Kiri Noh (切り能, final plays) or oni mono (鬼物, demon plays) usually feature the shite in the role of monsters, goblins, or demons, and are often selected for their bright colors and fast-paced, tense finale movements.

The tachi kata are the three main roles in charge of song and dance: shite, waki and kyōgen. The hayashi are the musicians at the back of the stage and they are divided into four instrument groups: fue (flute), kotsuzumi (shoulder drum), ōtsuzumi (hip drum), and taiko (stick drum).

Jul 1, 2008 · Written in kanji as either “doing-hand” or “useful-hand,” the shite facilitates the given sequence. In Noh and kyōgen plays with no stage director, the shite also fulfils this role, and the other performers on stage take cues from the performance of the shite.

Mar 7, 2025 · Three major Noh roles exist: the principal actor, or shite; the subordinate actor, or waki; and the kyōgen actors, one of whom is often involved in Noh plays as a narrator. Each is a specialty having several “schools” of performers, and …

Noh is a theatrical art form that has been handed down through generations and been labeled one of the worlds oldest performing arts. It has also been designated an “Intangible Cultural Heritage” by UNESCO. Noh is a total art form comprised of drama, music and dance elements.

Some of the easiest places to watch noh today are modern indoor theaters with an in-built noh stage. In Tokyo, such venues include the National Noh Theatre near Sendagaya Station, the Kanze Noh Theater in Ginza and the Cerulean Tower Noh Theatre in Shibuya.

Nohgaku is staged by Nohgaku performers. In Noh, the main actor is known as “ shite,” the actor playing opposite the main actor is “ waki,” the shite’s supporting role is “ tsure,” and the facilitator or supporting role is “ ai.”

The shite enters and introduces himself with a monologue. The waki begins a series of questions through which the shite begins to reveal some mysterious facet of his past or identity.

In mugen noh, the shite is either a ghost, vengeful spirit or some otherworldly character. In genzai noh, the shite portrays a living person whose story develops throughout the piece rather than reliving the past.

Shite The main character in noh is called the shite or “doer.” In most plays, the shite wears a mask when performing. Some noh plays have one act, while others have two. For the latter, the role of the shite in the first act is called the mae shite and in the second act the nochi shite.