Summary of the lesson on the topic "theatrical masks". Research work with the presentation "the history of the theatrical mask" Why does an actor need a mask in the theater

15.06.2019

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The image and characteristics of Mitrofanushka in Fonvizin's "The Minor": the description of Mitrofan Prostakov

Probably, there is not a single theater in the world where the main emblem of the theater - masks - would not be depicted in the hall in the form of a bas-relief or in some other form. Theatrical symbols of comedy and tragedy are an expression of the essence of this spectacular institution.

Ancient Greek muses

For an answer to the question of why this happened, one must go to the origins of European civilization - the culture of Ancient Greece, in which drama itself appeared even before our era, its main branches - tragedy and comedy, their patron muse (Melpomene and Thalia, respectively) and the symbols of the scaffolding that remain for centuries are masks. Theatrical attributes that have turned into an emblem over time. It all started, as usual, with ancient Greek myths. Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Titanids, daughters of Uranus and Gaia), who personified memory, became the patron saints of science and art. Each of them had its own image, corresponding to the area that she took care of and supervised.

From time immemorial

Melpomene and Thalia, the patroness of theatrical performance, have since ancient times been portrayed as women holding masks in their hands. Theatrical symbols gradually took on an independent life and began to personify the stage. But the origin of these attributes goes back to antiquity. For example, Aristotle, the educator of Alexander the Great, who lived in the 4th century BC, testifies that even in his days the history of the use of masks in the theater arena was lost in the immemorial depth of time. And this is not surprising. Indeed, in ancient times, all theatrical actions took place in squares and arenas. A lot of people gathered, and in order to see the character of the characters in the last rows, to hear what was being discussed at all, the actors began to use masks. Vividly painted, expressing joy or anger, they had a horn instead of a mouth, amplifying the sound.

Variety of masks

It is impossible to imagine the ancient action without a mask. Theatrical attributes were a necessary and main condition for the performance. And of course, there were many of them - there were masculine and feminine masks, heroes and villains, old people, young people and children, gods and other beings of a higher order. The masks depicted grief and joy. Gradually, with the appearance of theater buildings with a stage and certain acoustics, the need for a mask disappears, but, having served theatrical performances for the millennium, it remains a symbol of this art form. Two masks - comedy and tragedy - represent the theater in general and, moreover, symbolize its antiquity. Both have their mouths open, although there are no amplifiers there. At Thalia, the symbol of comedy, the corners of the mouth are raised, at Melpomene they are mournfully lowered. Every person knows theatrical masks. The pictures below show the most common images of the duo.

Carried through the ages

In general, the role of masks in a person's life is very high. They never fell out of use at all, even when they were prohibited by law (French Revolution). There have always been ritual, carnival masks. We can talk about them for a very long time, if we remember Venice. In our time, protest demonstrations in all countries of the world rarely do without masks, personifying this or that political figure. The mask has become a symbol of secrecy. Which gave rise to many expressions with this word, implying mystery, insincerity, mystery. There are infinitely many masks. A special place among the total number is occupied by a variety of theatrical masks. Pictures of some can be seen below.

Gold of the highest standard

A special place was assigned to the golden mask. Gold has always symbolized the highest degree of anything, be it a medal or a railway crutch.

This is a symbol of the successful completion of something big and vital. It is not surprising that along with the golden Venetian mask, personifying the highest degree of success in society, there also appeared a theatrical golden mask, symbolizing the pinnacle of acting and directing. In 1994, the Russian temple of Melpomene acquired its own theatrical festival of a fairly high standard, since the founders were the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Moscow Government, and since 2002 Sberbank of Russia has become the general sponsor of the annual Golden Mask festival. The president of the association with the same name has been Georgy Taratorkin for many years. The festival is preceded by a strict and professional selection of performances, carried out throughout the year by expert councils, which include eminent and distinguished choreographers, conductors, directors and actors.

Peer recognition

The All-Russian festival takes place in spring and ends with a colorful, beautiful award ceremony, the symbol of which is the image of a golden mask, which was designed and made by the artist Oleg Sheintsis with his own hand.

The theater prize "Golden Mask" is envisaged in several nominations. She has a high quality mark: Mikhail Ulyanov said that the award is presented by professionals to professionals. It cannot be obtained for money or by acquaintance. It has a high status - the National Theater Award, founded by such a serious organization as the Union of Theater Workers. The prize has no cash equivalent, its main merit is the recognition of talent and achievements by colleagues.

