Makeup and Mask in Chapter One

Lani Barry

Anthropology in Makeup and Mask

Between Theater & Anthropology

Chapter one – Points of Contact

Richard Schechner describes two types of theatre, Japanese Noh and the Deer Dance rituals of the Yaqui Indians, which seem unrelated considering the distance between the places of origin. However, Schechner uses two aspects of these different theatres to show how they could be related.

Structurally they have similar ritualistic elements to them. With Japanese Noh theatre we know of the Jo-Ha-Kyu arrangement that slowly builds tension to the sudden rush and climax of the play’s story. Noh does not require a resolution to the conflict of the story, but it could simply repeat the aforementioned pattern. While watching the Yaqui Indians, they displayed a similar structured pattern to their performance. The Pascola dancers, who represent demons or spiritual beings, and the main Deer Dancer all have specific points of entry into the performance and designated points of interaction. These interactions all develop on a gradual tension building, until the interactions of the dancers pinnacles, resulting in the Deer Dancer to end the performance in solo before an abrupt end.

What we have is my application of a Japanese theory of aesthetics to a Native American drama. (Schechner, 13)

The transformative powers of mask were also a correlation Schechner made when discussing the Yaqui and Noh. The headdress of the Deer Dancer sits atop their own head without obscuring the face, yet the head and antlers of the deer compile the headdress itself. The result is an interpretation of a creature not completely a deer, and not wholly human. The mask gives the performer the ability to embody the character, such as a deer, yet still reveal enough of themselves to translate the character as they wish. Noh drama was described similarly as the face of the Shite actor is exposed beneath the smaller mask of his character.

It isn’t that a performer stops being himself or herself when he or she becomes another – multiple selves coexist in an unresolved dialectical tension. (Schechner, 8)

Later the book goes on to discuss how preparation for a performance can be considered part of the ritual. When looking at Indian theatre such as Kuttiyatam or Kathakali, the 2 hour process of putting on the elaborate make up is considered essential training to becoming your character and preparing for the performance. In the Indian tradition of Ramlila, the theatrical retelling of the Ramayana, the young boys who play the key roles of Rama, Sita, and Hanuman are carried to their dressing rooms once they leave the stage. While still in full costume, they embody the characters they play, and to have their feet touch the ground is desecration.

The other aspects of a performance, such as rehearsal and cool-down are looked at. Rehearsals occur in customary forms of Asian theatre in Japan and India, however, because the characters are so well established in tradition it isn’t considered to be as vital as in western theatre.

In Euro-American theatre it is not so important that an artist be shaped to conform to a particular set of performative expectations already laid down by tradition. (Schechner, 20)

Cool down traditions vary by culture. While actors may be fed or go to temple after a performance in India, Western theatre traditions have enabled actors to come mingle with the audiences after a performance. The stage space is still considered sacred as audience members are not allowed to go backstage unless given a tour before or after the performance.

During the conclusion of chapter one, Schechner evaluates how our theatrical traditions are passed down. Cultures with an oral tradition revere their Gurus and scholars who maintain the traditions and practices of their theatre, like living historians. However, he continues on to look at how international study and workshops of theatre between genres introduce new concepts to each culture. We can adapt each other’s traditions and give our theatrical practices new ideas borrowed from other cultures. Grotowski’s name comes up a lot in the chapter, especially towards the section on blending theatrical traditions, as he integrated international techniques into his Western theatre practices in the 1970’s.

Whatever the theatrical tradition is, it appears that in Western, Asian, or Indian cultures, the preparation of becoming a character is linked with the application of makeup or mask. Once in makeup or mask the actor becomes an embodiment of the character he represents, yet the actor is still appreciated for their interpretation. They are to not lose their grounding as a performer by becoming personified in the role, hence the full or partial exposure of the face during a performance.

The removal of the mask and makeup is also essential to exiting the role and performance, as Western actors are to not interact with audiences once they are out of costume (character), and Indian/Asian theatrical practices encourage the same.

Citations:

Schechner, Richard. Between Theater & Anthropology . Philadelphia: University of Pennslyvania Press, 1985. 8-20. Print.