Lecture brings Noh Theatre to Eau Claire

EAU CLAIRE, Wis — What if you could step into a dream world, meet people long gone, and revisit episodes and emotions from the past? The seemingly impossible comes alive through mugen-noh (夢幻能), one of the aspects of Noh Theatre explained thoughtfully and intelligently by the wonderful Dr. Mariko Anno, Associate Professor from the Institute of Science Tokyo (東京科学大学).

In partnership with the Consulate-General of Japan in Chicago, the Japan America Society of Wisconsin (JASWI) co-hosted a public lecture on March 25, 2026 for students, faculty and local community members at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Together we learned about Japan’s oldest surviving form of musical drama. I left with a new appreciation for the layers of nuance and meaning within Noh performers’ artistry.

As a Japanese-American scholar from Chicago, with doctorates from Tokyo University of the Arts (東京藝術大学) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Anno is using her bilingual and bi-cultural background to make Noh accessible to broader audiences.

In addition to her teaching role at the Institute of Science Tokyo, Dr. Anno belongs to the nonprofit organization Theatre Nohgaku. This international group honors the original form of Noh whilst incorporating contemporary twists. Through this boldly innovative approach they are now attracting younger and non-Japanese audiences, with the hope to preserve Noh as an art form for future generations to enjoy.

Whether it’s the costumes and masks, the music and instruments, or the poetry and literature that draw you in, Noh is worth exploring. For more information about workshops and performances in the US and Japan, check out the Theatre Nohgaku website.

Thank you as well to the Spectator and the Leader-Telegram for their coverage of Dr. Anno’s lecture in Eau Claire.