Noh Actors to Visit UB From Japan For Week of Workshops, Classes And Performance

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Two renowned actors of Japanese Noh theater will perform, teach and demonstrate the elements of the 600-year-old theatrical form during a week-long residency at the University at Buffalo, Feb. 17-23.

The series of events, sponsored by UB's Asian Studies Program, Department of Theatre and Dance, Center for the Arts and the College of Arts and Sciences, will feature Hatta Tatsuya of Tokyo and Fukano Shinjiro of Kyoto, both of the Kanze School of Noh.

Tatsuya, an actor of the Umewaka branch of the Kanze School, performed his first leading role in "Yoshino Tennin" in 1989. He has performed in distinguished festivals in Japan, as well as in Canada, Europe, Russia, Hong Kong and the United State. Tatsuya was recognized formally as an independent actor by the Kanze School in 1994.

Shinjiro made his Noh debut in 1958 and since has appeared in such Noh classics as "Okina," "Dojoji" and "Kinuta." A student of the Urata family of the Kanze School, Shinjiro was named to the prestigious Society of the Art of Noh in 1995.

Noh, which translates to "talent" or "skill," is a form of musical dance-drama that originated in the 14th century. It is Japan's oldest existing professional theater and one of the oldest living theatrical traditions in the world.

The traditional Noh form differs significantly from drama familiar in the West as the stage is mostly undecorated and the plays are performed by a leading character (shite), who is usually masked, and a supporting actor (waki).

The form features several monologues and solo dances, and female roles are portrayed by male actors wearing masks. The actors typically share the stage with drummers and flutists and a small chorus of six to eight chanters.

The language is poetic and costumes are rich, colorful and heavy. Movement is deliberate and the performance seems like a solemn observance as the subtlety and symbolism of the drama is rooted in Zen Buddhism. Noh actors tell classic stories through their subtle appearance, gesture and inflection.

Highlights during the week will include a series of master classes led by the actors to teach select UB students in the Department of Theatre and Dance and the Asian Studies Program the fundamental movements, sounds and narratives of Noh.

The Japanese actors also will lead a public performance workshop, intended for high-school teachers and students, on Feb. 20. The workshop is free and open to the public, but registration is limited. Workshop participants will be entitled to a $2 ticket price for the Feb. 23 performance of "Hagoromo," or "The Feather Robe," author unknown, based on a classic Japanese legend.

In conjunction with the actors' visit, the UB Department of Comparative Literature will host a scholarly symposium to explore critically the genre of Noh in its local and global setting. Papers will be presented addressing Tokugawa Noh, Showa Noh, the history of "high" drama and Noh in the literary lives of Ezra Pound and W.B. Yeats.

On Feb. 23, UB will feature a traditional Noh performance and demonstration of Noh robing by actors Tatsuya and Shinjiro, assisted by UB theatre-and-dance students.

Tickets for "Hagoromo" are $5 for students and $10 for the public and are available at the Center For The Arts Box Office, 645-ARTS, from noon to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and at all TicketMaster locations. To charge by phone, call TicketMaster at 852-5000.

All events associated with the Japanese actors' visit will be held on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.