Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2024 - 19

almost no size difference, everything is
shortened or adjusted depending on the
situation. "
The responsibilities of the main Noh
actor are extensive and go well beyond
acting, from finding musicians to deciding
on staging, costuming, and which
mask to use, and even being financially
responsible for the production. In Noh
theatre, the main actor is may essentially
become the producer, director, and stage
manager of the show In some cases-
though this largely depends on the actor's
heritage. As Pellecchia explains, if
you're born into a family of actors, " you
have that heritage on your on your back
that you need to carry. The Iemoto has
the heaviest burden because he is the
art, he embodies the art, and he has
the responsibility for the whole several
hundred years of history that create that
art that he is the highest representative
of. And so on the one hand, I think that
there is the responsibility of maintaining
and conserving the art and on the other
hand, there is the responsibility of transmitting
it to the future generations and
to make sure that in this transmission
there is not just an imitation but there is
also a sense of making it meaningful and
important for the people who are there
in that specific moment. "
While some actors may choose to carry
on traditions exactly as they came before,
others may choose to make the art
more meaningful for contemporary audiences
and practitioners, Pellecchia says.
" That responsibility is huge. We have
fewer and fewer actors and this applies
also to the whole population of Japan
that is also shrinking. So, I think there
is a sense of needing to transmit the art
to new generations who will become the
future bearers of this heritage. "
Preservation of Noh is a concern for
Noh actors, especially younger generations
who are intent on attracting new
audiences. " Many actors now put a lot
of effort into trying to present their art
in a different way-for example, organizing
performances that are shorter in
length, with only one Noh play, or holding
performances in the evening rather
than on a Sunday afternoon, " Pellecchia
says. The way to present it may be
changing, but the art, I'm not sure how
much effort is being put in changing the
way one sings for example or changing
the way one dances in a way to accommodate
contemporary audiences. It's a
big debate right now, how much do you
change Noh and still call it Noh. Is the
VR Noh really a Noh or is it a VR Noh?
Is the super Kabuki, the Chō Kabuki,
still Kabuki? It is possible that maybe a
new genre will emerge with other types
of plays alongside the traditional repertory.
Also, there is a big debate right
now about should you change the art, or
should you educate your audience to appreciate
it the way it is?
" Here in Japan, there is an expectation
that the more you know, the more
you appreciate, and that ignorance leads
to frustration, " Pellecchia continues. " I
see that in my teaching at the university.
Noh actors always create informative
material so that people can understand
the play before they come and watch the
show. So in a way, I think that people
coming from outside of Japan, we take
for granted that we don't understand
Noh and so we don't really care too much
about not understanding. We just embrace
it for what it is and enjoy the fact
that it's so far from us. But here in Japan,
I think that people are kind of familiar
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ISSUE 3, 2024 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 19
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Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2024

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