Kyogen, Day One

I've just returned from my first Kyogen training session. Our first teacher (of three) is an incredibly skinny man by the name of Akira Shigeyama, who we respectfully call Shigeyama-sensei. He is easily the Kyogen authority in Japan and is also active in Japanese TV, radio, opera and experimental theatre. Jonah Salz, the T.T.T. program director, and Akira started the Noho Theatre Group in 1981 which "has attempted to interpret western texts through noh and kyogen techniques and spirit" and has also written and performed bi-lingual Kyogen plays. During the Kyogen workshop we were able to see Shigeyama-sensei and one of the other Kyogen teachers, Maruishi-sensei, perform Bonsan (The Bonsai Thief) which we will be performing during the recital. He has a hilariously expressive face and voice, both of which he has no doubt perfected after years and years of training.

For the recital we're required to perform Bonsan as well as one of two songs and one of two dances. We began the keiko by going through the play line-by-line repeating after the teacher. Kyogen features a very specific accent, so even if you know Japanese it still sounds pretty foreign. We did some one-on-one repetition for a little while and after my turn Shigeyama-sensei turned to Jonah, who was translating.

"Sensei is surprised that you're the least well-versed in Japanese. You don't understand any of what you're saying?"
"Uh, no, not really."
"He says you have a very good ear."
So far, so good.

I'll go on record as saying the hardest part of class was sitting seiza.