1.2 Functions of a mask in the No theater

As we mentioned earlier, the key to understanding the Noh theater lies in the theatrical mask, since the actors of this theater do not resort to makeup and facial expressions. It is in the mask that many functions are embedded, reflecting not only the philosophy of the “No” theater, but also the principles of Eastern philosophical doctrine.

“Mask, maskus” from Latin means mask, but there is an even more ancient word that most accurately reveals the essence of the mask “Sonaze” - to restrain. It was this function of the mask that was actively used in ritual action. From the definition of E.A. Torchinov, who means by ritual a set of certain acts that have sacred meaning and aimed at reproducing one or another deep experience, or its symbolistic representation, we can conclude that the mask is a shield that protects from the image, but at the same time a certain path to it (18, p. 67.).

There are 200 masks in the No Theater, which are strictly classified. Most bright groups are: gods (characters of Buddhist and Shinto cults), men (court aristocrats, warriors, people from the people), women (court ladies, concubines of noble feudal lords, maids), madmen (people shocked by grief), demons (characters fantasy world). Masks also vary in age, character and appearance. Some masks are designed for specific plays, others can be used to create existing characters in any play. On this basis, the creators of the No theater believed that the whole world was represented on their stage (9, p. 21).

The masks are cut out in various sizes from carefully selected wood and painted with special paint. The technology for making masks is so complex that most of the masks currently in use were created by famous mask carvers back in the 14th to 17th centuries. Masks made modern masters- imitation of old works. In this regard, we can judge that each of the theater masks is an independent work of art.

It is worth noting that, despite all the variety of masks, in the No theater the mask often does not express a specific character, but is only his “ghost”, history, generalization human form.

Because the literary material theater "No" is folklore ancient Japan, the mask in the theater serves as a conductor of spiritual experience. The mask carries all the distinctive features of not only the individual, distinctive features of that time and created at this time, it can be assumed that it immerses the viewer in the proposed circumstances.

At the same time, the mask distracts attention from the “here”, the “seeing”, since, according to Eastern philosophers, “the truth is not open to the eye, the further you move, the more you will see,” which is directly related to the philosophy of Zen Buddhism and the philosophy of the Noh theater. . This also confirms the fundamental principles of the leading aesthetic concepts of the Noh theater - monomane and yugen.

An actor in the No theater does not always play a role wearing a mask. He just puts on a mask main actor(siete) and performers female roles. The companions of the main character put on a mask only in the second act after the moment of “transformation”. If the siete is portraying a romantic character, the actor usually does not wear a mask. The actor's face, without it, is absolutely static, since playing with a face in the No theater is considered vulgar.

Considering the No theater, a modern researcher of oriental culture, E. Grigorieva, argues that the mask as a “calmed emotion” resembles the vanity of passions. (8, p. 345) The mask is like “thundering silence.” We can conclude that the mask is the key to revealing the essence of the role, is its history and result.

Before touching the mask, the actor tunes into the “magical emptiness” - completely cleanses himself. Theater expert Grigory Kozintsev recalls in his book “The Space of Tragedy” a conversation with Akira Kurasawa, an expert on the Noh theater. “I’m beginning to understand that “putting on a mask” is a process as difficult as “getting into character.” (8, p. 346) Long before the start of the performance, the artist stands near the mirror. The boy hands him a mask and he carefully takes it and silently peers at its features. The expression of the eyes changes imperceptibly, the appearance becomes different. The mask “turns into a person.” After this, he slowly and solemnly puts on the mask and turns to the mirror. There is no longer a person and a mask separately, now they are a whole” (8, pp. 345-346.) From this it follows that the mask separates the actor from outside world, contributes to his entry into the “not-I” state.

The Noh theater actor never touches the front surface of the mask, touching it only in the place where the strings are located that attach the mask to the actor’s face. After the performance, the mask is expelled from the actor in a similar way, and then placed in a special case until the next use. In fact, at any time theater school the role is “burned” after its implementation. Otherwise, the role will enslave the performer himself.

By putting on a mask, the actor literally becomes it, being the hero’s guide, conveying not only his emotions, moral and physical image, but also his spirit. There should be only one feeling in his soul, which is expressed by the mask.

