• NOH: 景清 (Kagekiyo)

12/18/24 (Wed)

The great warrior Kagekiyo, devastated after the Heike loss, has blinded himself in despair and lives a desolate life as a recluse in a remote hut in Hyuga Province (today’s Miyazaki Prefecture). His worried daughter, refusing to believe rumors of his death, has set out with her retainer to find him. She comes upon him, barely recognizing him, but the ashamed Kagekiyo refuses to admit that he is her father until he is identified by a villager. Then he tells her the story of his battle at Yashima, including the famous incident where a man that he had grabbed got away when his neck protector broke off in the warrior’s hand. (“You had a strong grip,” he recalls the man saying, to which he responded humorously, “You had a strong neck” – a bit of rare Noh humor.) He tells the daughter that he will die soon and asks her to say a prayer for him as they part for a final time.

Kagekiyo is brought onto the stage hidden in a large stage prop. As the daughter searches for him, the prop curtains are removed to reveal him inside. He delivers a moving monologue lamenting his present state, unable to know if the time has passed or to do anything but sleep. I loved the poignant pose when he grasps the gate and stares out at the ocean as if he could see, presumably recalling the glories of the past. We can imagine his mortification when his daughter sees his withered body. As he notes sadly, “Even a glorious unicorn is no better than a lame horse when it gets old.” The highlight is his final dance as he describes the decisive battle at Yashima that destroyed both the Heike and his own reason for being, but my favorite point was the touching ending when he says goodbye forever to his daughter.

The play has a famous historical character as the lead, an easy-to-follow plot, and a beautiful story about aging, pride, and parent-child relations. The authorship is unknown; some attribute it to Noh’s founder Zeami, and while that doesn’t seem to be widely accepted, the fact that it can be taken for a Zeami piece in the first place is telling. It apparently has numerous interpretations according to the school, and even the mask (which is named after the character) may or may not sport whiskers depending on whether they’re emphasizing his previous power or his present disgrace. I would think that would be an incentive for each school to show off their version, but it doesn’t appear to be an overly popular show – it’s not in my book of 50 great Noh plays (though it makes the top 200). I can’t at all understand why. A fantastic work, helped by a superb performance by National Living Treasure Otsuki Bunzo.