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Japanese Theater -- Inside/Out
Spring 2006
Schedule of readings, activities and assignments

For the relevant reading questions, assignments and other information, click on the links below. The instructor's lectures will provide the historical context for these theaters.

Date

What do we discuss in class?

Students' work?

Jan. 1

1. Introduction to class
Introduction to the class, readings and assignments.

2. Discussion: Geisha, Pop Star & Harajuku Girls:
Japanese Theater?
The 2005 film and best-selling novel Memoirs of a Geisha has brought new, global attention to geisha. But the choice of Chinese leads has provoked controversy in China and Japan. Asian-American criticism of Gwen Stefani's casting of "Harajuku Girls" is also creating a stir on blogs. How can these controversies cast light on issues to pursue about our topic: Japanese theater?

Students should buy the texts for this class; all are available at the UNC Student Store

Jan. 18

Introduction to the Noh Theater
Readings: "Elements of Performance," 115-125; Plays: Atsumori, Izutsu, Miidera, Shunkan,126-192; all of these are in Traditional Japanese Theater.

Student project for class:
Students choose one of tonight's readings and bring in costume sketches for a contemporary production of the play. (If you can't draw, use images from the net or magazines) Place all illustrations on one large piece of paper--you can even paste these on newspaper--to bring in to class. What mood and characterization are you trying to create with your designs?

Jan. 25

Noh Theater and Angry Women
Readings: Plays: Dôjôji, Yamamba, 193-225;
Viewings: Video excerpts from films about women gone mad to expand our discussion

Student project for class:
Students bring two masks of their own creation to class. Both are for the shite in Dôjôji to wear: one is for her first appearance, the second is for her reappearance as a serpent. Masks are graded on creativity, effort, and their fit with the ideas of the play. Students will present their masks in class. How do your masks capture the essence of the character's twin sides and communicate her emotions to the audience? Here are the masks made by Carolina students in the 2003 class
Link to Noh mask site at Washington University

Feb. 1

Introduction to Kyôgen Comedy
Readings: Read all the kyôgen plays, pps. 226-291. They're short, funny, and easy to read.

Student project for class:
Write your own three-page kyôgen play but use a contemporary American setting. Plays are graded on how well the author understands and employs the main elements of kyôgen. Have fun with this one!

Feb. 8

Human Drama in the Puppet Theater Bunraku

Readings: "Elements of Performance," 303-313; The Battles of Coxinga, and The Love Suicides at Amijima; all in Traditional Japanese Theater

Hand in typed paragraph describing your research paper

Feb. 15

Shape-Shifting in Kabuki

We will discuss female impersonators (onnagata) and ghosts in the Kabuki Theater. View 1992 video, Portrait of an Onnagata; the video includes an interview with an onnagata.

Readings:

Maki Morinaga, "The Gender of Onnagata" in positions: east asia cultures critique 10.2 (2002) 245-284. Also read Shunkan on Devil Island and Yotsuya Ghost Stories in
Traditional Japanese Theater

View: Portrait of an Onnagata (DVD-1255) and Bunraku: Masters of Japanese Puppet Theater (DVD-1261). If you missed class, view these at the Media Resources Center, House Library

Feb. 22

Midterm examination, 6:30-7:30pm

Exam starts promptly at 6:30.

Post-exam discussion:
Onnagata and Women Wrestlers!

After tonight's exam, we will discuss in detail Morinaga's article on onnagata, and this time, consider paralells in onnagata gender construction with women wrestlers in Japan, viewing a short video clip after our discussion..

Mar. 1

Madame Butterfly:
Japan in the Euro-American West

   David Belasco's play
   and on the course
   BlackBoard site:
   "The Flight of the
    Japanese Butterfly"
    by Mari Yoshihara.Compare
    with plot, character, and
    values in Kabuki plays read.

Mar. 4

Modern Japanese Theater:
Actresses Back on Stage

Read Acting Like A Woman, Part I and Part II (3-119)

Short (500 word) analytical paper due: Comparison of issues in Butterfly class last week with those in Acting Like A Woman

Mar. 15

Spring Break

Mar. 22.

Matsui Sumako in A Doll House

Tonight's class explores the connections among actress Matsui Sumako, the New Woman in Japan, and the position of intellectuals in Japanese society in the 1910s. How and why did Japanese experiment with European scripts?

Read Acting Like A Woman, Part III (123 - 230)

Mar. 29

Androgyny in Takarazuka Theater

Tonight's class examines the all-women's theater Takarazuka. We view the 1994 video Dream Girls and excerpt from Takarazuka's performance of Gone With the Wind.

Read Takarazuka, Introduction, Chps. 1 & 2 (1-88)

Apr. 4

Special
Tuesday
Night
Class

Takarazuka Fans

We consider fandom as a social phenomenon, paying particular attention to Takarazuka fans. We also discuss fans of Japanese manga, in particular girl fans of the famous Rose of Versailles series, and view video excerpts of a Takarazuka performance of RoV.

Read Takarazuka, Chps. 4 & 5

TERM RESEARCH PAPERS ARE DUE IN THE ASIAN STUDIES OFFICE BY 4PM Friday, April 14.

Apr. 12

Politics & Postwar Japanese Theater:

Tonight's class takes on the broad topic of protest in postwar Japan (mainly 1950s & 1960s) and looks at performance artists' political engagement. We discuss Into Performance in this light and then begin the student presentations on this topic. This segues into the avant-garde theater of Butoh. A contrast is provided by a look at the tea ceremony as performance.

Read Into Performance,
chps. 1-3

Student Presentations

1.Butoh-Dance of Utter Darkness
2. Tea Ceremony

Graded research papers handed back in class tonight

Apr. 19

Student Presentations:
Enjoy student presentations tonight.
We will finish our reading and discussion of Into Performance next week.

Student Presentations
1. Geisha Performance Traditions
2. Samurai and Suicide
3. Cos Play & Anime fandom

Apr. 26

The Past in the Present:

Tonight's presentations explore current, global practices of classical Japanese performance arts. How are the ideas of Japan, art tradition, and performer presented through these arts?

Finish reading Into Performance, chps.4-6

Student Presentations

1. Nihon Buyo - Japanese Dance

2. Video Games

May 5

Final written examination
Take-home essay as well as in-the-classroom exam

6:30 - 8:30pm
307 Dey Hall
Bring bluebook