Children's masks

Children have their own hobbies and awards that exist in parallel with the adult world - children's theaters, festive colorful carnivals, school plays. All this often requires children's theater masks. And here there is already where fantasies can roam: fairy tales, animated films - everything is at the service of children. You can make a mask of Ilya Muromets or Shrek, any animal, including a fabulous one, or a Barbie Musketeer. Moreover, sketches of masks for every taste are available to everyone.

E. Speransky

For those who are fond of dramatic art, is engaged in drama circles, it is useful to understand this issue. And maybe, having understood it, some of you will want to "adopt" these very interesting techniques of acting: playing in a mask and without a previously learned text. But this is not an easy matter. And to make it clearer what we are talking about, we will start with the simplest: with a simple black mask ...

SIMPLE BLACK MASK

You are, of course, familiar with this slit-eye patch of black cloth that covers the upper half of the face. He has one magical property: putting it on his face, a specific person with a given name and surname temporarily ... disappears. Yes, he turns into invisibility, as it were, into a person without a face, becomes an "unknown person."
A simple black mask ... Participant of carnivals, festivals, it is associated with the holiday, with music, dancing, serpentine. People have long guessed about its magical properties. Wearing a mask, you can meet with your foe and find out an important secret from him. In a mask, you can tell your friend what sometimes you cannot say with an open face. There is always something mysterious, enigmatic in her. "She is silent - mysterious, she will speak - so sweet ..." - it is said about her in "Masquerade" by Lermontov.
In the old, pre-revolutionary circus, the BLACK MASK used to go out into the arena and put all the wrestlers on their shoulder blades one by one.

ONLY TODAY!!!

BLACK MASK FIGHTS! IN THE EVENT OF ITS DEFEAT, THE BLACK MASK WILL OPEN THE FACE AND DECLARE ITS NAME!
The owner of the circus knew who was hiding under the black mask. Sometimes he was the most useless fighter, suffering from obesity of the heart and shortness of breath. And the whole fight was a complete scam. But the audience poured a shaft on the mysterious Black Mask.
But not always a simple black mask was associated with balls, masquerades and classical wrestling in the circus arena. She also participated in more dangerous undertakings: all sorts of adventurers, bandits, hired killers hid under her. The black mask participated in palace intrigues, political conspiracies, carried out palace coups, stopped trains and robbed banks.
And its magical property turned tragically: blood poured, daggers flashed, shots rang out ...
You see what this piece of matter, covering the upper half of the face, meant at one time. But the most interesting thing is that we will not be talking about him. After all, we started talking about the "Theater of Masks". So, unlike a simple black mask, there is another type of mask. Let's call it THEATER. And she has an even stronger magical property than a simple black mask ...

THEATER MASK

What is the difference between a theatrical mask and a simple black mask?
But what: the black mask does not depict anything, it only turns a person into invisibility. And the theatrical mask always depicts something, it turns a person into another creature.
The man put on the mask put on the Fox's mask - and turned into a cunning beast from the fable of grandfather Krylov. He put on the Buratino mask - and turned into a fabulous image of a wooden man from A. Tolstoy's fairy tale ... And this, of course, is a much stronger and more interesting magical property than the ability of a simple black mask to make a person invisible. And people have long guessed about this property of the theatrical mask and have been using it for a long time.

THEATER MASKS IN ANCIENT

You, of course, have been to the circus. So, imagine a circus room, but only many times larger and, moreover, without a roof. And the benches are not wooden, but carved out of stone. This will be the amphitheater, that is, the place where theatrical performances of the ancient Greeks and Romans took place. Such amphitheaters sometimes accommodated up to 40 thousand spectators. And the famous Roman amphitheater Colosseum, the ruins of which you can still see in Rome, was designed for 50 thousand spectators. So try to play in a theater where the back row viewers won't see your face and won't even hear your voice ...
In order to be better visible, the actors of those times got up on koturny - a special kind of stand - and put on masks. They were large, heavy masks made of wood, sort of like diving suits. And they portrayed different human feelings: anger, grief, joy, despair. Such a mask, brightly colored, was visible at a very distant distance. And so that the actor could be heard, the mouth of the mask was made in the form of a small horn-resonator. The famous tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides were played in TRAGIC masks. The comedies of Aristophanes and Plautus, no less famous, were played in COMIC masks.

