June 19th, 2008 arts
Mime is that type of theater art in which the performer gives a silent performance. There are two types of Mime; they are Corporeal Mime and Pantomime. Corporeal mime concentrated on the deployment of the human body to show emotions and thought that are invisible to the spectators. Pantomime utilizes the human body to the maximum level so that the audience with the help of body minus props can imagine even objects. Besides being of traditional importance in various countries, it also plays a vital role to entertain people during the holiday season.
Pantomime art dates back to Greek and Roman Theaters. It saw a great advancement especially during the rule of Roman King, Augustus. It also has a deep connection with the Italian Theater Commedia Dellarte. This art was spread to other parts of the world from Italy by the troupe of artists travelling from one place to another and performing on their way. Patented characters began to develop later on. Actor John Rich was responsible for bringing this art in Britain by the name Lun, a short form of lunatic this was because his performance were rather wild. But this weird act tickled the ribs of many and soon it became very popular. Other rival troupes began learning and performing this art. Many great Pantomimes were created in this process.
Pantomime is the traditional part of mime. Facial expressions, body language and movements are greatly emphasized upon in this art. Basically the whole human body movements are studied so as to increase its range. The mummer depicts an object with the help of gestures and expressions. Like he can act as if he is sitting on a chair and reading a newspaper although there is no physical chair or a newspaper, only an illusion. The performer can create an illusion of a wall by opening his fist and pretending to touch it, the end of the wall is shown by slapping hard in the air. The performer depicts a rope as if he is tugging on it and trying to pull a heavier object on the other end of the rope. Mummer leans in air to show the presence of a peseta or wall. The most common one is the illusion of a box in which the mummer is trapped. Michael Jacksons moonwalk is one of the best examples of pantomime.
Pantomime is a favorite with the audience in the holiday seasons. These performances are usually targeted for the kids but also adults arent disappointed at the same time. Many folktales, fairytales and even Disneylands stories have been enacted using Pantomime. Some of them are Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Mother Goose, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and His Magic Lamp, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and, Jack and the Beanstalk.
Pantomime or Panto has been a very important part of theater arts in countries like Australia, Canada, Great Britain, South Africa and New Zealand. In todays times, Berwich Kaler is considered to be the master of Pantomime. He is being working at the York Theatre Royal since twenty-seven years. People turn up at three in the night and make a beeline to buy tickets for his show. He is hailed for reviving an old forgotten art and bringing back the memories of a bygone area.
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June 15th, 2008 arts
The early man as a means of interaction, to express their inner thoughts and a means to recording events, discovered arts. The ancient caves; monuments and scripts preserved in the museums bear witness to that fact. As we evolved, so did art. Art has reached such height that now it can be classified into various categories that further have subcategories. Different regions and civilizations have different forms, which have a deep influence of the culture. Vaguely arts can be distinguished as one depicted by expressing it on a medium like paintings, sculptures, architecture, and crafts and the other having human body involvement like acting, gestures, dialogues and singing. On this basis broad classifications of arts that can be made are visual arts, culinary arts, performing arts and language art.
Ancient Greeks played a major role in the persuasion of art associating with human form, which comes under the category of performing arts. Here the human figure is used as a medium of expressing art rather than materials like stone, metal, clay or paint. But to support the human form of art, clay or metal model more vividly known as props are used to enhance the performance which come under the category of plastic arts. Some of the subcategories of performing arts are theater, dance, music, magic, opera, juggling, film, comedy, acrobatics, martial arts, and marching arts such as brass bands. Accordingly the human performers depicting these sub classes of performing arts are known as actors, dances, musicians, magician, singers, jugglers, comedians and acrobats.
The word theater also originated from the Greek word Theatron which means Place of Seeing. Plays were held on special events having religious importance, so the main idea revolved around ancient roman gods with the role of male gods being enacted with musculature, elegance and poise where as the female gods being enacted with beauty, grace and anatomically correct magnitude. Singing was also used as a means of enacting other than dialogue delivery. Along with the costumes masks were also a part of the actors attire. The stage was set in a realistic landscape backdrop.
