PEKING OPERA

What is Peking Opera? These robes are called python embroidered w/

- which combines music, vocal performance, a dragon.
pantomime, dance, and acrobatics. In opera:
- Is the most watched theater performance in High rank – Red
Beijing China. Lower rank – Blue
- Considered as the “oriental opera”. Young – White
- Peking Opera themes deal with fairy tales of Old – Brown, Olive, or White
past dynasties, emperors, historical events, and Other male characters - Black
other known personalities in China.
Make-up and Masks/Lianpu
MUSIC • Red: Loyalty
Carries harmonious rhythm in its melody. • Black: abruptness, frankness, honesty
It is smooth, graceful, and pleasing to hear. and impertinence.
Two melody classification: • White : cattiness and cunning
1. XIPI 2. ERHONG PERFORMERS
It consists of different patterns such as guiding, • FOUR MAIN TYPES OF ROLES
original, quick, random, and slow. 1. DAN (female performer)
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 2. SHENG (male performer)
• Music played on: 3. JING (male/female with painted face)
1. Percussion (Ching, drum, gong) 4. CHOU (clown)
2. String (Sanxian, Jinghu, Yueqin)
3. Wood instruments A. DAN (female performer)
String Instruments- 1. ZHENG
Jinghu - a two-stringed instrument DAN
played with a bow

Sanxian - a
three-
stringed
instrument
which is plucked (Quingyi)- plays as the
strong-minded woman of
middle age who moves
Yuequin - a plucked four-stringed with and acts elegantly.
a full-moon-shaped sound box
instrument

2. HUAD
AN-
COSTUMES
Costumes are tailored for every role to be played. Each
costume is designed considering age, occupation, and
status of each role. This makes spectators distinguish
the rank of the character portrayed
Examples: pertains to little girls who
Emperor – yellow robes usually belong to lower
High ranking officials – Purple robes class.
 • Is the male/ female with painted face,
the most forceful personality.

C. CHOU
3. the male or at times
LAODAN- female who portray as a
is the clown, righteous person,
old/elderly or villain.
woman.

PERFORMANCE
Peking Opera is also known incorporates
dramatic plays with dancing, dialogue, martial
arts, and singing.
4.WUDAN- plays as Singers deliver dialogues with rhythmic and
female martial art emotional singing
expert, good at • Acting is accompanied with high skill
fighting, Jin, the dancing.
female or female • They combine traditional with Chinese
painted face. combat to show martial arts.
STAGE
• Qimo- refers to stage setting and
properties used in Beijing Opera show.

B. SHENG (male performer)

1. LAO SHENG- is the bearded

middle-aged man who acts
decently.

JAPAN: NOH AND KABUKI THEATER

WHAT IS NOH and KABUKI?

2. XIAO SHENG- Noh Theater- In ancient Japan, samurai
refers to the beardless young man. and upper classes went to Noh
performances, only higher-class people
and samurai went to the performances
in the Noh theater to be entertained.
C. JING Their satisfaction meant everything to
the actors. Satisfaction and honor were
all that mattered in the Noh theatre
because even if you had lots of money,
 you were not necessarily respected. All COSTUME
that mattered was honor, because • The costume changes according to the
money was not as big a part of life and change in the identity.
was not used much. So, this meant
that the Noh actors first goal was to KABUKI THEATER
please the audience to earn honor. 1. A form of traditional Japanese drama
with highly stylized song, mime, and
The oldest surviving form of Japanese dance, now performed only by male
theater originated during 1300s. Noh actors. • “act dissolutely” – “Ka” –
plays combine music, dancing, and song, “bu” – dance, “ki” – art/skill
acting to communicate religious 2.  • “ the art of singing and dancing” •
themes. Derived from Kabuku – “to lean”, “to
be out of ordinary”
• Noh performers traditionally are men, 3. An art form rich in showmanship.
although some of them plays the 4. Involves costume, eye-catching make-
female parts. up, outlandish wigs, and exaggerated
Two main roles; actions.
1. God or hero 5. It is an all-male stage performance.
2. One that always wear mask. 6. Introduced by Okumi a female shrine
Noh theater, the actors wore expressive, attendant in 17th century.
elaborate costumes because the stage was Kabuki plots: historical events, moral
sometimes nearly bare. Noh actors also wore conflicts, warm hearted dramas, love
masks and changed them frequently so they stories, tales of tragedy, conspiracy, and
could show each emotion the characters felt. other well known stories.
So, if the character was happy, the actor wore
a mask that looked happy. If the character was PERFORMANCE
sad, the actors wore a mask looked sad. Three main categories of Japanese Kabuki:
Jidaimono – history plays
Noh is an art of illusion, which refers to local Sewarmono – performance of the common
legends and historical feats. people.
• ELEMENTS: movements, music, Shosagoto – Dance piece
costume, and dance are united to
create a drama of intense STAGE
concentration. • Performed on a large, revolving stage
ROLES (Mawari butai).
• Shite- main actor, usually wearing • Equipped with scenic backdrops and
mask. The leading character. trapdoors.
Depending on the play, the shite may
act as a holy old man, a deity, a
demon, a spirit, or a living man. His
movements express various moods.

