Abstract
The Noh Theater of Japan is an extremely ritualized tradition, and traces of the Noh Theater are found in Western theater. This paper explores many of the distinctive elements of the Noh Theater, such as the use of masks, the themes presented within plays, and the evolution from the old Noh Theater to a more modern presentation of Noh techniques. While the focus of this paper is on the Noh Theater, comparisons are drawn between the Noh Theater and traditional Western theater. There is also a discussion of the more dialogue-driven kyogen style of Japanese theater in respect to the more ritualized Noh Theater.

From the Paper
"The impact on the Noh Theater on the Western theater can be seen to have occurred in a very diverse way. It appears that the Western theaters managed to assimilate various components from the Noh Theater, such as the use of the hitamen in performances to convey a blank countenance. However, the greatest aspect of the Noh Theater on the West is found within the development of more exacting performance techniques, where rather than a single production being subject to incongruities and shoddy acting, the standards of acting were promoted to a higher level overall."

Tags:actor, actors, chorus, culture, dominated, japan, kyogen, male, mask, masks, men, ritual

Abstract
This paper discusses the similarities and differences between Greek tragedy and Japanese Noh Drama. It examines how although they are separated by nearly two millennia, by thousands of miles and by cultural differences, both were theatrical traditions involving masked performers, frequent use of music and dancing, on-stage choruses and historic-mythological themes and stories drawn from traditions. It looks at how later centuries' understanding of them, depends heavily on Aristotle's "Poetics" and Zeami's essays on Noh drama and how the two writers' approaches indicate the principal difference in the two traditions.

From the Paper
"Greek drama originated in the choral hymns sung to the god Dionysus. Mimed episodes were enacted to accompany the dithyrambs of the seventh century and, as Aristotle has it, a "long series of changes" ended only on Tragedy's "attaining to its natural form" (Aristotle 670). The alternation of choral song and dance with enacted scenes predominated until Aeschylus introduced the second actor and "made the dialogue, or spoken portion, take the leading part in the play" (Aristotle 670). Sophocles introduced the third actor and scenery. And tragedy acquired its magnitude by expanding its scope and increasing the dignity of its presentation. The playwrights proceeded by discarding the trochaic meter, more appropriate to dancing, for the iambic which was more like natural speech."

Tags:culture, theatre, tradition, music

Abstract
This paper will discuss the training of actors in the Japanese traditional theatres of Noh and Kabuki. It will be argued that the acting conventions of both schools differ in terms of the different requirements of each form; with the more formalized Noh theatre demanding skill in dance, while the action and spectacle of the Kabuki requires physical training and the ability to project expressions with faces rather than masks.

Abstract
This paper explains three classical forms of Japanese performing arts, and one modern outgrowth of the theatre tradition in Japan. These are: Noh theatre, Bunraku puppetry, Kabuki drama and Butoh dance/movement theatre.

Abstract
This paper compares the performance space in three eras of drama namely, classical ancient Greece, the medieval period; passion plays and Japanese Noh drama. It discusses the scale and layout of the various theatres and performance conventions.

From the Paper
"Aristotle identifies the origin of the Greek theatre as religious citing performances of dithyrambs or irregular poetry which led to comedy and phallic songs having institutional and civic significance which led to tragedy. Aristotle Herodotus cites the ..."

Tags:Noh, Greek, drama, Medieval, drama

Abstract
This paper presents an overview of kabuki, including its origins, role in Asian culture, and aspects of performance. Discussion of how Shakespeare's works have been adapted to a kabuki form dominate the paper. Special attention is paid to the woman's role in kabuki theater.

From the Paper
"Drama is an ancient art form, steeped in various world traditions that have many precepts and edicts of rehearsal, production, and performance. The following is a presentation of two viewpoints, and the repercussions of the fusion of the traditions in performance and translation. The Asian world views performance as an attainment of character through repetition and form-study, to learn not just the dialogue and songs of a samurai or handmaiden, but to become that character using extra-ordinary body position (termed "extra-daily technique"), elaborate costumes and makeup, as well as traditional music. There are several styles of performance, but the most flamboyant is kabuki. Presently, there are four hundred plays in the conventional canon, but approximately thirty are performed each year in a seasonal cycle within Japan."

