The sun., 1903-12-27
A MORALITY PLAY IN JAPAN.
GIVEN NOW JUST As 1T WAS
CENTURIES AGO.
Historic Interest in the No Performances
Drama in japanese Temple-Weird
Music and Acting without Action
-rorutc Unterluriee IN 40 Acts,

"ueic Wuu NOtiuo VSuuut No'AN"
Comic Interiudes to 80 Acts.
The No performances in Japan are his
torically the most important form OF pres
ent dramatic representations.
A society exists whose sole object is the
preservation OF this ancient lyric drama.
Admission to one of its performances Is
entirely by invitation, and the audiences
aristooratio ones, are made up Of people
who come. not merely to be entertained,
but to learn.
The No sprang from the original re-
ligious dance and chorus about the same
time the morality plays OF Europe became
separated from the more ancient form
Of the drama-in the early part of the fif-
teenth century. In Japan 1t was the Sho-
gun Yoshimasa and some Buddhist priests
who added the telling Of legends and the
recitng OF poetry to the religious choruses
thus making a form OF lyric drama which
still exists.
The actors are descended in direct line
from those who originally took part. and
the language has not changed. The audi
ences are obliged to follow the speakers
in q book containing translation into
modern Japanese, In or der to understand
them.
As the origin OF the No was in the re-
ligious chorus, Il has a large religious Gig
nifcance, and generally takes place at a
temple.
Knowing this interesting history, the
writer was much delighted one Sunday
upon receiving cards of admission to a
performance given at the Shinto Temple
Daijingu. situated on an eminence over
looking Yokohama The temple is one Of
the many simple ones in Yokohama built
OF dark wood. left without paint or stain,
with little or no carving, the chief point
OF interest being the nearby grave Of a
Japanese hero in the late war with China.
The approach to it. like that to all the
temples. is by long flight Of steps, usually
crowded by the native pedestrians in their
picturesque kimonos and wooden clogs,
the tori. the Japanese gate. being at the
top Of the steps. In the grounds Of the
temple are many booths and tea shops
where the saleswomen. with their bright
smiles and fascinating manners entice for
cign visitors to buy their wares.
On one side Of the grounds is wooden
building belonging to the temple. where
the No performance took place. By the
side of the main entrance was q rude check
IOOul IuI siIoCs fhs q speCldI IudIh Vi COuT-
tesy to foreigners. our party was conducted
to side door and admitted to the build
ing. thus avoiding the necessity of remov-
ing our shoes.
It was not difficult to find our seats, as
there we're chairs arranged in row across
the room, especially placed for -the honor
able foreigners Behind the chairs was a
raised platform divided into squares like
checkerboard, where the general audi
ence was sitting in family groups cross
legged. or upon their heels, on the floor,
smoking their queer little pipes, which hold
just enough tobacco for three small puffs.
In front of the chairs and on the same
level with them. mating was spread on
the ground and part Of the audience was
sitting there native fashion. In front of
them was another raised platform, the
stage, and part way on each side of it, and
on level with 1t, was the rest Of the audi
ence.
The platforms were both under cover
the space between them covered by cam
vas only. The platforms were in reality
in separate buildings. the Japanese sliding
doors, which ordinarily separated them,
having been removed in order to throw
them into one large room.
The spectators were lost in attention,
following carefully the lines of the speaker
in their books. feeling the occasion to be
solemn one. We took our seats quietly,
turning our attention at once to the stage
This was entirely bare OF scenery ex-
cept for two small painted trees at the back
Sitting in front Of them was the orchestra,
which played throughout the whole per-
formance.
The orchestra consisted of four men.
one of whom kept up continuous wailng.
Two others, at regular intervals, beat a
peculiar form of drum. which, we were told, !
is an extremely difficult instrument to play,
as the difference in tone is obtained by the |
Tightening or loosening Of strings connect
ing the two drum heads. The fourth man
was blowing on an instrument somewhat
like fife.
On one side of the stage were the chorus
-four men who occasionally joined their
waling with that OF the man in the orches-
ira The eight men together formed
weird combination, whose music was purely
Oriental, and to an American ear, trained
to pianos, violins and harps, it was not
music at all, but rather some monotonous
form of caterwauling, which was quite
the dominant sound throughout the per-
formance.
In the representations even the few
wornen's parts are taken by men. because
at the time Of the origin Of the No, women
we're never allowed upon the stage, but
were kept according to Oriental custom
in the strictest seclusion.
The costumes were all unusual, some of
them beautiful The gentlemanly heroine
wore rich old brocade. which had been
handed down with the antique forms of
the language through generations. The
lower part OF all the garments consisted
Of stiff, wide, box plated divided skirts,
and the heavy soled stockings-or tabi-
such as were worn by their friends in the
audience.
The chief actors wore masks painted in
a grotesque manner. bearing no resem-
blance to the human countenance. ghost
who came upon the scene was dressed in
manner that would have made the ghost
Of Hamlet's father retire in humiliation.
His distinguishing mark was his long black
hair, which fell nearly to his feet
There was almost no action. The per-
formers merely walked around the stage.
or stood still. occasionally stamping their
feet hard upon the stage in studied, abso-
I,,to oIx ceiopad mapnpr