''Five Modern Nō Plays'' is a collection of plays written by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Mishima wrote these plays between 1950 and 1955 and presented them as modern plays in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. Of these five, only ''The Damask Drum'' was expressed in the traditional

Nō is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

fashion. ''

The Lady Aoi ''The Lady Aoi'' is a play written by Yukio Mishima in 1954 which appears in his ''Five Modern Noh Plays''. It modernizes the noh drama ''Aoi no Ue''. English Version Donald Keene has translated this play into English. Notable productions ...

'' was expressed as a Western-style

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

. The plays take older Nō plots or traditional and foreign fairy tales and bring them to a modern setting. Famed Japan scholar

Donald Keene Donald Lawrence Keene (June 18, 1922 – February 24, 2019) was an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. Keene was University Professor emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japan ...

translated "Five Modern Nō Plays."

Plays

Sotoba Komachi The aged Komachi rests upon the ''Sotoba Komachi'' is a Noh play written by Kan'ami, and is one of the most compelling and best-known of the type. Plot and themes Much of the strength of the play derives from the variety provided by the three ...

: A poet meets Komachi, a repulsive-looking old woman, at a Tokyo park at night. She expresses the memory of when she had been lovely 80 years ago. She reminisces on a night in the 1880s, and together with the help of the poet (who acts the part of the Military Officer with whom she fell in love), they relive that night. The poet realizes that she is still beautiful, and sees past her ragged clothes and wretched body. But expressing her beauty can only result in death. *The Damask Drum: An old man becomes enamored with a neighbor. The neighbor and her associates play a trick on the man by challenging him to sound a drum. If he can make the drum sound, he will earn a kiss. However, this drum is made of damask, and is only a

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

, incapable of making any sound. *Kantan: A youth who sees no meaning in anything, wonders what will happen if he sleeps on a magical pillow which makes the dreamer realize what he already understands, the futility of existence. *Hanjo *

Reception

Mishima received the illustrious Kishida Prize for Drama from Shinchosha Publishing in 1955.

Plays

Reception

See also