Only a talented actor is able to bring a mask to life, transforming its static character into a character. Perhaps this occurs due to the play of light, changes in perspective, movement, but there are other examples where these factors did not occur. The German playwright K. Zuckmayer in his memoirs describes an incident that happened to the actor Verne Krause, when the ritual mask began to cry before his eyes, and the actor in it felt inexpressible pain. (4, pp. 109 -111)

In a mask, the actor of the No theater almost does not see the audience, but the audience does not see his face. These invisible connections and form a single whole of the performance.

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S. P. Shkolnikov

The theater took a long time and difficult path development. The origins of the theater go back to cult rituals.

The first cult masks

Iroquois mask – alien/false face (left and right)

Ancient people believed that a person who puts on a mask receives the properties of the creature that the mask represents. Animal masks, as well as masks of spirits and the dead, were especially widespread among primitive peoples. Totemic games and dances are already an element of theatrical art. Totemic dance marks attempts to create an artistic and aesthetic image in dance.
In North America, Indian totemic dances in masks, which had a cult character, suggested a unique artistic costume and a decorative mask, crumbled with symbolic patterns. The dancers also made double masks for themselves. complex device, depicting the dual essence of the totem - a man was hiding under the animal appearance. Thanks to a special device, these masks quickly opened, and the dancers were transformed.
The further development of animal masks led to the creation of a theatrical mask that vaguely resembled human face, with hair, beard and mustache, i.e. to the so-called anthropozoomorphic mask, and then to a mask with a purely human appearance.
Before the mask became part of the classical theater, it went through a long evolution. During hunting dances, animal skulls were replaced by decorative masks, then portrait masks of funeral ceremonies appeared, which gradually turned into fantastic “zoomistery” masks; all this is reflected in the Mongolian "Tsam", the Javanese "Barongan" and in Japanese theater"But".

Masks of the Topeng Theater

Topeng Theater mask (left and right)

It is known that the mask theater in Indonesia, called Topeng, grew out of the cult of the dead. The word "topeng" means "tightly pressed, closely fitting" or "mask of the deceased." The masks that characterize the Malay theater are extremely simple. They are oval wooden planks with cut out holes for eyes and mouth. The desired image is drawn on these boards. The mask was tied with twine around the head. In some places (at the nose, eyes, chin and mouth) the wooden base of the mask was hollowed out, thereby achieving the impression of volume.
The pantomime mask had a special device: it inside a loop was attached, which the actor clamped in his teeth. Later, as the theater developed and transformed into a professional one, the actors began to play without masks, painting their faces liberally.

Antique masks

Tragic mask ancient theater in Greece (left and right)

In ancient Greek classical theater, masks were borrowed from priests, who used them in ritual images of gods. At first, faces were simply painted with grape marc, then voluminous masks became an indispensable attribute of folk entertainment, and later essential component ancient Greek theater.
Both in Greece and Rome they played in masks with a special mouth shape, in the form of a funnel - a mouthpiece. This device amplified the actor’s voice and made it possible for many thousands of spectators in the amphitheater to hear his speech. Antique masks were made from splint and plaster of cloth, and later from leather and wax. The mouth of the mask was usually framed with metal, and sometimes the entire mask inside was lined with copper or silver to enhance resonance. Masks were made in accordance with the character of a particular character; Portrait masks were also made. In Greek and Roman masks, the eye sockets were deepened, character traits the type is emphasized with sharp strokes.

Triple mask

Sometimes the masks were double and even triple. The actors moved such a mask in all directions and quickly transformed into certain heroes, and sometimes into specific individuals, contemporaries.
Over time, portrait masks were banned and, in order to avoid even the slightest accidental resemblance to high-ranking officials(especially with the Macedonian kings), they began to make them ugly.
Half masks were also known, but they were very rarely used on the Greek stage. Following the mask, a wig appeared on the stage, which was attached to the mask, and then a headdress - “onkos”. A mask with a wig disproportionately enlarged the head, so the actors wore buskins and increased the volume of their bodies with the help of thick caps.
Roman actors in ancient times either did not use masks at all, or used half masks that did not cover the entire face. Only from the 1st century. BC e. they began to use Greek-type masks to enhance the sound of their voices.
Along with the development of the theatrical mask, theatrical makeup also appeared. The custom of painting the body and face dates back to ritual activities in ancient China and Thailand. To intimidate the enemy, when warriors went on a raid, they put on make-up, painting their faces and bodies with plant and mineral paints, and in certain cases with colored ink. Then this custom passed on to folk ideas.