Sometimes during the performance the actors changed their masks. In one scene the actor played in a mask of DESPAIR, and then left and in another scene came in a mask of Anger or in a mask of DEEP THINKING.
But you and I can no longer need this kind of masks depicting frozen human feelings. We do not need resonators and catturns, although the actors of the puppet theater still use caturns to match their height to the puppet screen. We do not need all this because we are not going to revive the theater of Ancient Greece and Rome and play for forty or fifty thousand spectators. We are not interested in masks of horror or thunderous laughter, but masks-characters, masks-images. And therefore, we will avoid masks that depict any feeling too harshly and vividly, for example, smiling and crying masks; on the contrary, we will try to give our masks a neutral expression so that different states of the human soul can be played in them. And then it will seem to the audience that our masks are either smiling, now crying, now frowning, now surprised - if only the actor's true eyes sparkled from under the mask ...

THEATER MASKS OF CLOWNS AND ACTORS

Finding your own mask is considered a great success among circus clowns and actors. A successfully found mask sometimes turns the whole life of an actor, makes him a world celebrity, brings him fame.
But finding your mask is not as easy as it seems. First of all, it is necessary that all the inner and outer qualities of the actor coincide with the image that the mask depicts. And the most difficult thing is to guess about the image itself, to play such a person, such a character that would resemble many people at once, would embody more than one character, but would collect individual characteristic features of many, that is, in other words, so that the image of the mask was in a collective or typical way, and, moreover, necessarily modern. Only then will this mask resonate with a large number of viewers, become a close, beloved mask, over which people will laugh or cry. But such luck rarely happens, maybe once every hundred or two hundred years.
It happened with the famous actor Charlie Chaplin. He found his mask, and it began to pass from film to film: black mustache, slightly raised eyebrows, as if in surprise, a bowler hat on his head, a cane in his hands ... And huge shoes that were not in height. Sometimes individual details of the costume changed: for example, a straw hat appeared on the head instead of a bowler hat, but the mask itself remained always the same. True, if we are to say for sure, it was not a mask, but Chaplin's own face with glued mustache. But a living human face can also sometimes become a mask if it becomes frozen or inactive, if the same smile or grimace always plays on it.
Another such example of a face mask. The famous film actor Buster Keaton never smiled ... No matter what he experienced, no matter what funny positions he found himself in, he always kept a serious look, and the audience "roared" with delight, dying with laughter. His "terribly" serious face became his mask. But here's what's interesting: Buster Keaton's mask is forgotten, and Chaplin's mask still lives on. And this is because Chaplin found for his mask a typical image that is close to every viewer, the image of a funny little man who never becomes discouraged, despite the fact that life beats him at every step. And Buster Keaton played just a separate character of a never smiling person. Chaplin's image was broader, more typical.
But I’m telling all this not at all so that you immediately rushed to look for your mask. No, let it be better that professional actors are engaged in this difficult matter! Of course, what happens once in a hundred or two hundred years can happen to some of you. But while you are in school, you are doing theatrical art because you love theater, and not at all because you want to become world celebrities. Even dreaming about it is a rather stupid occupation, because fame usually comes to those people who do not think about it at all. Conversely, the one who thinks about it often becomes a failure. No, you and I have more modest intentions. And therefore, we are not talking about a mask for which it is still necessary to invent a character, an image, we are talking about a mask that depicts an already existing character known to the audience, taken from life or from literature. But, besides masks, we also wanted to figure out what improvisation is ... Therefore, we definitely need to get acquainted with the Italian "Theater of Masks", in which there was both: masks and improvisation.

ITALIAN "COMEDIA DEL ARTE" OR "COMEDY OF MASKS"

