2016 Noh Theatre Performance

Although the title of this drama is "Aoi-no-ue (Lady Aoi)," the lady herself does not appear on the stage. A kosode is placed at the center front of the stage to embody Lady Aoi, who is suffering from the phantom without resistance. The core of this drama is the affection and jealousy of Lady Rokujo, who cannot help being an ogre. Since she is an ex-crown princess, the actor needs to express dignity in her eerie spirit even after she is transformed into an ogre. At the ending of maeba, she throws a fan and disappears while covering herself with a kimono. Particularly, in this scene, the actor has to express her emotional upsurge while moving gracefully to maintain her dignity.

This drama involves various devices to nurture the atmosphere of the Tale of Genji. The climax of utai in the first half of the drama includes names of the chapters of the Tale of Genji. Also, in the Muromachi era people felt that the direct cause of Lady Rokujo's jealous struggle with Lady Aoi was that she lost the fight for precedence for her carriage against Lady Aoi at the Kamo Festival. Following this interpretation, Lady Rokujo enters the stage riding on a broken carriage in the first half of the drama.

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