Makeup in classical Chinese theater

Make-up in the traditional classical theater of China dates back to the 7th century. BC e. Chinese theater is distinguished by its peculiar centuries-old theatrical culture. Conditional image system psychological state The image in the Chinese theater was achieved through traditional symbolic painting of masks. This or that color denoted feelings, as well as the character’s belonging to a certain social group. So, red color meant joy, white - mourning, black - an honest way of life, yellow - the imperial family or Buddhist monks, blue - honesty, simplicity, pink - frivolity, green color intended for maids. The combination of colors indicated various psychological combinations, shades of the hero’s behavior. Asymmetrical and symmetrical coloring had a certain significance: the first was characteristic of the depiction of negative types, the second - for positive ones.
In the Chinese theater they also used wigs, mustaches, and beards. The latter were made from sarlyk animal hair (buffalo). The beards came in five colors: black, white, yellow, red and purple. They also had conditional character: a beard covering the mouth testified to heroism and wealth; a beard divided into several parts expressed sophistication and culture. The beard was made on a wire frame and attached behind the ears with hooks coming from the frame.
For makeup, they used harmless dry paints of all colors, which were diluted in water with the addition of a few drops of vegetable oil to obtain a shiny surface of the face. The overall tone was applied with the fingers and palms. Long pointed sticks were used to paint and line the lips, eyes and eyebrows. Each paint had its own stick, which Chinese artists used to work masterfully.
Women's makeup was characterized by a bright overall tone (white), on top of which cheeks and eyelids were blushed, lips were painted, and eyes and eyebrows were lined with black paint.
It is not possible to establish the number of types of makeup in Chinese classical theater; According to inaccurate data, there were up to 60 of them.

Mask at the No Theater

Noh Theater Mask

Performances of the Japanese Noh theater, which is one of the oldest theaters in the world, can still be seen today. According to the canons of the No theater, masks were assigned to one leading actor in all two hundred canonical plays in the repertoire and formed an entire branch of art in this theater. The rest of the actors did not use masks and performed their roles without wigs or makeup.
The masks belonged to the following types: boys, youths, spirits of the dead, warriors, old men, old women, gods, girls, demons, half-animals, birds, etc.

Makeup at the Kabuki Theater


Makeup at the Kabuki theater

The classical theater of Japan "Kabuki" is one of the oldest theaters in the world. Its origin dates back to 1603. On the stage of the Kabuki theater, as in other Japanese theaters, all roles were played by men.
Make-up in the Kabuki theater is mask-like. The nature of the makeup is symbolic. So, for example, an actor, when making up for a heroic role, applies red lines to the overall white tone of his face; the one playing the role of the villain draws blue or brown lines on a white current; the player playing the sorcerer applies black lines, etc., to the green tone of the face.
Japanese theater has very unique and bizarre features of wrinkles, eyebrows, lips, chin, cheeks, etc. The techniques and makeup techniques are the same as those of Chinese actors.
Beards also have a stylized character. They are distinguished by fancy, sharp, broken lines and are made according to the Chinese principle.

Mystery Theater

As ritual performances turn into spectacles, performances acquire increasingly specific themes, which depend on the social and political conditions of the era.
In Europe, the ancient world was replaced by the dark Middle Ages. The pressure of church obscurantism on all forms public life forces the theater to turn to religious subjects. This is how the mystery theater appears, which lasted for about three centuries. The actors in these theaters were city dwellers and artisans, and this introduced folk-everyday motifs into the performances: the “divine” action was interrupted by cheerful interludes and clownery. Gradually, the interlude begins to displace the main action, which was the reason for the persecution of the church against this theater. The Mystery Theater became especially popular in France.
During the Renaissance (from about 1545), professional theaters appeared in France. Itinerant comedians united in troupes, which were acting artels.
The actors of these theaters specialized mainly in the comic, farcical repertoire and therefore were called farcers. Female roles in farcical performances were performed by young men.

