{"id":819,"date":"2008-05-19T00:34:12","date_gmt":"2008-05-18T15:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2008-05-19\/819"},"modified":"2008-05-19T00:34:12","modified_gmt":"2008-05-18T15:34:12","slug":"noh-theater-and-missed-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2008-05-19\/819","title":{"rendered":"Noh Theater, and Missed Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nthe scrumptious visual delight of\nNoh Theater<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I had an amazing photographic and cultural opportunity fall into my lap\nthis weekend.<\/p>\n\n

Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until after I got<\/span> home and did a bit<\/span>\nof after-the-fact research.<\/p>\n\n

One of the mommies at Anthony's preschool has three daughters. One is four<\/span> years old and in the preschool year below Anthony's, and another is a\nyear<\/span> older than Anthony, having graduated from the kindergarten in March.\n(Like the Japanese fiscal year, the Japanese school year ends in March.)\nThe third is older, perhaps around 13 or so. These children are absolutely\nexquisite. They're cute and beautiful as can be, and have a presence.<\/span>.. a\nmaturity.<\/span>.. well beyond their age. Plus, even though they don't know me\n(other than as “Anthony's papa”), they wave and smile pleasantly at me\nwhenever they see me.<\/p>\n\n

These children just exude photogenicity<\/i>, so when I had<\/span> a chance<\/span>\nto snap some shots of the middle girl at preschool graduation in March, I\ndid.<\/span> They were just unplanned snapshots hastily taken during the hubbub\nafter the graduation ceremony, but some came out nicely (some can be seen\nhere<\/a>, here<\/a>, and here<\/a>), and I later<\/span>\ngave the mom a few<\/span> 8×10s.<\/p>\n\n

So, the mom, knowing that I have an interest in photography, told me\nabout and all-day event that was to be held on Saturday (yesterday) at the\nNoh theater next to my place, mentioning that her oldest daughter would be\nperforming something at 1pm. That last bit didn't surprise me, because I\nknow<\/span> that the family is some relation to a famous<\/span> noh performer, or something\nlike that.<\/p>\n\n

I don't know anything about noh<\/a> except that it might be\ncalled “Japanese Opera”, but I've been living right next to a noh<\/span> theater<\/a> for the last few years,\nand thought it'd be a great<\/span> chance to see inside, and to photograph in a\nsetting<\/span> that I'm sure is normally “no cameras allowed.” Plus, there'd be\none of the exquisite, photogenic children there.<\/p>\n\n

So, I head over<\/span> a bit<\/span> before 1:00, and peruse the program. Even the most\ndeeply “Japanese” writing tends to have some<\/i> “English” (roman\nletters, or Arabic numerals, such as in page numbers, times, dates, etc.),\nbut the inside of this eight-page program was entirely devoid<\/i> of\nanything modern. I thought<\/span> it was really interesting. (The back cover did\nuse roman letters for a website<\/span> address, and the front cover inexplicably\nused “TEL” before a phone<\/span> number, even though the phone number itself was\ngiven in Chinese characters.)<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nSample Page from the Program<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

It turns out that it's a two-day event, so I find<\/span> the section for 1pm on\nthe second day, and scan for the last name of the girl. I see that<\/span> it's\nafter a break<\/span> after something that starts at 1:00, so I have<\/span> plenty of time\nto get settled in and do some test shots.<\/p>\n\n

While sitting in the lobby, I see the<\/span> two younger girls, and chat with\nthem a bit.<\/span> I ask the<\/span> one how she likes first grade. “It's fun.” The\nyoungest one — four years old — looked cute enough to eat.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>30 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nNoh-Theater Stage<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

The atmosphere seems pretty easy-going, with people stepping in and out\nof the small theater, but I didn't<\/span> want to be a distraction<\/span> with my 6'4\" of\nclumsiness and all my camera stuff, so I waited<\/span> for a break<\/span> in the program,\nand headed in about 10 minutes before 1:00.<\/p>\n\n

As I'm stepping in, I'm shocked<\/span> to hear the eldest daughter's name being\nannounced, and seeing her walk out on stage! Doh, they're half an hour\nahead of schedule!!!<\/p>\n\n

I rush to a seat and get my camera stuff set up as quickly as doing it\nsilently would allow. It doesn't feel all that dark inside, but the camera\nwas not<\/i> liking my lack of a tripod.<\/span> I bump up<\/span> the ISO (camera sensor\nlight sensitivity) and quickly switch to my fastest lens – a Nikkor<\/span>\n85mm f<\/span>\/1.4 – and snap off one fuzzy\nshot...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 85mm f\/1.4 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nRiko-chan and Accompanist<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I stuck around for a few more short musical performances, and for what\nturned out to be one somewhat longer noh play. Noh has been<\/span> around for\nabout 700 years, and even early on, I'm sure it<\/span> incorporated the richness\nof a culture<\/span> that was already<\/i> over a thousand<\/span> years old. That's a\nlot<\/span> of cultural heritage, all of which is totally lost on me. I didn't<\/span>\nunderstand a thing,<\/span> perhaps, if at all possible, even less than I would<\/span>\nunderstand western opera.<\/p>\n\n

