How does noh continue to reflect its ritualistic and/or religious origins?

Japan's noh theatre is a highly stylized ritual form that developed in the fourteenth century for the elite audiences of the shogun's court. Noh staging practices reflect their ritualistic origins in its stylization and emphasis on atmosphere and mood over dialogue and action. Noh reflects the Buddhist belief that all reality is illusory. For example, Noh performances make little attempt at theatrical illusion. The actors' faces protrude from beneath the masks and they make no attempt to disguise their low voices for female roles. Fans carried by actors can represent a variety of objects, such as a sword or a sake ladle. The stage itself is bare except for one or two set pieces that may indicate a special location associated with a spirit. Traditionally, Shinto priestesses acted as shamans, and their handheld objects, such as fans or flowering branches, served as conduits for spirits to enter and possess them, the use of simple objects in performance, harkening back to their ritual function. The theatre space itself is modeled on Shinto shrines.