On the 9th of January, just a few days into the New Year, ACSian Theatre started off 2010 not quite with a bang one would expect in a modern context, but rather with a Japanese 14th-century equivalent of it. Our first play of the year was the experimental piece The Noh Series, which put a decidedly modern spin on the traditional art form of Japanese Noh theatre. A collaboration between students of ACSian Theatre and alumni, The Noh Series was ACSian Theatre’s first foray this year into Asian Theatre forms.
While the nature of the text was initially foreign to the tongue, being directly translated from its original Japanese manuscripts, weeks of poring over the text gradually moulded our speech to fit the words. Similarly, the careful, deliberate movements, performed with an ethereal grace, had to be painstakingly weaved into a flowing picture of fluttering silk robes. Noh theatre was, without question, the most foreign theatre form any of the cast had ever encountered. The unfamiliarity also applied to the extravagant costumes made of heavy brocade, which could turn an unsuspecting actor from a raging demon into a laughable lump of tangled silk. All these elements combined to make a formidable challenge for the cast, who had to adjust to all these stylistic differences from theatre in the modern day.
Despite its return to more archaic roots, the demons, warriors, priests and poets of The Noh Series were all surprisingly well-received by the audience, proving that even today’s fast-paced culture has reserved a place for tradition.
Bryant Chan
2AA5