The Italian "Comedy of Masks", or, as it is also called, "Commedia dell'arte", originated in the distant past. But its real heyday took place in the 17th century. Then the famous actors-favorites of the people began to appear in the troupes of the commedia dell'arte, and performances of masks ousted all other theatrical performances.
What were these masks? After all, we already know that a theatrical mask always depicts someone. Here are some masks of the commedia dell'arte:
1. PANTALONE is a Venetian merchant. A greedy, stupid old man, he always finds himself in a funny situation. They rob him, fool him, and he foolishly goes to any rally. His mask is an owl nose, a protruding mustache, a small beard, and a wallet with money on his belt.
2. DOCTOR - satire on a learned lawyer, a judge. Chatterbox and chisel-maker. In a black half-mask, black robe, wide-brimmed hat.
3. CAPTAIN - a caricature of a military adventurer, braggart and coward. Spanish costume: a short cloak, wide trousers, a hat with a feather. Speaks with a Spanish accent.
Already by these three masks, one can understand what the Italian comedy del arte was like. It was a collection of masks depicting various representatives of Italian society at the time. Moreover, they were all exhibited in a funny way, that is, they were satirical masks. The common people wanted to laugh in the theater at those who in life caused him a lot of grief: the merchant grew rich at his expense, the learned lawyer brought him to prison, and the "captain" robbed and raped him. (In those days, Italy was occupied by the Spaniards, so the "captain" wore a Spanish costume and spoke with a Spanish accent.) Among the masks of the commedia dell'arte were two masks of servants, or, as they were then called, ZANNI: these were comic masks depicting a clever jack of all trades, footman and rustic country boy. These were already real clowns, entertaining the audience in the sideshows. Zanni were called differently: Brighella, Harlequin, Pinocchio, Pulcinella. Servants played along with them: Smeraldina, Columbine.
These mask images became known all over the world. Their names sounded from the stage of theaters, poets wrote about them, they were painted by artists. Why, you know some of them. Remember Pinocchio? And remember what he sees on the stage of the puppet theater? The same Pierrot, Columbine, Harlequin.
In addition to masks, the comedy dell'arte was distinguished by another very interesting property: its actors did not learn roles, but spoke their own words at the performances, those that came into their heads at the moment of the action. They improvised.

WHAT IS IMPROVISATION

Moments of improvisation are encountered in life at every step: a speech delivered on an impromptu basis; without preparation, a joke told to the place ... Even when a student at the blackboard explains a lesson learned in his own words or solves a theorem, this is also a kind of improvisation ...
So the Italian actors of the commedia dell'arte improvised. They did not have roles, or rather, role text. The authors wrote for them not plays, divided into dialogues and monologues, but scripts, where they only outlined what the actor should do and say during the performance. And the actor himself had to pronounce the words that his fantasy and imagination suggested to him.
Some of you may be overjoyed. That's good! So, you don't need to learn the text, rehearse, but go straight out and play your role in your own words ?!
That's not true! ..

ABOUT THE DIFFICULT ART OF IMPROVISATION

Yes, it is a tempting, exciting, yet challenging art. It requires the actor to exert all his abilities, memory, fantasy, imagination. It requires precise knowledge of the script, that is, what you have to say and do on stage. "Ex nihil - nihil est" - there was such a proverb among the ancient Romans: "Nothing comes of anything."
So, if you want to start improvising "without anything", nothing will work out for you. You can check it easily. Take any story by A. P. Chekhov, say, "Chameleon" or "Surgery", or the story of some modern author and try to play it out in the form of a scene, in faces, in your own words, that is, improvising. And you will see how difficult it is. You will stand with your mouth open and wait for someone to tell you ...
And what to prompt something? After all, your role has no words, the author did not write separate lines for each character, as is done in plays ... So, you need to ensure that the words themselves are born in your head and easily leave the language.
This means that you need to know very well the image that you play: his character, gait, manner of speaking, what he does in this scene, what he wants and what state he is in. And then, you need to know your partner well, be able to communicate with him, listen to him and answer him. And when you know all this, you need to try on your sketch many times, try to play it this way and that, that is, in short, you need to work, rehearse ...
And I must tell you that the actors-improvisers of the Italian "Comedy of Masks" worked like animals, getting ready to go on stage: they rehearsed, invented different tricks, invented funny lines. Of course, the fact that they played in masks made it easier for them, and the masks were well-known theatrical images that passed from performance to performance. And yet they worked no less than the actors playing the author's text. But every work is ultimately rewarded and rewarding. And you, of course, will also feel joy when one day, at one of the rehearsals, you suddenly realize that you can easily and boldly speak in your own words on behalf of your role.
This will mean that you have mastered the art of improvisation.

WHAT AND HOW TO PLAY MASKS, IMPROVISING!

