On , Soju Projekt took part
in a Noh workshop by Noh performer Yoshiteru Takeda. The workshop, at Waterasu in
Ochanomizu, focused on the demon-Noh play ‘Tsuchigumo’ (‘The Earth Spider’).
‘Tsuchigumo’ is often
performed for audiences new to Noh because of its easy-to-understand story and
its dynamic nature. The basic premise of samurai warrior versus spider-monster
has dramatic appeal, and its overall feel –an eerie first half, a spectacular
second half – is entertaining. Because of its special effects – spider webbing
cast a la Spiderman from the hands of the monster – the play resembles Kabuki
as much as Noh.
It was easy to get caught up
in the excitement. The audience was clearly relieved when the loathsome thing
was destroyed.
A highlight of the workshop
was, not surprisingly, learning the secret behind the webbing, including how
it’s made and the proper way to fling it. There is a trick to it, but it also
takes a lot of practice. Every participant was given several chances to fling
their webbing. The technique is not easy to master, though, and some of us
showed more spider-demon potential than others.
No comments:
Post a Comment