Teatro del Arte

Teatro dell'arte character: Harlequin

In the 30s of the 16th century. The theater dell'arte emerges in Italy. The performances of Italian comedians dell'arte differed from the performances of French actors not only in more high level acting techniques, but also the culture of mask and makeup design.
The first del arte performances took place in Florence, with actors wearing masks. Sometimes the mask was replaced with a glued nose. It is characteristic that only the performers of the roles of two old men and two servants wore masks.
Commedia dell'arte masks originated in folk carnivals. Then they gradually migrated to the stage.
Commedia dell'arte masks were made from cardboard, leather and oilcloth. The actors usually played in one, definitely established mask. The plays changed, but the masks remained unchanged.
Masks were played mainly by comedic characters. There were also roles for which, instead of a mask, it was necessary to put on makeup with flour and paint the beard, mustache and eyebrows with charcoal. According to tradition, actors playing lovers did not perform in masks, but decorated their faces with makeup.

Teatro dell'arte character: Coviello

Figurative masks began to be assigned to certain performers who played the same role.
The masks of the Commedia dell'Arte were very diverse (the Commedia dell'Arte theater had more than a hundred masks). Some masks consisted only of the nose and forehead. They were painted black (for example, the doctor's); the rest of the face, not covered by a mask, was made up. Other masks provided for a certain coloring of the wig, beard and mustache. Masks were used as a means to emphasize the expressiveness of the intended type. They were made of all kinds of characters and painted in relation to the types of the performance. In general, commedia dell'arte masks were divided into two groups: folk comedy masks of servants (Zani); satirical masks of gentlemen (buffon core - Pantalone, doctor, captain, Tartaglia).
In some commedia dell'arte performances, actors skillfully transformed themselves in front of the audience, replacing one mask with another.
Initially, in imitation of the ancient ones, masks were made with an open mouth; later, in an effort to bring the masks closer to the natural face, the mouths began to be made closed (the latter was also caused by the fact that in pantomimes the mouthpiece becomes unnecessary). Even later, they began to cover only half of the actor’s face. This contributed to the further development of mimic play. Commedia dell'arte has always strived for a realistic representation of the image not only in the social and psychological appearance of masks, but also in speech, movement, etc.
XVII-XVIII centuries in Europe - the era of classicism. This was reflected in the reconstruction of the theater. In the classical theater, makeup and wigs were the same as in Everyday life. The representations were conditional. Playing in the plays of Corneille and Racine, dedicated to ancient antiquity, the actors outwardly continued to remain people of the 17th-18th centuries. Make-up at this time was determined by the entire structure of life of the French court, which the theater imitated. This period is characterized by the dominance of flies. It was believed that flies give a languid expression to the eyes and decorate the face.

Shkolnikov S.P. Minsk: Higher School, 1969. Pp. 45-55.

As we mentioned earlier, the key to understanding the Noh theater lies in the theatrical mask, since the actors of this theater do not resort to makeup and facial expressions. It is in the mask that many functions are embedded, reflecting not only the philosophy of the “No” theater, but also the principles of Eastern philosophical doctrine.

“Mask, maskus” from Latin means mask, but there is an even more ancient word that most accurately reveals the essence of the mask “Sonaze” - to restrain. It was this function of the mask that was actively used in ritual action. From the definition of E.A. Torchinov, who means by ritual a set of certain acts that have a sacred meaning and are aimed at reproducing one or another deep experience, or its symbolistic representation, we can conclude that the mask is a shield that protects from the image, but at the same time some path to it (18, p. 67.).

