Monthly Archives: April 2014

This Lingering Life is not a difficult play to follow on its own terms, but some audience members will be intrigued to know that this modern play, in which restless spirits and human beings occupy the same space, transforms and … Continue reading →

The Noh repertoire includes two groups of plays centered on women: Woman plays constitute the third category of Noh plays and are often cited as the finest examples of the aesthetic of yugen.  In almost all cases, these plays portray … Continue reading →

Stories from Noh in Colloquial English The language in which classic Noh plays are performed is an archaic form of Japanese.  In addition, the poetry of Noh is paratactical and allusive, and lines are chanted or delivered in stylized speech, … Continue reading →

“It was only last night that we sang and danced to bid farewell to this life.” (From This Lingering Life) It is common practice for a Noh play to extract one character or focus on one scene from Japanese history … Continue reading →