in the second.
2.The Shura mono (or ashura no) is a warrior play with the shite as a ghost in the first act and a warrior re-enacting his death in the second.
3. The Katsura mono (or onna mono) depicts the shite as a female role, featuring refined song and dance.
4. The Kiri no (or ono mono) features the shite as a monster, goblin, or demon, featuring bright colors and fast-paced, tense finales.
5. There are a number of miscellaneous plays that don't fit into a category, with themes including madness and vengeful ghosts.
There are many different ways to categorize Noh performances. Here is another:
1. genzai no (realistic)
2. mugen no (fantasy)
"Dual scene with puppets", Hamlet, 2007, Ryutopia Noh-theatre Shakespeare, dir. Yoshihiro Kurita
"Desdemona’s spirit in final dance", Othello, 2005, Ku Na’uka Theatre Company, dir. Satoshi Miyagi
Randai (Indonesian folk theater form, uses silat)
Randai is folk theater that incorporates singing, dancing, acting, and silat, a martial art. It is usually performed as a part of ceremonies or festivities, and can span several nights. The performances occur in a theater-in-the-round setting to create a sort of equality between the audience and performers. The actors were originally all male, but women now have roles in modern performances.
Shingeki (Japanese "new theater")
Shingeki is a form of Japanese theater that developed in reaction to the set patterns of kabuki. The founding members, including several famous kabuki actors, wanted to recreate the way messages flowed between actors and audiences in the European theater. A faithful recreation of the western style of theater, the first works performed by Shingeki artists were Shakespearean plays and Japanese plays influenced by the Naturalism and Symbolism philosophies of the west. (first half of 1900s) Cherry Orchard was the first joint production of all major Shingeki companies, which occurred in 1945 and helped revitalize Japanese theater after WWII.
Sho-gekijo (Japanese "Little theater")
Sho-gekijo developed in reaction to the established modern theater in Japan, shingeki, during the era of student protests in the 1960s. Referred to as the “Underground Theater Movement,” sho-gekijo performances were informal, taking place in tents, on the street, and in theaters after the final movie of the day. The movement sought to free itself of the mainstream social codes and focused on dreams and fantasies versus the realistic portrayal of daily life of other theatrical forms. It was popular with the general population because it was more entertaining than enlightening, and did not require a high level of education to be enjoyed.
Silat (also Pencak Silat, Malaysian martial arts)
Silat is a martial art not only used for combat, but also as a folk dance when accompanied by traditional instruments. Silat began as a weapons style of combat to liberate the people from foreign authorities on the island before it evolved into the martial arts form that it is today. Pencak silat draws heavily on the animal heritage and weapons of the past, requiring intricate footwork, stability, and hand movements in a balance of offensive and defensive movements. Kicks are not used as much as in other forms of martial arts, and the athlete is always aware that it is better to have a weapon than be unarmed.
While the term Super Kabuki now refers to all kabuki performances that combine traditional movement with modern theater technology, ‘Super Kabuki’ is the most famous production of Yamato Takeru, produced by Ennosuke Ichikawa in 1985. The production featured sped-up traditional kabuki acting accompanied by a pre-recorded, modern music background, and also took advantage of the newest advances in stage art, costumes, sound effects, and lighting.
The Suzuki method of acting, developed by Tadashi Suzuki, is one of the most commonly taught acting methods in the United States. It has been taught at schools such as Julliard and Columbia and has been gaining popularity with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The Suzuki method works to build an actor’s awareness of his body, especially his center. The method uses exercises that are inspired by Greek theater and martial arts and require great amounts of energy and concentration. They result in the actor becoming more aware of his natural expressiveness and allow him to commit more fully to the physical and emotional requirements of acting.
Takarazuka Revue (Japanese all-female musical theater)
The Takarazuka Revue is an all-female musical theater that features ornate Broadway-style shows, such as the 1999 production of The Tempest, directed by Yushi Odajima. The shows are mostly western style musicals, although local stories are sometimes told. There are 5 different troupes associated with the Revue, each with their own unique style. The audience of the Revue is almost entirely female.
Akatsuki no rooma (Rome at Dawn), Julius Caesar, 2006, dir. Shinji Kimura
The Tempest, The Tempest, 1999, dir. Yushi Odajima
Topeng (Indonesian theater dance)
Topeng is a dance drama in which the actors wear full masks while performing stories about ancient or mythical kings and heroes. The performances are accompanied by gamelan music, and the story is told by a narrator who wears a half-mask. The story alternates between dance and non-dance sections, and the focus is on including contradictory sides of the human experience.
Wayang Kulit (Indonesian shadow puppet play)
Wayang Kulit is a shadow puppet play that features puppets carefully constructed from leather, buffalo horns, and control rods, which require weeks of work to construct. The play occurs behind a taut sheet with a backlight. A dalang, a shadow artist, manipulates the puppets and voices the different characters while a gamelan orchestra plays as accompaniment, as the 3.14 Company’s 2001 Wayang Tempest demonstrates. The shows often acts as political, yet comedic commentary on current events.
Wayang Tempest, The Tempest, 2001, 3.14 Company, dir. Roger Jenkins
Yueju is a modern form of Chinese opera, developed in the 20th century. Yueju is famous for its emotional, sweet, soft songs and gentle style, as can be seen in the 1994 Shanghai Yueju Opera Theatre Company’s production Revenge of the Prince. The original Yueju did not have a script, merely an outline of the story, but modern productions now feature directors.
"Nunnery", Revenge of the Prince, Hamlet, 1994, Shanghai Yueju Opera Theatre Company, dir. Leci Su
Revenge of the Prince, Hamlet, 1994, Shanghai Yueju Company, dir. Leci Su
Hamlet in the Graveyard, Hamlet, 2002, dir. Zhigang Zhao
Twelfth Night, Twelfth Night, 1986, Shanghai Yueju Company, dir. Weimin Hu