Who were Kan’ami and Zeami in the development of Noh theatre?

Kan’ami and Zeami were the foundational figures who transformed Japanese Noh theatre into a sophisticated, aristocratic art form.12

Kan’ami (1333–1384)
Kan’ami was an actor, playwright, and musician who founded the Yūzaki Theatrical Company, which later became the influential Kanze school. He revolutionized the popular sarugaku drama by incorporating kusemai (a song and dance form with an irregular beat) and elements from dengaku (rustic harvest celebrations). His 1374 performance before the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu secured vital patronage, allowing him to refine the genre’s literary and artistic standards.132

Zeami (1363–1443)
Kan’ami’s son, Zeami, was the foremost theorist and playwright of Noh. Under the same shogunal patronage, he elevated Noh into a complex, symbolic theatre. He authored approximately 90 plays and wrote essential treatises, such as the Fūshi kaden, which established the aesthetic principle of yūgen—a profound, partially perceived beauty. Together, they established the core repertoire and performance principles that have defined Noh for centuries.124