The document discusses several forms of traditional Asian theater and festivals. It describes Chinese Peking Opera as a fusion of music, dance, and acrobatics that features distinct male and female roles. Kabuki theater from Japan is also discussed, noting its stylized drama, elaborate makeup, and stage features like the hanamichi walkway. Several Asian festivals are briefly mentioned, including the Chinese New Year, Balinese Dance Festival in Indonesia, and Taiko Drum Festival in Japan.

1. ARTS
Theater Arts
and Festivals of
Asian Region

2. Theater Arts
and Festivals of
Asian Region

3. Chinese Peking Opera or Beijing Opera is a combination of
music, vocal performance, pantomime, dance, and acrobatics.
It started in the late 18th century and became organized
and famous in the mid-19th century.

5. Kabuki is a traditional Japanese popular drama with singing and
dancing performed in a highly stylized manner. A rich blend of
music, dance, mime, and spectacular staging and costuming, it
has been a major theatrical form in Japan for four centuries.
The term kabuki originally suggested the unorthodox and
shocking character of this art form. In modern Japanese, the
word is written with three characters: ka, signifying “song”; bu,
“dance”; and ki, “skill.”

7. Usually, the actors interrupted the play by
responding to the crowd praises. The actors
also allow them to call their favorite
performer during the play.
The Three Main Categories of the Kabuki
Play
1.Jidaimono – historical plays
2.Sewamono – focuses in commoners
(townspeople and laborers)
3.Shosagoto – dance performances

8. Wayang Kulit is a type of shadow
Puppet Theater in Indonesia. It was
originated in Java, Bali and Lombok
province. It is usually accompanied by
the Gamelan. It portrays mainly about
good and evil.
The stories are usually drawn from
the Hindu epics namely:
• Ramayana is a love story
• Mahabharata is about great battles
•
• Serat Menak – a
story about the
heroism of Amir
Hamza.

9. Nang is a famous shadow puppet, a
show originated at the Southern part
of Thailand. It is used for public
entertainment during village festivals,
temple affairs, and other celebrations.
Two Types of the Nang
1. Nang Talung, leather puppets that has movable joints
controlled by strings and usually about 50 centimeters high.
Nang Yai is the teacher and presenter of Nang Talung.
1. Nang Yai, cowhide and rattan made puppets that measuring
around two meters high and do not have movable joints but
has a same style.

10. Spring Festival or Chinese New Year was
celebrated by many countries with Chinese
populations including mainland China, Vietnam,
Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia,
Singapore, Thailand, and Philippines.
Balinese Dance Festival of Indonesia is a
Hindu tradition that a part of religious and
artistic expression of Balinese people

11. Taiko Drum Festival is centered from Sado Island, Japan.
It delivers two meanings: heartbeat and children of the drum.
Drums are very significant most especially for the laborers of
Japan because they use it for some rituals, dance festivals,
rice harvests, and religious ceremonies.

13. Arts
Quarter 4 - Module 2
Asian Festivals and
Theatrical Forms

14. Asian Theatrical Forms
Asia’s performing arts are known to be legends.
Their arts are somewhat related to religions,
mythology, cultural patterns. It is described as a
complex exhibition of remarkable fusion of dance,
music, spectacle and drama, which can be known in
contrast to the Western tradition of art forms.
Chinese Peking Opera (or Beijing Opera) shows an
emphasis on meaning, rather than accuracy, as seen in
other traditional Chinese art forms. Its performers
highly aim to put beauty into every motion, they are
taught to make a synthesis between different aspects
of their Beijing opera.

15. The roles in Peking opera was divided into four (4) main
roles. These were based on their gender, age, kind or evil-
heartedness, handsomeness or ugliness of the character.
Sheng is the main male role in Peking Opera. It is subdivided into
three subtypes namely:

16. Xiaosheng – handsome,
young men that is often
involved in beautiful
women.

17. •Wusheng – martial art
character for roles involving
combat.
• They are highly trained in
acrobatics and have a
natural voice when singing

18. Laosheng – dignified and older
role which have the character of
gentle and cultivated disposition
who wear sensible costumes

19. Dan refers to any female role in Peking
Opera and is subdivided into five
subtypes mainly:
Laodan – old, clever
woman who wears no
make-up and does have a
natural voice

20. Wudan – martial woman. This role
requires a high standard of
acrobatics and a clothing that is
simple and convenient for her
movements

21. Daomadan – young
female warrior that
was trained mainly
for singing, action,
and skillful
performance

22. Qingyi – virtuous and elite
woman. It is the most
important role in Chinese
Peking opera

23. Huadan – vivacious
and unmarried
woman. She will
take the
attention of the
audience with her
quicker movements

24. Jing is a male role with a
painted face. He plays either
the primary or secondary
roles. This character shows a
force that requires a strong
voice and exaggerated
gestures. Red color denotes
loyalty and goodness, white
for evil and black for
integrity.

25. Chou is a male clown that usually
plays the secondary role. This
name means “ugly”, reflecting the
traditional belief that the clown’s
combination of ugliness and
laughter could drive away evil
spirits.

26. Kabuki theatre (Japan), a traditional Japanese drama
that is known for the stylization of its drama and the
elaborate makeup worn by some of its performers. The
kabuki stage features hanamichi, a flower path walkway
which extends to the audience; kogakudo, stages in front
of the audience and along the sides that helps create a
bond between the performers and the viewers; mawaro
butal, interior of the theatre; suppon, platform that rises
from below the stage, and hanamicho, a walkway that cuts
through the audience seating are to connect the stage with
the back of the theatre.

27. Hanamicho

28. Suppon

29. Hanamichi

30. Kogakudo

31. The performers are all male which are separated
into two main categories, the onna-gata (female
roles) and aragoto (male roles). Most of its main
characters are aragoto because of its super-
stylized masculine and heroic style.