The Noh play takes place on a sparse stage made out of Japanese cypress. The stage is bare with the exception of the "kagami-ita," a painting of a pine-tree at the back of the stage. There are many explanations for this tree, one of the more common being that it symbolizes a means by which deities were said to descend to earth in shinto ritual. Another unique feature of the stage is the "Hashigakari," the narrow bridge to the left of the stage that the principal actors use to enter the stage. This would later evolve into the Hanamichi in Kabuki.

There are four major categories of Noh Actors, and eight major catagories of roles in Noh: The Shitekata are the most common form of actor in Noh. They perform various roles, including the "Shite" (Primary actor), "Tsure" (Shite's companion), Jiutai (Chorus, usually 6-8 actors), and "Koken" (stage assistant, usually 2-3 actors). The Wakikata perform the Waki role, a secondary role that is the counterpart of the Shite. The Kyogenkata perform the kyogen interludes during and between plays. The Hayashikata are the instrumentalists who play the four instruments used in Noh theater, the flute, hip-drum, the shoulder-drum, and the stick-drum.

A typical Noh play will involve all catregories of actors and usually takes 30-120 minutes. There are approximately 250 plays that are performed in the current repertoire. There are six categories of Noh plays, which are organized roughly by subject: Okina/Kamiuta: A unique play that combines dance with Shinto ritual. The oldest Noh play. 1st Category: God plays 2nd Category: Warrior plays 3rd Category: Woman plays 4th Category: Mad woman plays. 5th Category: Demon plays.

There are about 1500 professional Noh actors in Japan today, and the art form continues to thrive. The five extant schools of Noh acting are the Kanze (観世), Hosho (宝生), Komparu (金春), Kita (喜多), and Kongo (金剛) schools.