Act of Betrayal by Sekine Masaru (関根勝様の裏切り行為）

Yesterday I had the distinct honor to watch master Sekine Masaru’s retirement performance at the National Noh Theatre in Sendagaya. I cannot express how much it means for me to watch a Noh and Kyogen master’s live performance, and his last one!

It was breathtaking. He welcomed us dressed in a simple black kimono, traditional for Noh theatre. When I first walked in it felt as though I had stepped right into the 14th century, in the Muromachi period. Surrounded by a sea of light colored kimonos stood my professor. It is such an honor and privilege to be able to say that he, the great Sekine Masaru 関根　勝, was my theatre teacher. I will forever hold the memories of his classes in my heart. It was a unique chance for me to be able to take his class just before his retirement. I approached him timidly, and when he finally looked at me, I lost all my words. What do you say when you stand in front of a God? You can but pray that your insignificant existence does not even disturb one ray of light, one gust of wind that surrounds him.

The performance hall was enchanting. So humble in its appearance, yet every edge of the wooden stage is perfectly polished, and every light is adjusted so that a surreal atmosphere is created. The actors take precise steps on the stage, each of them is predetermined and directed so that the scenes have a subtle harmony. I was honored beyond words to watch such a magnificent display of greatness.

The play was set in Kyushu, in the late 1620s, during the Tokugawa oppression against Christians. It depicts various forms of betrayal, all in the name of Christianity. The believers are asked to give up their faith or else face execution. The first one to betray his God was the priest, and against all expectations, Rosa (the nun) and the lady of the land choose to sacrifice their lives instead of their belief.

Professor Masaru Sekine was born into a Noh family and his father, elder brother and other members of his family are prominent performers of the Kanze school. Professor Sekine also trained as a Noh performer until he decided to pursue his academic study in England at the age of thirty. He spent 25 years there, becoming a distinguished member of the Royal Society of Arts (U.K.) and the Association of Classical Society (U.K.). He is world-renown for his adaptations of Shakespeare’s tragedies in Kyogen style. Sekine Masaru has built a cultural bridge for the East and West to meet through his outstanding theatre plays and research.

Yesterday, when he stood on stage among all the actors taking his final bow, an overwhelming serenity dawned upon the room. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have the greatest honor of watching a God in all his might and glory.