Zeami, also called Kanze Motokiyo, (1363 - 1443) is considered the greatest playwright and theorist of which type of Japanese theatre in its current form?
History of theatre at Borobudur in Indonesia. During the 14th century, there were small companies of actors in Japan who performed short, sometimes vulgar comedies. A director of one of these companies, Kan'ami (1333–1384), had a son, Zeami Motokiyo (1363–1443) who was considered one of the finest child actors in Japan. When Kan'ami's company performed for Ashikaga Yoshimitsu (1358–1408), the Shōgun of Japan, he implored Zeami to have a court education for his arts. After Zeami succeeded his father, he continued to perform and adapt his style into what is today Noh. A mixture of pantomime and vocal acrobatics, this style has fascinated
Zeami Motokiyo to mainland Japan, where he died in 1443. Zeami was born in 1363 in Nagoya and was known as Kiyomota as a child. His mother was the daughter of a priest and a Fief Lord. His father Kanami led a theater troupe which primarily performed in the Kyoto region, before becoming popular in the late 1360s and early 1370s. As they became better-known, Kanami's troupe began to perform in Daijogi. Zeami acted in the troupe and was considered attractive and highly skilled. Ebina no Naami, an adviser of the Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, booked the troupe to perform for the Shōgun,