There are 200 masks in the No Theater, which are strictly classified. The most striking groups are: gods (characters of Buddhist and Shinto cults), men (court aristocrats, warriors, people from the people), women (court ladies, concubines of noble feudal lords, maids), madmen (people shocked by grief), demons (characters of a fantasy world ). Masks also vary in age, character and appearance. Some masks are designed for specific plays, others can be used to create existing characters in any play. On this basis, the creators of the No theater believed that the whole world was represented on their stage (9, p. 21).

The masks are cut out in various sizes from carefully selected wood and painted with special paint. The technology for making masks is so complex that most of the masks currently in use were created by famous mask carvers back in the 14th to 17th centuries. Masks made by modern craftsmen are imitation of old works. In this regard, we can judge that each of the theater masks is independent a work of art.

It is worth noting that, despite all the variety of masks, in the No theater the mask often does not express a specific character, but is only his “ghost,” a story, a generalization of the human form.

Since the literary material of Noh theater is the folklore of ancient Japan, the mask in the theater serves as a conductor of spiritual experience. The mask carries all the distinctive features of not only the individual, the distinctive features of that time and was created at that time, it can be assumed that it immerses the viewer in the proposed circumstances.

At the same time, the mask distracts attention from the “here”, the “seeing”, since, according to Eastern philosophers, “the truth is not open to the eye, the further you move, the more you will see,” which is directly related to the philosophy of Zen Buddhism and the philosophy of the Noh theater. . This also confirms the fundamental principles of the leading aesthetic concepts of the Noh theater - monomane and yugen.

An actor in the No theater does not always play a role wearing a mask. The mask is only worn by the main actor (siete) and female performers. The companions of the main character put on a mask only in the second act after the moment of “transformation”. If the siete is portraying a romantic character, the actor usually does not wear a mask. The actor's face, without it, is absolutely static, since playing with a face in the No theater is considered vulgar.

Considering the No theater, a modern researcher of oriental culture, E. Grigorieva, argues that the mask as a “calmed emotion” resembles the vanity of passions. (8, p. 345) The mask is like “thundering silence.” We can conclude that the mask is the key to revealing the essence of the role, is its history and result.

Before touching the mask, the actor tunes into the “magical emptiness” - completely cleanses himself. Theater expert Grigory Kozintsev recalls in his book “The Space of Tragedy” a conversation with Akira Kurasawa, an expert on the Noh theater. “I’m beginning to understand that “putting on a mask” is a process as difficult as “getting into character.” (8, p. 346) Long before the start of the performance, the artist stands near the mirror. The boy hands him a mask and he carefully takes it and silently peers at its features. The expression of the eyes changes imperceptibly, the appearance becomes different. The mask “turns into a person.” After this, he slowly and solemnly puts on the mask and turns to the mirror. There is no longer a separate person and a mask, now they are a whole” (8, pp. 345-346.) From this it follows that the mask isolates the actor from the outside world, contributes to his entry into the state of “not-me”.

The Noh theater actor never touches the front surface of the mask, touching it only in the place where the strings are located that attach the mask to the actor’s face. After the performance, the mask is expelled from the actor in a similar way, and then placed in a special case until the next use. In fact, in any theater school, the role is “burned” after its implementation. Otherwise, the role will enslave the performer himself.

By putting on a mask, the actor literally becomes it, being the hero’s guide, conveying not only his emotions, moral and physical image, but also his spirit. There should be only one feeling in his soul, which is expressed by the mask.

Only a talented actor is able to bring a mask to life, transforming its static character into a character. Perhaps this occurs due to the play of light, changes in perspective, movement, but there are other examples where these factors did not occur. The German playwright K. Zuckmayer in his memoirs describes an incident that happened to the actor Verne Krause, when the ritual mask began to cry before his eyes, and the actor in it felt inexpressible pain. (4, pp. 109 -111)

In a mask, the actor of the No theater almost does not see the audience, but the audience does not see his face. These invisible connections form a single whole of the performance.

