World Theater Tradition: Sample Presentations

After watching multiple student presentations for the IB world theater traditions project, I feel like I have a good grasp on what the IB is looking for in terms of a high-quality presentation.  In the first section, you have to explain what your chosen tradition is and give general information about it using a variety of sources. However, it’s important not to spend too long on general facts about the tradition; just say as much as is necessary and then hone in on the specific convention of that tradition you will be showing off. It’s also important to explain the context of the tradition in history and the cultural significance to show that the tradition you chose is worth learning about. 

In the second section, you have to explain the work you have done in preparing to preforming your tradition and convention for the class, and how you applied it to create a single moment of theater. This ties directly into section three, which is preforming the convention while explaining the nuances to the audience. As before, specifics are key here. When doing the performance, I think it would be helpful to take a cue from the girl who did her project on Talchum dance, who explained her moment of theater step by step before putting it all together. This way, the viewers can fully understand and appreciate the full performance, rather than having it explained to them after the fact.

The last section is the one where people seem to lose points the most often. In this section, you have to explain how researching and preparing for this presentation has made you a better performer. Where most people lose points here is not drawing connections to any particular theater experience they have had or are currently working on, so I will have to remember not to make that mistake. You also have briefly to compare the convention to another theater tradition in this section, so as I do my research, I will take note of what aspects of Rakugo remind me of other theater traditions I have looked into.

My Choice of World Theater Tradition

After doing further research, I have decided that the world theater tradition I want to study for my IB Task 3 Project is Rakugo. I want to study this Japanese form of theater because it is very different from the theater I am used to performing. Playing multiple characters on my own and making them clearly distinct from each other, using just my voice, expressions, and mannerisms, sounds like a trying but exciting challenge that would push my acting range. I am generally a pretty expressive person when it comes to my body language, so I hopefully will be able to work around the limit of having to remain seated for the whole performance without much difficulty. The minimalist nature of Rakugo performances also means that I would not have to worry too much about preparing stuff for my performance; only two props are allowed, and you can’t change costume mid-show.

There is also an unexpected appeal to be found in just how long Rakugo has lasted. It has been around since Japan’s Edo period that started in 1603 and is still somewhat popular there to this day. The core tradition having changed very little in the centuries it’s been around, serving as further proof of its value to both Japanese culture and the world of theater. In addition, unlike some of the other world theater traditions we could choose from, Rakugo plays aren’t all from just one genre. While Rakugo performances tend to be on the more lighthearted side, they can be comedies or family dramas. There are also different variations of Rakugo, such as ongyokubanashi (musicals), kaidanbanashi (stories with ghosts), and ninjōbanashi (more sentimental stories), though these usually lack the punchline (ochi) that serves as the climax of traditional Rakugo plays. This will give me slightly more leeway when it comes to putting on an example performance myself for this project. With all of this in mind, I am very excited to begin my world theatre traditions project and look more into Rakugo theater.

Here are two sources I found about Rakugo:

First website

Second website

Sample IB Task 3 Rakugo Presentation (the grade the student received, as well as some of the teacher’s comments, can be found in the comments section)

World Theater Traditions: Early Reflection

I have really enjoyed getting the chance to examine all of these different forms of theatre so far. I had heard of Rokugo in particular before after watching a video on YouTube about a current anime based around the art form, and from what little I could glean in that video, I was intrigued. Having to act out multiple characters using just your voice and limited body movements seems like it would be a really fun challenge to take on. Right now, it’s at the top of my list of world teacher traditions that I would like to study for this project. However, after our previous unit on Julie Taymor, I have also gained a greater appreciation for theater involving puppetry. 

It’s interesting to see how varied these theater traditions are, while still sharing some similarities. For example, I thought it was cool that multiple cultures have their own popular form of shadow puppet theater. Another thing I did not exactly expect going in was how each tradition seemed to be tied to a specific kind of show (comedy, tragedy, etc.). Going in, I had thought of these traditions as just forms, without considering how themes and tone tend to arise from the form the story is being told in. 

When comparing these traditions to the kinds of shows I have watched and performed in over the years, there are certainly some that feel more familiar than others. Traditions like Kyogen are not too much more extreme than the kind of comedy-focused plays that I have seen. On the other hand, I found the Kathakali performance I watched on YouTube to be pretty out there, having the singers tell the story from off stage while the dancers perform in colorful, flamboyant costumes and heavy face makeup on the stage. I feel that Rakugo is also pretty unusual; one-person shows are not a totally new concept to me, but having to do it all while remaining seated center stage only makes it that much more impressive. In forms like these, there is a lot more of an emphasis on the subtle movements the actors can pull off, things that are much more difficult to appreciate in, say, your standard Broadway show. 

There are also traditions that toe the life between dance performances and theater, such as the Korean mask dances. The thing that makes this theater, and the underlying connection between all these traditions, is that there is some kind of story that the performers are trying to tell, whether it be comedic or dramatic, more abstract or more direct. The cool thing about examining these theater traditions from all over the world is that it shows how different cultures share their stories, and what kind of stories they feel are worth telling. 