During the middle ages storylines of the plays were mostly based on biblical incidences with an influence of the Byzantine and Gothic art. The Eastern art was mostly influenced by the Western medieval art. Not much concentration was paid to the realistic illustration. The costumes too were surface patterning, which means the basic color of the robe was emphasized upon rather than enhancing it by playing with light.
The nineteenth and the twentieth century saw a revolution being effected by the discoveries made during that era by Aristotle, Einstein and Newton. Light was used to modulate the color and to bring about a realistic feeling by creating an environment to absorb the audience into it. As inventions were made, traveling became very easy. This led to the influence of one culture over the other, which also globalized the western taste in theaters around the world.
As time progressed there have been diverse changes in theater arts that depicted different culture and moral values. The themes have revolved around fairytales, fables, religion, folktales, comedy, fiction, tragedy, romance, legend, history, epic, biography, adventure and material truths. The different forms of theater arts are mime, opera, kabuki, ballet, classical Indian dance, Chinese opera, pantomime and mummers play. Today Theater Arts are as important form of art as any other arts and attracts all art lovers towards it.
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June 11th, 2008 arts
Developed in the fourteenth century, Nogaku, Noh or No, is a type of Japanese musical dramas. Its roots can be traced to the Sarugaku, the Chinese Nuo Theater. The actors and musicians of Noh never practice or rehearse together. Each of them practices the movement, dances and songs separately under a senior tutor.
The traditional kagura stages are the inspiration of the traditional Noh Theater stages. Hinoki or Japanese cypress wood is the architecture material used commonly. There are four pillars to support the roof. They are placed according to some directions and each have a particular name. Shite-bashira is the back left pillar and is the point for shite to sit or stand. Waki-bashira is the front right pillar used by Waki as the point of performance. Fue-bashira is the back right corner and used by the flute player. Metsuke-bashira is the pillar which Shite faces and is also known as the looking-pillar.
Shite, waki, kyogen and hayashi are the four categories that Noh performers can be divided into. Shite or the doers are the original character of the drama. He is first a human being or Maeshite and then plays the role of a ghost or Nochijite. Tsure is the friend acquaintance of Shite. Waki is the villain and obstructs the path of Shite. Wakizure is the friend of Waki. Kyogen performs Aikyogen during the breaks in the play. Hayashis plays the four instruments of Noh, which are flute or Fue, stick drum or Taiko, hip drum or Okawa Otsuzumi and shoulder drum or Kotsuzumi. The chorus comprises of nearly eight people and is known as Jiutai. The helpers are known as Koken.
The stories of Noh drama can be divided into five categories broadly, although there are different types of division. They are Kami Mono, Shura Mono, Katsura Mono, Kiri No and miscellaneous plays. The timing of these plays can range between thirty minutes to two hours. Kami mono also known as Waki No depicts the Shite as a human in the beginning and later on taking the form of deity and usually has some mythological story based on some god. Shura mono or Asura No, shows the Shite playing the character of ghost first and then later playing the role of warrior and recreating the scene of his death. In katsura mono or Onna Mono, a woman plays the Shite character that dances and sings very beautifully. Kiri No or Oni Mono shows Shite in the form of a devil, monster or goblin. Under the miscellaneous plays, Onryo Mono or mischievous ghosts plays Genzai Mono or everyday plays, and Kyoran Mono or madness plays are included.
The styles can be divided into Geki Noh style and Furyu Noh style. Geki Noh are plays involving acting and along with which action is involved. Fruyu Noh are the plays involving dancing and singing only. There are different types of mood in Noh theater art. Mugen Noh involve supernatural characters such as ghosts, demons, and deities. Story keeps juggling between the past, present, and future. Genzai Noh portrays the travails of day to day life.
The costumes are very heavily worked and are designed according to the role played by the actor wearing it. Like serpents have consecutive triangles like the scales. The costume of the Shite is made up of expensive work of silk or brocade. The chorus and instrumentalists wear the formal Montsuki Kimono with the Hakama or shirt. The helpers wear completely black outfits. Masks are worn while playing characters of gods, demons, animals, or even a female played by a man. Shite wears a mask usually. All the characters have a hand fan while on stage. They either carry it in hand or in their pocket. The drama is still very popular in Japan and continues to attract more and more people towards it mainly due its interesting style and characterization.
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