Among the ancient Greeks and Romans, music served as the most convenient way for actors to convey the character of their roles. Judging by the latest discoveries, it can be assumed that M. was used for the same purpose since ancient times in Egypt and India, but precise information about the M. there has not reached us. In Europe, the first M. appear in Greece, during the Bacchus festivals. Suidas attributes this invention to the poet Charil, a contemporary of Thespius; he also says that Phrynichus for the first time introduced the use of female M. on stage, and Neophon of Sicyon invented a characteristic M. for the reproduction of a slave-teacher. Horace credits Aeschylus for the invention of the theatrical theater. Aristotle, in his “Poetics” (Chapter V), claims that in his time the legends about the introduction of M. into theatrical use were lost in the darkness of the long past. M. pursued a twofold goal: firstly, they gave a certain physiognomy to each role, and secondly, they amplified the sound of the voice, and this was extremely important for performances in vast amphitheaters, under open air, in front of a crowd of thousands. The play of physiognomy was completely unthinkable on a stage of this size. M.'s mouth was slightly open, the eye sockets sharply deepened, all the most characteristic features of this type were emphasized, and the colors were applied brightly. Initially, M. were made from popular print, later from leather and wax. At the mouth, masks were usually trimmed with metal, and sometimes completely lined from the inside with copper or silver, to enhance the resonance, but in M.’s mouth there was a megaphone (that’s why the Romans designated M. with the word persona, from personare - to sound). M. were divided into a number of constant categories: 1) old people, 2) young people, 3) slaves and 4) women, of very numerous types. Regardless of M. for the roles of mere mortals, there were also M. for heroes, deities, etc., with conventional attributes (Actaeon, for example, had deer antlers, Argus - a hundred eyes, Diana - a crescent, Eumenides - 3 snakes and etc.). M. that reproduced shadows, visions, etc. were given special names - Gorgoneia, Mormolucheia, etc. Along with M. of deities, historical M. - prosopeia - were common; they depicted the features of famous personalities, dead and living, and served mainly for tragedies and comedies from modern life, such as Aristophanes' "Clouds" or Phrynichus' "Taking of Miletus"; for the comedy "Riders", however, the craftsmen refused to make masks with the image of Cleon. Satirical M. were used to reproduce mythological monsters, Cyclopes, satyrs, fauns, etc. There were also M. orchestral, they were worn by the dancers, and since the latter were placed on the stage closest to the audience, the M. for them was written out less sharply and finished more carefully. To reproduce characters whose mental mood changed sharply during the action, M. were introduced, on one profile expressing, for example, grief, horror, etc., while another profile denoted joy, satisfaction; the actor turned to the audience first with one side or the other. M. moved from Greece to the Roman theater and remained on stage until the fall of the Roman Empire. According to Cicero, famous actor Roscius played without M., and with complete success, but this example found almost no imitators. If an actor aroused the displeasure of the audience, he was forced to remove M. from the stage and, after throwing apples, figs and nuts, he was driven off the stage. The use of theatrical M. moved to Italy, for theatrical pantomimes and the so-called Italian comedy(Commedia dell"Arte; see the corresponding article). Thus, the M. of the open is very ancient and dates back to the Atellan games (see Atellans); bells were originally attached to it at the corners of the mouth. Since the 16th century, this M., modified, goes to France, along with the characteristic M., denoting the types of matamors, lackeys, etc. The use of M. was not limited to one theater.In the funeral ceremonies of the Romans, an archimin took part, who, having put on a M., reproducing the features of the deceased , acted out both good and evil deeds of the deceased, mimicking something like funeral eulogy. Soldiers sometimes staged comic processions under M., as if surrounding a fictitious triumphal chariot, in mockery of the military leaders they hated. In France, in the Middle Ages - for example. during the procession on the festival of the Fox, M. was used, and even Philip the Fair did not disdain such dressing up. During the annual festivities in honor of jesters that took place in churches, M. was in use, notable for its ugliness; The Synod of Rouen, which prohibited this fun in 1445, mentions the faces of monsters and animal mugs. In the area of ​​private life, the use of M. arose in Venice and was practiced during the carnival; in France we see him at the entry of Isabella of Bavaria into Paris and the festivities on the occasion of her marriage to Charles VI (1385). Under Francis I, the fashion for Venetian loupes made of black velvet or silk became so widespread that loupes became almost a necessary accessory to the toilet. The outrages that were committed under the cover of M. prompted Francis I, Charles IX and Henry III to restrict the use of metals. In 1535, by a parliamentary edict, all medicines were confiscated from merchants and their further preparation was prohibited; in 1626, two commoners were even executed for wearing M. during the carnival; in a noble environment, however, M. did not go out of use until the French. revolution. Since in his youth Louis XIV willingly took part in court ballets, but, in order to avoid violation of etiquette, appeared in disguise, this custom spread to ballet dancers in general, who parted with M. only in 1772. In Italy, in the last century and the beginning of the present, everyone disguised themselves, not excluding the clergy, who, under the cover of M., were active participants in the carnival and zealous visitors to theaters and concerts. Members of the Council of Ten, officials of the inquisitorial tribunals, carbonari and members of secret societies throughout Europe used masks for understandable reasons; Likewise, sometimes the executioner, while performing his duties, wore M. Charles I of England was beheaded by a disguised executioner. In Rome, some monastic orders at burials put on a strange costume, with M. At all times and in all countries, M., worn at public celebrations, enjoyed immunity and gave the right to a familiarity of speech that would otherwise be intolerable. In France, persons admitted to a ball under M. were customarily allowed to invite undisguised people to dance, even members of the reigning house. So, for example, at one of the court balls of Louis XIV, disguised as a paralytic and wrapped in a blanket hanging in ugly rags and soaked in camphor, he invited the Duchess of Burgundy to dance - and she, not considering it possible to break the custom, went to dance with the disgusting stranger. Currently, M. in the West is used almost exclusively during carnival. In France, this custom is regulated by an ordinance of 1835, which is still in force today. Those in disguise are prohibited from carrying weapons and sticks, dressing in indecent costumes, insulting passers-by, or making defiant and obscene speeches; at the invitation of the police authorities, the disguised person must immediately go to the nearest station for identification, and those violating the law are sent to the police prefecture. Committing misdemeanors and crimes under masks is prosecuted in the usual manner, but the very fact of disguise is here considered as a circumstance that increases guilt.