World Theater Traditions - Example Presentations

Rakugo
Noh theater
Kabuki

World Theater Traditions - Starting Reserach

From Monday
1. Rakugo “sit down” theatre (Japan)
A. Source: https://www.nippon.com/en/features/jg00045/
B. One actor in a kimono sitting in the middle of the stage with limited props; does all characters
C. Practiced since the Edo period (1603–1868) and is still popular today (there’s even an anime about it)
D. Usually comedic or lighthearted family drama
E. Vocabulary terms
a. rakugoka = the performer (professional)
b. ochi/raku = the punchline of the performance
c. neta = material (script)
F. Video: https://youtu.be/ybUa1JoGTUQ
2. Medieval mystery plays (England, France, Germany)
A. Source: https://www.britannica.com/art/mystery-play
B. Bible stories
C. Started out as performances on church grounds by churchmen in Latin
D. Guilds started popping up in the 13th century that brought them to the general public
E. Performed on pageant wagons in England (with dressing room)
F. Proper stages in France and Italy with hell on one side, heaven in the other, and earth in between
G. Stories changed after multiple retellings and satire was added in
H. Faded out at the end of the 16th century
a. Church no longer supported them because they weren’t accurate
b. People were more interested in plays by traveling companies from Italy
c. Renaissance scholars thought they were trash
I. Video: https://youtu.be/fMAFgSnDlRY
3. Khayal al-zill shadow puppets (Egypt)
A. Source: http://archive.aramcoworld.com/issue/199902/shadows.of.fancy.htm
B. Khayal al-zill means “"shadows of the imagination" or "shadows of fancy”
C. Started as early as the founding of Cairo in the 10th century
D. Popularity peaked in the 13th and 14th centuries; performed throughout the Nile Delta
E. Big part of the holy month of Ramadan
F. More allegorical stories with Islamic roots
G. Told in parts over multiple nights to keep people coming back
H. Portable stages made from wood and canvas
I. Foot-tall shadow figures made from stiff, thin-stretched translucent camel-hide
J. Mounted on wooden rods that let you manipulate the limbs
K. Video: https://youtu.be/7EfGjd5iC-A

For homework:
1. Kyogen video (https://youtu.be/oKfriCzdjSg)
A. Clear, exaggerated movements
B. Loud voices, use of verbal sound effects
C. Physical/visual comedy
D. Limited set and props
2. Talchum dance (https://youtu.be/5cgO53tMBmI)
A. Large ensemble wearing bright red masks
B. Loud music; percussion particularly stands out (to help dancers keep the rhythm)
C. Colorful outfits with super long sleeves (like holding a ribbon)
D. Shout-singing
3. Kathakali (https://youtu.be/E1c37mFAKG0)
A. Separate singer and actor (like Julie Taymor’s Oedipus Rex...)
B. Dancer is super dressed up with heavy facial makeup while the singer is basically the opposite
C. Low droning singing
D. Intense facial expressions have to tell most of the story on the actor’s part
E. Arm and hand movements are exaggerated but calculated
F. Mostly stays in the center of the stage

Julie Taymor Director’s Notebook Reflection

My Project

For my Director’s Notebook on Julie Taymor, I chose to watch and analyze her production of Igor Stravinsky’s version of “Oedipus Rex”. I really enjoyed doing this project. As a naturally analytical person, I found it fun to look out for small details in the production that could potentially tie into larger themes or symbolism. My first time watching through the production, I jotted down any thoughts relating to the project that came to mind as it played, resulting in a lengthy list of observations at the end. I then looked over my list of notes and tried to organize them into the topics that we had to cover for the project. This allowed me to see which areas I had to pay more attention to on subsequent viewings of the video. 

Before I started work on the presentation itself, I read what Julie Taymor had to say about her production of “Oedipus Rex” in her book “Playing With Fire” as a guide for what things I should focus on the most. The book also helped illuminate certain things about her production for me, such as the inspiration behind the specific style of masks she used and the significance of the recurring red thread. 

When I began putting the presentation together in Google Slides, I started by making slides for the stuff I had the most information about, and continued from there. It was only when the presentation was almost done that I did most of the reorganizing of slides to have a natural flow between topics. I did not end up using as many images as I would have liked to (for example, I probably could have added a picture of the Sphinx Puppet), but I think that the ones I did include got across my points well enough on their own. The plot summary slide was actually the last one I added, and it was mainly there so that if either of my classmates had not read the original play, they would not be too confused during my presentation.

I did not really get the chance to properly present my project, but even when I was doing it for just Mrs. Guarino, I did notice near the end that I had picked up my habit of talking slightly too fast, making it more difficult for people to keep up with me. That is something I still have to work on in general when it comes to presenting things. 

Looking at my presentation in comparison to my classmates’, I figure that mine probably could have gone into more detail at points, but I am also glad that I didn’t make mine as long as theirs. I did not even think of pulling up the video during my presentation for extra proof of my points, and I think it could have helped if I had had the time. However, in general, I am satisfied with how this project turned out.

Oedipus Rex Director’s Notebook Rough Draft

These are the rough notes I took while watching through the movie for the first time. I didn’t have enough time to really organize or refine them any further unfortunately.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Cam9GjGs_aBrthBOmc7MBv_rETKeIiEof0-HxkngH6s