Only after I got home and looked at my pictures and did a little<\/span>\nresearch did I understand<\/span> more about the situation I had<\/span> been in.<\/p>\n\n

It turns out that the “accompanist” above is Riko-chan's dad!<\/p>\n\n

It turns out that his<\/i> dad turns 60 this year, and this entire\ntwo-day event is in honor of that.<\/p>\n\n

And it turns out that his<\/i> dad has been bestowed the\nincomprehensibly high honor of being named a Japanese\nLiving National Treasure<\/a>. The list of<\/span> noh performers ever so named is\nvery short, even shorter when you consider those remaining footnoted as\n“still living”.<\/p>\n\n

And it turns out that the later performance that I thought<\/span> was going to\nbe Riko-chan – that I didn't<\/span> stay for because I thought<\/span> they were\nrunning ahead of schedule – was really her grandfather's (the one\nturning 60, for which the entire two-day event was to commemorate). Sure\nenough, I look back<\/span> into the program now and see Riko-chan listed toward\nthe end of the noon hour. Sigh, I should<\/span> have paid more attention.<\/p>\n\n

Of course, I didn't understand any of that at the time, but I was<\/span> happy\nto be able to photograph what I did<\/span> see. After Riko-chan left the stage, I pulled<\/span> out my Nikkor\n70<\/span>-200\/2.8 VR Zoom<\/a> and monopod<\/a>, and with the\ncombination (VR and monopod) am able to get a few<\/span> shots at very slow\nshutter speeds that look okay when shrunk for the web...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm<\/span> — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>10 sec<\/span>, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nChanter<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

When the noh play thing started, after a while<\/span> this guy came out and was\nclearly a man<\/span> of importance in the context of a story<\/span> I couldn't<\/span> possibly\nunderstand....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nBig Man Makes an Entrance<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Noh is extremely<\/i> formal, with every slight movement (by any\nperformer, for any reason) strictly regimented. As I said<\/span>, I'm sure that<\/span>\nthere's a lot<\/span> of meaning behind it all. I was proud<\/span> that I could<\/span> understand\na few<\/span> words of the chanting-like speech of the Big Man above. Mostly, I\nbelieve,<\/span> it's archaic Japanese, so most native Japanese wouldn't understand\nit either.<\/p>\n\n

During the performance, I noticed<\/span> the man sitting directly behind the\nwoman at right in the photo above....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm<\/span> — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>30 sec<\/span>, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n“Small Drum” Performer and Sensei<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

It was clear that he was her teacher, as every so often he would gently\ntouch her shoulder in a way<\/span> that clearly indicated “you leave off here” or\n“you start soon”. This in itself is not particularly interesting, but the\nway he did it was almost moving in a way<\/span> I can't<\/span> really describe. His action<\/span> in helping her was minimal, as if his mere presence was sufficient to\nguide her.<\/p>\n\n

Mind you, I noticed<\/span> this and felt this way while I was<\/span> there, before\ngetting home and realizing that it was Riko-chan's dad, and all the other\nstuff I mentioned<\/span> earlier. Clearly, the guy's got something going for him\nbesides a good<\/span> pedigree.<\/p>\n\n

Meanwhile, I had low<\/span> light and low skill, so I tried<\/span> some static “mood”\nshots...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 125 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>30 sec<\/span>, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm<\/span> — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>20 sec<\/span>, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nChanters Waiting<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>40 sec<\/span>, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nMedium Drum, two Small Drum, and a Flutist<\/span><\/span>\nunder the gaze of the Big Man, who was now sitting in the corner of the stage\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm<\/span> — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>15 sec<\/span>, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nFans, Between Rows of Chanters<\/span>\nI had high hopes for this shot, but it really needs a smaller<\/span> aperture\n<\/div>\n\n

So, it turns out that the Big Man really wasn't, because out came\nsomeone whose costume was much<\/i> more ornate.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 40 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>50 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

“More ornate” also means “more photogenic”, but it was difficult with a moving<\/span> target...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 120 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>90 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

And then its twin came out...<\/p>\n\n

(I say “it” because I think<\/span> it was a spirit<\/span> of ghost of some kind, but I really<\/span> have no clue.)<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 55 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f\/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>30 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I don't think I'll ever understand the noh itself, but if I ever<\/span> get\nanother chance to photograph it, I'll come more prepared, with a tripod<\/span> and\nmore fast lenses, and now maybe just a bit<\/span> of experience.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I had an amazing photographic and cultural opportunity fall into my lap this weekend.<\/p>

Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until after I got home and did a bit of after-the-fact research.<\/p>

One of the mommies at Anthony's preschool has three daughters. One is four years old and in the preschool year below Anthony's, and another is a year older than Anthony, having graduated from the kindergarten in March. (Like the Japanese fiscal year, the Japanese school year ends in March.) The third is older, perhaps around 13 or so. These children are absolutely exquisite. They're cute and beautiful as can [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}