Wed. Fr. Ficoroni, "Le Maschere sceniche, degli antiqui Romani" (Rome, 1736); his, “De larvis scenids et fîguris comicis” (Rome, 1754) Sand, “Masques et bouffons” (Paris, 1860); Alimann, "Die Maske des Schauspielers" (Berlin, 2nd ed., 1875); Dall, "Masks, labrets and certain aboriginal customs" (Washington, 1885). About M. in Russia - see Moskoloudstvo.

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  Moscow (encyclopedia)

• - In pre-rev. period Ekat., despite the distance from traditional growth. touring orbits, hosted a large number of guest performers, both dramatic and op. scenes...

  Ekaterinburg (encyclopedia)

• - Ludi scaenici. T. performances in ancient times, both in Athens and Rome, were not in private hands; they were administered by the state, although execution in each individual case was left to private individuals...

  Real dictionary classical antiquities

• - - In the 17th century. in England, the name M. was given to a dramatic extravaganza that was a mixture of pantomime and conversational scenes...
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  encyclopedic Dictionary Brockhaus and Euphron

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  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

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  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - In Russia, the beginning of theatrical periodicals dates back to the end of the 18th century. The first publication of this type - “Russische Theatralien” was published by the actor of the German troupe Sauerweid...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - see Theater education...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - scientific, cultural and educational institutions that collect and store original materials and documents on the history of the theater...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - USSR, voluntary public creative organizations, uniting theater workers from the Union republics of the country. Created following the example and with the assistance of the All-Russian Theater Society...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - and dictionaries, scientific and reference publications containing a systematized body of theater knowledge, information on history, theory, creative and organizational and technical practice of the theater, biography...

  Great Soviet Encyclopedia

• - theater, stage Wed. Family life- husband, children, house - the cup is full, but all this is just the situation, it seems like theater stage, where everything is just for show, right down to edible accessories...

  Mikhelson Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary

• - Theater stage, stage...

  Michelson Explanatory and Phraseological Dictionary (orig. orf.)

• - noun, number of synonyms: 3 stage stage theater...

  Synonym dictionary

"Theatrical masks" in books

Two theater legends