Comedy and Structure

Watch Kani Yamabushi and Kamabara and compare and contrast the plays in structure, characters, etc. in a group discussion. Do any of the “one liners’ remind you of past or present jokes?

I've read several of the other blogs on this subject and the topic has been covered in great detail. I don't believe I have much to add on this specific question. Therefore, I would like to discuss Kyogen from a slightly different perspective. (If you go to my profile, you can access the other class blogs.)

What strikes me about Busu, Kani Yamabushi and Kamabara in particular and Kyogen, in general, is the staging and its contrast to Western plays.
Ortalani discusses the Noh stage (and the Kyogen stage by default) in "The Japanese Theatre: From Shamanistic Ritual to Contemporary", pp 144-146. The set staging for all Noh and Kyogen plays allows the use of the viewer's imagination. The play is experienced on an additional creative level similar to a play reading where the characters either sit through the recitation or approach a microphone one or two at a time. The observer becomes an active mental participant – more deeply involved than in Western plays where every aspect is controlled and fed to the audience. (I should say that I’m generally discussing mainstream theatre in this essay.) Also, the performance becomes more personal. Renditions can be compared based on individual performances and not influenced by the surroundings and trappings of the show. Although, it must be noted that costumes come into play in such a way that could affect a comparison. However, since the Tokugawa era (from 1603 to 1868 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edo_period), these costumes have been stylized enough that perhaps they no longer impact a viewer’s response to the performance.
Another thing that struck me was our previous discussions from Dissanayake's “What is Art For?” regarding comparisons between Art and ancient rituals. It seems to me that Japanese theatre is a marriage between these two concepts almost to an extreme.
Additionally, in his discussion of Noh, Ortolani says:

Zeami then explains the importance of moments of non-action, when nothing seems to happen on the stage. This is one of the great secrets of the tradition. It is based on the continuous, profound concentration of the actor, who is supposed never to relax his inner tension. The actor’s concentration unites him with the deepest self, which is a metaphysical reality identical for all things. The moments of non-action, as well as those before and after, are all rooted in the same deep reality, the kokoro of all things, which provides the profound continuity to the apparent non-continuity of action. (p114)

I equate non-action by the performer to the negative space of the absolutely spare structure of the stage. These anti-reality aspects of the performance and the performance space center the concentration, removing all distractions and allowing both the performer and the audience to look inward for meaning. Negative space in painting is a useful tool for forcing the artist to think about what is being depicted rather than concentrating on the object itself. The example I was given years ago during a drawing class was observation of the negative space around my hand. Now, I still can’t draw my hand (I can barely draw a hangman game), but looking at the negative space focused my attention on shapes and patterns that I didn’t usually see. I believe the negative of non-action and the simplified stage achieve the same end.

I realize I have drifted from Kyogen to Noh, however, I found the descriptions of the Noh performances much more interesting that I did the Kyogen performances. The humor portrayed, in general, does not appeal to me even in our culture (Lucy and Ethel notwithstanding.)