Zeami (1363 - 1443) was the son of Kan'ami, and both wrote plays for Noh Theatre. Zeami's, though, are considered the best - he is the man responsible for the classis Noh. When Kan'ami was invited to perform before Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, the shogun, (1358 - 1408), in Kyoto, Zeami also went on stage. The shogun was so impressed that he took on the private tutoring of the boy - under these circumstances Zeami blossomed into a gifted playwright.
Zeami had two sons, Motomasa (1400 - 1432) and another one (can't find out his name - in 1430 he stopped taking part in Noh and became a monk). Zeami and Motomasa, in a tragic U-turn of fortune, were banned from the palace in 1429 - it seems the shogun then, Ashikaga Yoshinori (1394 - 1441), was displeased with them in some way.
In 1434 Zeami was exiled to Sado (a remote island). He did get back to Kyoto but only a few years before he died.
He wrote many excellent and moving Noh plays.