Tags:drama, england, japan, theater

Abstract
The paper discusses in great detail the evolution of the Roman theater, beginning from the Greek wooden origins to the stone monuments that became iconic with Roman architecture during the Republic and the Empire. A brief history of theater is discussed in the beginning of the paper, with special attention given to the religious implications of how theaters were originally set up. The importance of the orchestra and "skene" are given historical background, dating back to early Dionysian worship. The layout of the early Greek theaters are discussed, with a complete layout included that describes the circular performance area, the seating arrangements, background adjustments and a rudimentary stage. The rest of the paper deals with how the Romans, eager to take the art of theater from being a religious practice to more of an entertainment value for the masses, incorporated their own unique designs to the Greek theater layout to create a more efficient and clearly Roman design. Heavy attention is give to Vitruvius and his work " De Architectura" which provides a step-by-step process in which Roman theaters were built. Improvements are discussed from eliminating the completely circular stage to a half-circle, as well as creating an official stage that persists in modern theatrical performances. The paper takes each part of the theater and discusses the area extensively in terms of what the Romans did to improve upon or change from the early Greek models.

From the Paper
"Ancient Rome's concept of art and architecture was heavily influenced by the cultures that the Romans had conquered, but were in no way identical copies of the art that existed in those subjugated areas. The Romans excelled at taking artistic ideas from other civilizations and molding them into a form that could undoubtedly be identified as uniquely Roman. This technique can easily be seen in practice when one examines the Roman theater building. Roman theaters can be found throughout the area that used to be the Roman Empire, with remnants of theaters all over Europe and the Mediterranean. These theaters have details and building techniques that are exclusive to Roman designs, but when they are viewed in comparison with ancient Greek theaters, one can clearly see where the Romans received their inspiration."

Tags:ancient, architecture, greece, rome, theater, theatre, vitruvius

Abstract
The paper discusses the construction of Shakespeare's Globe Theater and its modern reconstruction. The paper explains how, in addition to the theater providing hours of drama, seeing a play at the Globe Theater was a social event where everyone gathered to be entertained. The paper shows how the Globe Theater is a rich part of the world's social, literary and dramatic history.

From the Paper
"Of the literary and dramatic icons in the English-speaking world, none is so revered, so respected, and so well known as William Shakespeare. Producing 38 plays and 154 sonnets, The Bard is memorialized through both his drama and poetry, which continues to be read and discussed with fervor in classrooms today. Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-Upon-Avon has become the site of many a writer and dramatist's pilgrimage. In fact, the tiny house was once outfitted with windows where famous writers scratched their names, leaving their legacy with Shakespeare as he had left his legacy with them. Visitors to the birthplace today can still see some of the scrawled names on the window panes, which are now located behind protective glass--Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson to name just two (Shakespeare Aloud)."

Tags:entertainment, plays, playwrights, stage, theater

Abstract
This paper examines and analyzes Hispanic American theater and drama in the United States today. Prominent theater groups and artists are discussed, and the paper concludes with a discussion of the history and future of Hispanic American Theater.

Tags:hispanic, american, theater

Abstract
The paper examines Butoh (earth dance), an avant garde performance art that originated in Japan following World War II. The paper looks at the history behind the dance. The dance is a form of expression that is purely Japanese and allows the body to speak for itself, through unconscious improvised movement. Butoh is valuable as a training method not only for artists, but for individuals of other disciplines as well, for it frees the body of social constraints. Butoh is actually a hybrid form of art, incorporating elements of dance, mime, theatre, Noh, Kabuki, and even the Chinese arts of Chi kung and Tai chi. By the 1970s Butoh had caught the imagination of many younger artists and had begun to gain worldwide attention. Today it is performed by a number of groups and solo artists in metropolitan cities throughout the world, including Vancouver and Toronto.

From the Paper
"Butoh was founded by a rebellious modern dancer named Tatsumi Hijikata and his partner Kazuo Ohno (McLeod). It was first performed in 1959, and is a contemporary form of dance with little reference to either traditional Japanese dances or most Western forms of dance, however it does borrow elements from each (Hermon). Hijikata felt that the Japanese modern dance scene was simply an imitation of the Western mode, thus dissatisfied he sought to find a form of expression that was purely Japanese and also allowed the body to speak for itself, through unconscious improvised movement (McLeod). His first experiments were called Ankoku Butoh, or the Dance of Darkness, which basically referred to what was unknown to humans, including his surroundings and spiritually within (McLeod). Hijikata's dance attempted to touch upon the dormant genetic forces hidden within the "shrinking consciousness of modern man" (McLeod)."

Tags:tatsumi, hijikata, kazuo, ohno, ankoku, butoh, dance, of, darkness, kinjiki, forbidden, colors, yukio, mishima, sankai, juku, kokoro