Well, we got acquainted with two interesting techniques of acting: with the theater of masks and the art of improvisation. And we already know that these two techniques of acting once came together in the brilliant art of the commedia dell'arte. Now it remains for us to think about how to "adopt" this art, to use it, say, in a drama club.
Some may doubt: a living human face is better than a motionless mask, and a good author is better than "his own words", the ad-libbing of improvisers. So is it worth reviving these outdated techniques of the commedia dell'arte?
But, first of all, they have never become outdated. Until people have forgotten how to joke, laugh, fantasize, improvisation will also live. And secondly, speaking of masks and improvisation, we do not at all want to abolish the living face of an actor and a good play by a good author. On the contrary, we want them, these different methods of acting: masks, improvisation and a living human face pronouncing the author's text - all this existed next to each other, enriched each other.
Because each of these theatrical techniques has its own business. The play, written by the author, has an interesting plot, carefully developed psychological characteristics of the characters. Of course, it makes no sense to play such a piece by means of masks and improvisation. But to revive a political caricature, to stage a fable, to introduce funny interludes into a dramatic performance, to respond vividly and wittily to any event of today is the business of masks-improvisers, and no one can do it better than them. But how to do this? .. After all, you and I do not yet have authors who write special scripts for actors-improvisers.
This means that we ourselves will have to come up with themes and write scripts for their performances.

The heroes of fables are essentially masks too. Each animal has its own character. For example, Bear and Donkey (from the Quartet).

This can be undertaken by one of the members of your drama club, who has the ability and desire for this. Or you can do it together, collectively, which, of course, is much more fun.
Let's remember what we said about the theatrical mask. She always depicts an already established character, an image known to both the audience and the actors themselves. In such a mask it is easier to improvise, because the actor already knows her biography, or, if you like, her appearance, her habits. And when writing scripts, we must keep this in mind. And first of all, we must select a number of stage images known both to us and to the audience, their old acquaintances. They will help us compose this or that scenario. We can find such old acquaintances quite easily both in life and in literature. From today's news, the image of a Cold War lover may appear to us, becoming the hero of a political sketch, a caricature that has come to life. Images can come to you from Krylov's fables. After all, every fable image - a fox, a bear, a wolf, a hare - hides in itself some kind of vice or lack of human character. This is how the images of a lazy student, a bully, or a "sycophant" ask to be masked. Think about a scenario where well-known literary or historical heroes would act, but they would play on relevant topics that are close to you.

Drawings by O. Zotov.

Theatrical masks

special overlays with a cutout for the eyes (depicting a human face, an animal's head, fantastic or mythological creatures), worn on the actor's face. Made from paper, papier-mâché and other materials. In the ancient theater, where performances took place in huge open-air amphitheaters in front of a crowd of thousands, M. t. Replaced mimicry, conveyed various moods (for example, suffering was depicted on one mask profile, and joy on the other); to enhance the voice of the actor, the music tester was supplied from the inside with metal resonators. In the Roman theater M. t. Were used mainly in folk improvised scenes - atellans. In Ancient Russia and medieval Europe, masks were used by buffoons and histrions. In the 16th and 18th centuries, comic characters of the Italian commedia dell'arte wore metal tunics (see Commedia dell'arte). In the 17th century, masks began to fall out of use. Sometimes M. t. Is used in modern theater (for example, Brecht's "Caucasian Chalk Circle", the Berliner Ensemble theater, GDR).

M. t. Has become widespread in the traditional theater of the peoples of Asia (in India, it has distributed and ramlila folk performances, in Indonesia, the topeng theater, in Japan, the noo theater, and others). In the theater of the 20th century, it is often replaced by mask-like make-up (kathakali performances in India, kabuki in Japan).

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M .: Soviet encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what "Theatrical masks" are in other dictionaries:

Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, M. served as the most convenient way for actors to convey the character of roles. Judging by the latest discoveries, it can be assumed that M. have been used for the same purpose since ancient times in Egypt and India, but about the local M. did not come down to us ... ...

Or, according to the old guise, the hari were and are very widespread among the most diverse peoples, from the primitive to the most cultured. To study them, from the point of view of ethnology and cultural history, in the last 10 15 ... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

- (Theatrical awards of Russia) prizes awarded in the field of theatrical art in the Russian Federation. Types of awards Golden Mask Prize. Status National Theater Award. Founder of the Union of Theater Workers of Russia. ... ... Wikipedia

Ludi scaenici. T. performances in antiquity, both in Athens and in Rome, were not in private hands; they were in charge of the state, although the execution in each individual case was provided to private individuals. In Athens, performances of tragedies and ... The Real Dictionary of Classical Antiquities

Or, according to the old “disguise,” “hari” have been and are very widespread among a wide variety of peoples, from the primitive to the most cultured. To study them, from the point of view of ethnology and cultural history, in the last ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

Theatrical masks- The actors involved in tragedies and comedies wore T. m. They were made most often from hola ha, which was given with the help of plaster. form, after which the masks were painted, slits for the eyes and mouth were made in them, and on top ... ... Dictionary of antiquity

