Opportunity to see Noh masters perform in Honolulu

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Outreach College Presents

The Samurai Warrior on the Noh Stage

University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Orvis Auditorium

Saturday, February 7, 2015 • 7:30pm

Two of the most respected young Noh actors, Munenori and Fumiyuki Takeda, present excerpts of the warrior play Kiyotsune.  Written by Zeami (1363-1443), who is considered the foremost writer of Noh, Kiyotsune tells a tale of Taira no Kiyotsune.  Distraught to be on the losing side of the Gempei War, Kiyotsune commits suicide.  He returns, in ghost form, to his wife who is distraught that he failed keep his promise to return to her.  The two share their longing and vent their resentments.  Kiyotsune recounts his final days and existence in hell until his prayers release him and he enters the Western Paradise of Amida Buddha.    

About the artists

Munenori Takeda has performed on the Noh stage since the age of two.  He is part of a prestigious family of Noh actors belonging to the Kanze school of Noh, which traces its roots to the 1300s. Munenori's father, grandfather, and several of his uncles are all certified as "Living National Treasures" in Japan.  He is active in promoting Noh for the young and for wider audiences, giving workshops, seminars, and performances involving audience participation. His magnetic stage presence has won him fans well beyond the confines of the Noh world, and he is widely recognized as one of the most talented young Noh performers.

Cousin to Munenori, Fumiyuki Takeda first took the stage at age three.  His father is also a “Living National Treasure” and a major figure in the Kanze School of Noh Theater.  In 2008, Fumiyuki and fellow Noh performers born in 1977 formed the “Nanaju Nana Nen Kai” (literally, the ‘1977 Club’). The group has given many performances and workshops, gaining wide popularity.

Tickets are available: on line at www.outreach.hawaii.edu/community, by phone at 944-2697, or at the Stan Sheriff Center and UH Mānoa Campus Center box offices.  Service charges apply.  Advance sales end at midnight the day prior to the performance. At the door sales begin 1 hour before performance begins.  For more information, call 956-8246.

Presented by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Outreach College in association with the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Theatre & Dance and Music Departments, Maui Arts & Cultural Center and the Performing Arts Presenters of Hawaii.  Supported in part by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.