Back Stage at the Noh

This afternoon we were guests of the Hosho Noh Theatrer, where we were given a chance to be dressed in costume and walk on the actual Noh stage. Two of us were invited to volunteer to be dressed, one as a warrior and one as a lady. Since no one else was jumping in, I took the opportunity, and chose to be a warrior. These are quite heavy and stylized costumes, and the complexity of layers and adjustments requires that one be dressed. Three young actors from the school took about ten minutes, maybe a little more, to get me into the warrior garb, complete with sword and big pants. The costumes are generally one size, and adjusted to fit the individual actor as the dressing is taking place, so the needle and thread came out to shorten the sleeves and keep the outer layer from shifting. There is also quite a bit of wrapping around the hips and waist, which makes it much easier to stand in the correct Noh posture. I didn't get a chance to pull my hair back before we started, so the look was, I think, a little like a chubby warrior character, with the wig from the part of a madwoman.
Walking onto the stage was very much like walking into a cathedral. No one is allowed on a Noh stage unless they are wearing white cotton tabi (socks) and these allow you slide your foot nearly silently (in theory) over the smooth wood deck of the stage. We were also allowed to stomp a little. The main Noh stage is designed to resonate like a drum when struck hard with the foot, and it was good to hear and feel the reverberation.