Noh theater also referred to as nōgoku or nō, is one of the oldest and most traditional forms of Japanese theater. Noh is a musical drama that uses a variety of masks to tell stories of supernatural and human worlds. A mask can help shape a character’s performance by not only giving clues about who the character is but also by the influence the audience’s imagination in what the story means and understanding the spiritual and religious meaning that the character brings.
Noh theater’s use of a mask can be said to have developed from other types of Japanese performances such as sarugaku, an acrobatic, circus-like form of Japanese theater (Ortolani 1995, p. 149) and gigaku, “a form of comical, silent drama where the actors wear different masks” (Hays 2014). The use of masks can also be dated back to when Noh theater was performed in Buddhist temples in Japan (Hays 2014). The spiritual use of masks and ghosts in Noh “originated in a time of war and upheaval when many people were preoccupied with death and the afterlife” (Hays 2014).
The mask is one of the simplest forms of character identification. A mask is typically worn by the protagonist in Noh theater, which is known as a “shite”. Shites usually play the “supernatural being such as ghosts, demons, gods or ghosts—or a woman” (Hays 2014). The supporting actors and secondary characters, “waki”, are said to not wear a mask because they usually play the living man (The Noh 2018). The “distinctive masks … are used for the roles of ghosts, women, children and old people” which were all played by males (Intangible Cultural Heritage). The obvious contrast between masked and unmasked characters can help the story move along (Intangible Cultural Heritage).
Masks not only cover up most of the actor's face but focus the audience’s attention on the other body language that a character can show. In Noh, “the elements unnecessary for the drama are eliminated” (Hays 2014) and the “almost hypnotic quality” to the performance is perceived through these extremely slow and detailed actions. The “emotions are represented by stylised conventional gestures” which can be shown in the 70 minute long plays, such as Matzukaze written by Kan’ami and Izutsu written by Zeami (Intangible Cultural Heritage). The neutrality and stillness of the mask make other physical movements more obvious to the audience. The slightest change in movement from a hand, a foot, an elbow can have a meaning. Toby Wilsher talks about how the focus of the eyes and face are the most important aspect in most performances, but because Noh masks hide the eyes and most of the face, every other body movement is taken into perspective to being an important part to the performance (2007 p. 31). Wilsher also states that the masked characters can emphasize “find[ing] the truth behind a gesture or comment” to make sure that the audience has an understanding of what their acting means (2007, p. 35).
This leads to the question, of what role an audience member can play in these types of masked performances. An audience member is one of the most valuable components in theater, especially in traditional pieces such as Noh or Kabuki theater. Once a masked character enters the space, “the audience need[s] to become swiftly absorbed into the world that has been created” (Wilsher 2007, p. 30). They need to fully immerse themselves into the performance.
A traditional, typical audience for a Noh programme, is different to what one would expect. “The period's highly formal etiquette and courteous way of speaking” are one of the clues in showing what kind of people would watch Noh (Hays 2014). This refers to the fact that these productions “were intended for the samurai elite and the court circles” (Hays 2014). The educated audience knows what the play is about and what the interpretations of the play mean. Nowadays, “most spectators … take with them a kind of guide booklet” so they have some idea of what is going on (Hays 2014). Most spectators can refer to tourists or people who are interest in seeing a different culture.
This would contrast what Dr. Jukka O. Miettinen of the Theater Academy Helsinki has to say about the audience members. He writes that “the expression of most of the masks reflects a certain neutral ambiguity, which allows the audience to make several interpretations” (Hays 2014). Because the mask itself holds no specific expression, actors can slightly alter the angle of their heads to create shadows on the mask. These “expressions” can be seen laughing or a sad face (The Noh 2018). Miettinen says that this allows the audience member to interpret the facial expressions differently (Hays 2014). In other words, the mask not only creates the character and shows the physical difference. The mask enhances the audience's view of the character and creates a connection between the spiritual and religious history of the mask.
The masks, which are made out of a solid block of wood, are all handmade and extremely unique. There are roughly 60 basic masks which have around 450 different variations (Ortolani 1995, p. 149). In his book “The Japanese Theatre”, Ortolani praises not only the actors that wear the masks but the mask makers as well. He writes that “[the mask’s] artistic beauty, complex craftsmanship and deep symbolism” are some of the greatest achievements in the world (1995, p. 148). For him, the mask is not just another costume element or prop, but is similar to “an independant soul” (p. 148).
The act of physically putting on the mask is a special ritual as well because “performer is “becoming” the mask, and its emotions, in order to better express the characters feelings” (The Noh 2018). A Noh mask almost creates another dimension of the relationship between the actors and the audience. It is said to be one of the only parts of Noh theater that show “remnants of the connection between art and folk religion” (Ortolani 1995, p. 149) and are also “valuable heirlooms and handed down from generation to generation” (The Noh 2018) which makes quite powerful objects. The audience understands the sacred and sentimental meaning of the masks and should value of them while watching the programme.
In conclusion, the masks not only help create a character on stage in Noh performances but show the cultural and spiritual meaning as well. The mask is one of the most important aspects of Noh because it does shape a character to be it’s truest form.