Projects
Writers’ Workshops (ongoing)
Theatre Nohgaku Writers’ Workshop
I. Purpose:
At the turn of the 20th century, William Butler Yeats wrote a handful of noh plays in English that were said to be ahead of their time. There hasn’t been a writer of such prominence since then to write more than one. The canon of Japanese noh plays hovers somewhere around 250. The canon of so-called English noh is in the teens, while those which have been produced and performed as English noh are a mere handful. The reason for this is simple. There are not enough Westerners involved with noh to merit such plays being written.
While the form of noh is powerful, it does take some introduction, as it is quite stylized and unfamiliar to the western eye and ear. Our purpose for the Theatre Nohgaku Writers’ Workshops are simple: to invite promising playwrights for intensive workshops in noh drama. These writers would then be commissioned to write an English language noh play. The resultant works would then be compiled in the hopes of A) having Theatre Nohgaku produce and perform them and B) publishing them as a book of new English noh Plays.
To this end, since 2003 Theatre Nohgaku has held a series of workshops for poets, playwrights, novelists and others. Through the generous financial and inkind contributions of the Asian Cultural Council, the National Noh Theater of Japan, Princeton University, New Dramatists and others, TN has been able to present these workshops annually alternating between Tokyo and the United States. Those interested in information regarding future workshops should contact us through our contact page.
II. Outline:
Workshops conducted in Tokyo consist of the following:
- Lecture discussions: Richard Emmert leads a series three-hour seminars held in a seminar room of the National Noh Theatre which focus on the function and form of typical noh plays, in particular musical structure, literary structure and historic/poetic referencing. The subsequent discussions address challenges that arise in creating English noh.
- Performance viewing: A minimum of five different noh programs are attended to expose participants to a variety of styles and categories.
- Post-performance discussions: Discussions were held informally and formally in connection with the seminars.
Workshops conducted in the United States consist of the following:
- Lecture discussions: Richard Emmert leads a series of 6 hour seminars which focus on the function and form of typical noh plays, in particular musical structure, literary structure and historic/poetic referencing. The subsequent discussions address challenges that arise in creating English noh.
- Video viewing: A minimum of two noh plays are watched with simultaneous translation by Mr. Emmert exposing participants to an idea of the variety of noh.
- Writers' samples: Writers are encouraged to attempt to create a section of a noh play on their own to be explored and discussed by Mr. Emmert and other attending members of TN.
III. Participants:
In addition to workshop leaders Richard Emmert and John Oglevee, workshops have been attended by the following
(* indicate Theatre Nohgaku member) :
- David Crandall *
- Greg Giovanni *
- James Ferner *
- Richard Nichols *
- Colleen Lanki *
- Erik Ehn
- Ruth Margraff
- Chiori Miyagawa
- Tony Torn
- Mat Deegan
- Sigrid Gilmer
- Allan Marett
- Deb Brevoort
- Rachel Hoeffel
- Colin Denby Swanson
- Kate Ryan
- Greg Steinbrunner
- Madelyn Kent
- Lee Ann Brown
- Suki O'Kane
- Nicholas Routley
- Leslie Tamaribuchi
- Libby Zilber