AND; pl. genus. juice, dates scam; f. [French. masque] 1. A special patch with the image of a human face, animal muzzle, etc., worn on a person's face. M. Bear. M. cat. Painted m. M. made of papier mache. Put on a mask. // Overlay on ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

I Great Britain is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the British Isles group (See British Isles). See Great Britain (state). II Great Britain is the official name United ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

MASK (from Russian to smear), in Slavic mythology (see SLAVIC MYTHOLOGY (alternative approach)) initially everything that was applied to the face (originally masks from plants for facial skin care or painted masks of the gods). Later the "mask" ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (French masque) 1) an overlay with cutouts for the eyes, hiding the face, sometimes with the image of a human face, the head of an animal or a mythical creature. Ritual masks were worn by performers of religious rites in primitive cults. Masks ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

Literary and artistic masks: theory and poetics, S. G. Isaev. In modern literary criticism, the concept of a mask is again included in encyclopedic dictionaries, and to date, a terminological definition of a mask has been given. System description of the mask ...

Pakhomova Anna Valerievna - Professor of the Moscow Art and Industry Academy named after SG Stroganova, Ph.D. in cultural studies, permanent host of the "Fashion and We" column in the Studio D'Anturage magazine, collaborates with the Atelier and Fashion Industry magazines, a design expert of the Moscow Designers' Union, a member of the International Art Fund, member of the International Association of Writers and Publicists.

This part concludes the series of articles devoted to the theatrical costume of the Japanese theater No. In it we will consider in detail the costumes of the Edo period, its details and accessories, interesting details about No masks (based on the book by N.G. mon.

Ko-Tobide. Master Yokan. XVII century (left) / O-Tobide. Unknown master. End of the 16th century (on right)

In the previous part, we talked in some detail about the props. Now it's time to look at the costume and mask of the protagonist, which makes perhaps the most striking visual impression. The brightness and splendor of the textiles used for the manufacture, the richness of colors, make it the main decoration of the performance. In modern Noh theater, there are 94 basic canonical costume combinations for all characters, including the farce. ai... Costumes are the most valuable property of the actors. They are passed down from generation to generation, and new ones are created in strict accordance with old samples. At the time of Kanami and Zeami, the costumes were quite simple, but gradually they began to approach the clothing of the court nobility, the clergy. By the 15th century, the custom of giving clothes to actors during performances was widespread, so among the oldest surviving 15th century costumes are the personal clothes of shoguns and aristocrats. For example, the Kanze School has an elegant jacket donated by the shogun Yoshimasa. happy dark green, embroidered with butterflies. With the passage of time, theatrical costumes were created that did not repeat the court fashion, but whimsically combined court customs in clothing belonging to different periods. This process took place during the Edo period. It was then that the costumes of the Noh theater reached an incredible degree of sophistication and luxury.

Doji. Master Tohaku. XVII century (left) / Yorimasa. Unknown master. End of the 16th century (on right)

A distinctive feature of the costumes is their extraordinary design. A separate element of the costume can be used in a wide variety of combinations with others, and without dividing them into male and female. For example, choken- an elegant transparent silk cape with fluttering wide sleeves and a large floral pattern woven with silver or gold threads, worn by a woman while dancing. She, this cape, starring the ghosts of the dead young wloin, becomes combat armor when worn with a skirt-pants okuti from the finest silk, falling to the floor. Mizugoromo- rain cover - is a travel and work garment for men and women of all ages. When the sleeves of the cape are tied to the shoulder, it means that the character is busy with physical work. If a woman in mizugoromo appears on the stage with a green bamboo branch in her hands, before you is a mad woman, wandering along the roads in search of her soul mate.

Enmi-Kaya. Unknown master. The beginning of the 15th century. (left) / Uba. The mask is attributed to Master Chemie. The beginning of the 15th century. (on right)

You can see that the variety of costumes arises from all kinds of combinations of elements, and as a result of different ways of wearing the same clothes through the use of different accessories. So, hunting dress karaori made of fine colored silk - ordinary female outfit. It is worn over a kimono cut kitsuke, tucked in front at the waist, and at the back falls to the floor. When karaori worn over heavy okuti(pants-skirts), tucked into the front of the belt, and at the back it dissolves in a train along the floor - this is a costume of a noble person. If at the same time the head is adorned with a crown, then the character is a princess. And when a transparent kimono is worn in the same style choken, in front of the audience - a heavenly fairy.

