24th Annual Student Research Conference
Unearthing Hidden Bridges: The Identification of Noh Theatre with the Aesthetics of Rasa
Zeeshan Reshamwala
Dr. Dana Smith, Faculty Mentor
The Treatises of Zeami Motokiyo codified the technique of Noh theatre, defining the aesthetic ideals of the art. Zeami divides the characters of Noh into categories of roleseach of these roles requiring the actor to manifest certain qualities, movements and attitudes. Zeami alludes to a connection between the Noh and Indian theatre. Bharatamuni's Natyasastra influences traditional Indian theatre as Aristotles Poetics in the West. Its discourses on aesthetics categorize qualities in acting, dance and even verse and prose into bhava or attitudes, and rasathe experience created by these. This paper attempts to trace the connection between Japanese Noh theatre and Indian drama to the advent of Buddhism in Japan. Comparing the roles of Zeami and the bhava and rasa of Bharata Muni, it contrasts Zeamis aesthetics to Bharata's.The result is an endeavour to formulate a vocabulary suitable for the comparative study of Indian and Japanese aesthetics in drama.
Keywords: Noh, Sanskrit, Drama, Theatre
Topic(s):Theatre
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 23-3
Location: OP 2121
Time: 10:00