New-York tribune., 1918-11-10

Shortly, the stories themselves are s,,.
ondary matters. 1t is seldom that W,
play forgets the poetical effect which !, !.
It's hrst and last concern to creste:.i !.
would be clear that the actors must ~,
tect themselves from falling ;n,o a..
bathos of reality which would. in min,
cases out of ten, ALLEVIATE them from N.
rhythmical creation of beauty. Po. said
somewhere: And in regard to Trutb--v
to BE sure, through the attainnsnt o,
truth we arc led to perceive a harmopv
where none was apparent before. we e,
pcrience at once the true poeticsl es.s.
but this effect is refcrable to the harmon
alone, and not in the least degree to the
truth which merely served to render The
harmony manifest In such Janvusoe Par
might have spoken Of the Noh pIays.vAicb
at their best, are poignant desire aft., N,
ideal or effect
wv hen | say that am always happv 10
see the Noh plays on the stare. meal
that the actors beautifully succeed in H..
veloping that poetical yearninr: il ;s th,i,
best art, as II seems to me that they max.
the expression of humanity, if taerc is srv
humanity in the plays, gracefully snbo,di.
nate to the poetical harmony. The lines
which the actors sing or, more proper %
say, recite loudly, with the alienation 0,
the chorus, are, Of course, the main partir
creating the beautiful effect Of the seens
ohoer their passionate intensity the cha
acters break rhythmicsily the ststuesue
stiffness. Although the actors oynress a.
most flexible delicacy to its utmost degree,
cannot help observing, on the other hand
some strange pervading power which mshs
one feel overwhelmed. uncomfortable, ir
deed scarcely able TO breathe; that mirh,
be from the too serious nature of the rhr
which always demand the most honestes
nous interpretation. and make the actor
TOO afraid Of breaking their effect or ST.
mosphere.
1t is seldom that, when they are goot
the actors make rupture of the gensn
harmony of the plays, suddenly fslIinginta
the bathos to expose shabbily their osS
selves; their acting might be compsred
with an old brocade rich and Iuxunops
You Will be surprised to see what dyns
ME power they have not only t. reyes
their art but also to conceal il.
Some we'll known actors, like, for IL
stance, Dir. Manzaburo umcwaka, az
blessed 1ilh remarkable voice, rcmaTss
ole at any time and in any place, wjiIci
might make US recall an old phrase, tae
rolling jewels upon glass board; tOsE
command over their large, round, deePf
vibrating voice is both spontaneous aaa
we'll calculated. Their vocal training shs'
begins in their boyhood days is founded Of
their energetic and sensitive emotion O.
lie; to hear them on the stage, at least
US japanese, is treat at such time as J"
day when actors of any school are ehD
little more than human phonogfapAs
N>N4'~ NAAIiS NilleS Oh inc way dSeViS
verse as 3 slightly more stilted kind
prose: When they come 20 passage
purely lyric quality they give it as Il =
were quotation, having nothing 70 ~
with the res- Of the speech In ell 'is
rendering VI the lines of Noh plays, S@
sure that the actors are taught not TO '0'.
get they are at the same time the o"ss
expression of the characters, and also P''
try, that is a thing with its own ressSI.
Tor existence; they might give, Wv
think, many a valuable suggestion 70 -,
poets of the West who are eager 70 NV
some vocal manner between speaking ~
singing. Strictly speaking, the ren''.%
OF words of the Noh plays should De e'''
speaking, not singing; therefore she''
the danger of accomplishing the ne
ing. But when the actors fall sone~"
into the danger of overemphssiE'hs
sound, it is at the time when their n'.s
wealth of vocalism runs wild and esrss
1t goes without saying that they are ''Ys'
when their gift is we'll regulated"