Kagekiyo. Unknown master. XVII century (left) / Shinkaku. Master Yamato. XVII century (on right)

Collars are an obligatory element of every suit. erie having a V-shape. They are sewn to the collar of the lower kimono, they can be single-layer and multi-layer, in different colors. Collar color indicates a character's social status. White is the noblest; the single white collar is worn by gods and princes. The next most noble collar of aristocrats is painted in light blue. Monks and old women have brown collars, and blue ones are used in the costumes of evil warrior spirits, wrathful gods and demons.

Yase-Otoko. Master Tosui. XVIII century (left) / Koyashi. Unknown master. End of the 16th century (on right)

The costume of the protagonist is distinguished by emphasized elegance, wealth and complexity. It is made of precious fabrics, brocade, heavy silk, decorated with magnificent embroidery using gold and silver threads, three-dimensional applique depicting herbs, insects, flowers, banana leaves, streams of water. The actor wears two or three thin lower kimonos, and on top - a heavy brocade robe, draped in a special way on the figure, depending on the character depicted. /С.281/

We will conclude our story about Japanese theatrical traditional costume with some interesting information about masks. We have already talked a lot about them before, but here are a few more facts.

Monas of some famous acting dynasties

Until the 17th century, masks were carved by monks, actors, sculptors. According to legend, the first masks were made by the gods and personally by the emperor Jogu Taishi (6th century), and this period is considered mythological. Then ten masters of the X-XI centuries are named, among them Nikko, Miroku, Tatsuemon and the priest Khimi, who, it is believed, captured the faces of the dead in masks, brought to him for the funeral ceremony. The next period (XVI century) left the names of six outstanding mask carvers. The most famous of which were Zoami and Sancobo. Since the 17th century, families have appeared that specialize in the manufacture of Noh masks, who have passed on the tradition through the generations to the present day. The oldest surname of professional carvers is Echizen.

Mona Ichikawa Danjuro V and Iwai Hansiro IV (left) / Katsukawa Shunsh. Ichikawa Danjuro V and Iwai Hansiro IV. Between 1772 and 1781 Color woodcut (right)

Theater masks But as an accessory of theatrical use, these are role masks. There are several options for their classification. The most common are the following: 1) masks of the elders; 2) masks for men; 3) masks for women; 4) masks of supernatural beings - gods, spirits, demons; 5) masks named after the characters of individual plays.

There are 86 known basic names of Noh theater masks (that is, Noh and Kyogen masks together) and there are many varieties of them. Some scientists speak of a total of 450 species discovered to date.

Mona Ichikawa Ebizo (Danjuro V) and Sakata Hangoro III (left) / Katsukawa Shunei. Ebizo (Danjuro V) as Shibaraku and Sakata Hangoro III as Iga-no Heinaizaemon. Woodcut, 1791 (right)

The mask contains the inner state of the character, and it helps the actor in creating a stage image. The most difficult task is to revive the frozen face of the mask, to give it the expression necessary for the text. To do this, the actor resorts to subtle or abrupt changes in angles, as a result of which the illumination of the mask changes with constant illumination of the scene. When the head is lowered, shadows fall on the mask, which gives it a sad or thoughtful expression. When the actor holds his head high, the mask is illuminated as much as possible, and this creates the effect of a joyful, happy face.

Katsukawa Shunei. Iwai Hansiro IV (fragment of color woodcut). 1781-1789 (left) / Mon Iwai Hansiro IV (right)

The mask was not perceived by the medieval actor as an artistic device; it was not conceptual, but natural. The performer believed that he was truly transformed into a playable character, as in ancient rituals it was believed that the symbol evoked the symbolized. Theater No is a theater of transformation, not reincarnation; here the principle of complete identification of the actor with the hero operates. The performer is still prohibited from subjecting the role to intellectual analysis; he has to play "on a whim." The mask in the Noh theater is material evidence of the transformation of the actor into the one he plays. / S. 287 /

Makeup scheme. Kamadori style (left) / Make-up (photo) (right)

In Japan, there are three main traditional theatrical genres, so to speak: No mask theater, Kabuki theater, and Bunraku puppet theater. A few words about the last two. Each of them has its own ancient history, features related to performing skills, costumes, make-up, color symbols.

