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Performance elements
Noh performance combines a variety of elements into a stylistic whole, with each
particular element the product of generations of refinement according to the
central Buddhist, Shinto, and minimalist aspects of Noh's aesthic principles.
Stage
The traditional Noh stage consists of a pavilion whose architectural style is
derived from that of the traditional kagura stage of Shinto shrines, and is
normally composed almost entirely of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood. The four
pillars are named for their orientation to the prominent actions during the
course of the play: the waki-bashira in the front, right corner near the waki's
standing point and sitting point; the shite-bashira in the rear, left corner,
next to which the shite normally performs; the fue-bashira in the rear, right
corner, closest to the flute player; and the metsuke-bashira, or
"looking-pillar", so called because the shite is typically faced toward the
vicinity of the pillar.
The floor is polished to enable the actors to move in a gliding fashion, and
beneath this floor are buried giant pots or bowl-shaped concrete structures to
enhance the resonant properties of the wood floors when the actors stomp heavily
on the floor. As a result, the stage is elevated approximately three feet above
the ground level of the audience.
The only ornamentation on the stage is the kagami-ita, a painting of a pine-tree
at the back of the stage. The two most common beliefs are that it represents
either a famous pine tree of significance in Shinto at the Kasuga Shrine in
Nara, or that it is a token of Noh's artistic predecessors which were often
performed to a natural backdrop.
Another unique feature of the stage is the hashigakari, the narrow bridge to the
left of the stage that the principal actors use to enter the stage. This would
later evolve into the hanamichi in kabuki.
All stages which are solely dedicated to Noh performances also have a hook or
loop in ceiling, which exists only to lift and drop the bell for the play Dōjōji.
When that play is being performed in another location, the loop or hook will be
added as a temporary fixture.
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