• Waki- one or more supporting

character. The supporting actor. The
waki plays roles such as a priest, monk
or samurai. In contrast to the shite, the
waki always portrays living people. PERFORMERS
• Female roles- onnagata or oyama
 • Male roles- yaro- kabuki (acting male Wayang Kulit - Wayang kulit is a traditional
roles), wakashu (adolescent male). form of puppet-shadow play originally found in
the cultures of Java, Bali, and Lombok in
Indonesia. In a wayang kulit performance, the
puppet figures are rear-projected on a taut
linen screen with a coconut-oil (or electric)
light. The dalang (shadow artist) manipulates
carved leather figures between the lamp and
the screen to bring the shadows to life. It's
mainly about good vs evil.

Styles of Acting: CHARACTERS

Aragoto – for male role actors wherein
acting is rough. These are the BAGONG- is
superhero types. the youngest
Wagoto – the soft stuff acting. son of Semar.
Opposite of aragoto because they are
romantic. They portray intense PETRUK- is the
emotion. middle child of
Edo Kabuki – identified to be Semar
extravagant and used of flashy
costumes, fancy stage tricks, and bold
poses.
Kamigata kabuki – was more peaceful,
focusing on naturalistic and realistic
acting.
GARENG- the eldest
MAKE-UP OR KESHO son of Semar.
• Rice powder is used, facial lines are
emphasize to create
animal/supernatural looks.
Red: heroism, passion, and righteousness.
Black and Blue: jealousy, villainy, and other
negative traits.
Purple: nobility SEMAR- the father of
Green: Supernatural Gareng, Petruk, and
Bagong

STAGE
Used to be casted
INDONESIA shadows on cotton
screen with the use of
oil lamps.
 PUPPETS- Puppets range 2. Kelir- the cloth
from 6 inches to more screen
than 3 feet which are
mounted on sticks from
the buffalo horn.

3. Blencong-
Javanese oil lamp.
PERFORMERS
1. DALANG (puppeteer)- The
main figure behind the a 4. 4. GEDEBOK- a place
Wayang performance. to arrange the puppets.
Manipulates the puppet and
narrates the story.

2. Niyaga- the gamelan 5. Kotak Kayu- wooden chest

musician. 6.

7. Chempala- wooden knockers

8. Kepyak- wooden rappers
3. Pansinden- Javanese 9. Gamelan- instruments
singers. 10.

EQUIPMENT
1. GUNUNGAN- symbolic
scene element. PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS
 • SABETAN- puppet movement.
• JANTURAN- story narrative
• Chariyos- story or narrative
• Ginem- dialogue
• Suluk- mood songTembang- song
• Kepyakan- rapping
• Gending- melody
• Gerong- chorus
• Sindengan- Pasedhin’s song

THAILAND
• Nang Shadow Puppet Play- Is a shadow
puppet play of Thailand. Form of a
public entertainment, very popular
CHARACTERS
• Made from cut out and articulated
shapes of leather.
• Manipulated with rods that control
movements of the arms and legs.

THEMES
Family conflicts, fantastic adventure, star-
crossed lovers, romantic tales, hermits
teaching magic, abandoned children.

TYPES OF NANG
• Nang Talung- it is played with leather
puppets, each representing a separate
character. 50 centimeters high.
• Nang Yai- made of cowhide and
rattan, a large decorated scenes and
characters measuring around high and a
meter wide.
• characters includes gods and
goddesses, kings and queens, magical figures
and comedians.