Akahime. Engraving

For example, the first appearance of a leading actor (sometimes a large group of actors) on stage in a Kabuki theater is associated with a demonstration of costume and makeup. From this, in fact, the performance begins. The actor enters the stage from the end of the auditorium and walks to the main stage, past the audience across the auditorium. Such a passage along the "flower path" - hanamichi creates a certain emotional mood in the audience. The movement of the actor - changing complex poses is called mie. In a complex costume, the actor cannot move as in ordinary clothes and his plastic looks unusual. All the details of the costume are greatly increased: the sleeves of the kimono with the help of bamboo frames are turned into a kind of shields, decorated with huge emblems mon. Usage monks has been active in Kabuki for a long time. Previously, nothing but them could so succinctly, convincingly and quickly present the actor to the audience. “Monas in theatrical costume of the Edo period (especially for the roles of the aragoto) were distinguished by their enormous size and often became the main ornamental motif not only for the performer's clothing, but for the entire performance. The presence of a large mona gave the costume a contrast and emphasized its flatness.<> mon was perceived both as a decoration and as a clear, instantly readable sign of a certain performing dynasty or actor. " Here is a short description of Kamakura Kagemasa, the protagonist of the play "Shibaraku" (1905). Every movement, every pose emphasizes the monumentality his figures. Nagabakama - trousers of a special cut not only completely cover the feet, but even drag like a train. In order not to get confused and not to fall, the actor has to move, spreading his legs wide apart, and after each step freeze in certain poses. At the same time, he either spreads the sleeve-shields to the sides, then covers his face with them. He gives the impression of a giant kneeling in order to take a closer look at what is happening on earth. A thick layer of makeup - kumadori - covers the face of the actor, it completely hides his individual features. Hair decorate tikaragami- intricate paper ribbons. For example, on a kimono of a special brown-golden hue (persimmon color), the white pattern of the coat of arms is clearly distinguished mona(three squares inserted one inside the other). The actor is girded with a thick cord niodasuki.

Scene from the play

In the Japanese theatrical costume, the decorative principle is pronounced, but it does not determine the specifics of the use of the costume and its role in creating an artistic image. The costume can be used to determine the season, the costume actively participates in the design of the stage action, conveys such psychological states of the hero that are unattainable by other means in organizing the stage space.

1976 poster (left) / 1985 poster (right)

Joruri puppets can be said to be perfect. The doll is three-quarters of the height of a human being. These amazing dolls move their mouth, eyes and eyebrows, legs, hands and fingers. The body of the dolls is primitive: it is a shoulder bar, to which the arms are attached and the legs are suspended, if the doll is a male character. The female characters do not have legs because they are not visible from under the long kimono. A sophisticated lace system allows the puppeteer to control facial expressions. The dolls' heads are created by skilled craftsmen. As in other types of classical Japanese theater, there are historically established types, for each of which a specific head, wig, and costume are used. As with the masks of the No theater, the variety of puppet heads is distinguished by age, gender, character, and social belonging. Each head has its own name and origin, each used for specific roles.

Poster "Nagasukudzira" (Minke Whale). Dancers using the "Nezhinsky pose". 1972 year

To make it easier to coordinate the actions of the puppeteers and to keep the doll at about human height, the main puppeteer omozukai works in wooden Japanese shoes geta on high stands. The actions of the doll must exactly match the text that reads I am guiding... The precise work of all participants in the performance is achieved through years of hard training and is considered one of the unique features of this art. Narrator I am guiding plays the roles of all the characters and leads the story from the author (sometimes two or more storytellers take part in the performance). Reading I am guiding should be as expressive as possible. His task is to make the dolls come to life. Knowledge of the melodic pattern of the text, voice training, strict coordination of actions with other participants in the performance require many years of persistent preparation. It usually takes twenty to thirty years to study. As in the Noh theater or Kabuki profession I am guiding and the puppeteers in the joruri theater are hereditary. In traditional Japanese performing arts, stage names are passed down from father to son, from teacher to student, along with the secrets of skill.

« 27 evenings for four seasons ", 1972. Lion dance from" Tibasan "(right)

The Japanese cherish the ancient theatrical art, which is a cultural heritage. At the same time, modern theater is very interesting, in which there is a lot of innovative, be it ballet, performance, drama theater, etc. The influence of traditional Japanese theater on modern trends in entertainment culture is obvious. First of all, it is, of course, a costume. On the basis of old traditional costumes, new interesting models are created, sometimes bizarre and fantastic, but silhouettes, elements and details of those clothes that many centuries ago amazed the audience with their brightness and unique beauty are guessed in them.