theater

jasonz1

9.pdf

Home >Literature homework help >theater

A CHIVALROUS MAN IN II SHIBARAKU," ONE OF II THE EIGHTEEN BEST PLAYS II

~ -,

Reproduction of thp color print . by Toyokuni Utagawo the first (1769-

-1825), owned by the Theatrical Arts Museum at Waseda University

\ I

~ ~

I , l

J 1 r i

I 1

r l 1

KABUKI DRAMA BY

- - SHUTARO MIYAKE

JAPAN TRAVEL BUREAU TOKYO

- -- ..........

Published 'in April, 1938; revised in

December, 1948 j February, 1952;

February, 1953

Printed b¥ fj:OSOKAWA PRINTING CO,! Tokyo, Japan

""">N r {,/2. Lj, S'

1<3 ms- f,N't= It ~ r

EDITORIAL Nait

The purpose of the Tourist Library Series is to give to the passing tourists and other foreigners interested in J lipan a basic knowledge of various phases of Japanese culture. When completed, the Series is expected to in- clude a hundred volumes or so, and will give a complete picture of Japanese culture, old and new.

The Library was started in 1934 by the Board of Tourist Industry and was transferred to the Japan Travel Bureau in 1943, when 40 volumes had been completed.

From the beginning the Library attained a high rep- utation as a concise but reliable interpreter of Japanese culture, and the demand for the volumes steadily increas- ed both in Japan and abroad. Unfortunately, however, the old volumes are all out of print. The Japan Travel Bureau, therefore, has begun a new series,-revising and reprinting some of the old volumes, and issuing others on entirely new and equally interesting subjects.

Each volume in the Library is the work of a recogniz- ed authority on the subject, and it is hoped that by perusing these studies of Japanese life the reader will gain some insight into the unique culture that has developed in this country throughout the ages.

The present volume, "Kabuki Drama," is the work of Mr. Shiitaro Miyake, who is an acknowledged au- thority on the Bunraku Puppet Playas well as the Kabuki Drama. He is also well known as the regular

66462

drama crItIc of the Mainichi Newspaper and a member of the specjal council of the Cultural Properties' Pro- tection Commission.

This fo "th d" . h -. Ul e It1On, publIshed only half a year after t .e thIrd revised edition went to press, is an evidence of t~e ever-increasing interest shown by foreign en- thusIasts, both here and abroad, in this grand old art of Japan.

The new edition has an added feat . -h fi ure m t e lne grade o~ art paper that is used for most of the photo- graphs m the text. This, tog~ther with the up-to-date revisions and I d h co ore p otographs, adds greatly to its readabili ty.

December, 1952 THE EDITOR

I I

CONTENTS

Page

1. How to Appreciate Kabuki. . . . . . . . . . .. 11 An Analysis of the Kabuki-A Land of Dreams- "Daikon"-Its Power of Expression.

II. Characteristics of the Kabuki. . . . . . . . . . . 16 Female Roles-Their No ted Players-High- born Daughters-Courtesans.

JII. l\1achinery Peculiar to the Kabuki Stage .. 33 Curtains - "Hanamichi" - The Revolving Stage - "Ki" - "Chobo" - Geza" - " Deba-

h," " t T " yas 1 - Aurogo

1V. Principal Kabuki Plays. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 45 The Eighteen Best Plays-"Aragoto"-Clas- sical Plays-"Sewamono"-"Kizewamono"

V. Technique Peculiar to the Kabuki . . . . . . . 52 The Pantomime Show-"Koroshi"-"Michi-

k'" "T h' ." "l\I,r t' " I yu 1 - ac Imawan - l lonogaan - n- spection of the Head - Revue Element- "Sawari" and "Tsurane"-"Seppuku"

VI. Symbolism and Impressionism m the Kabuki ... ...... . ..... .. ........ 69

The Black Curtain-"Yabudatami"-"Nami- ita"-The Story of Rice.

-VII. The Story Value of the Kabuki. . . . . . . . . 72 "Sukeroku"-"Kumagai's Camp"-"Kampei "

VIII. Practical Guide to the Present-day Kabuki. 78 Appendix (Notes on Some of the Famous

Kabuki Plays)... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 85 Index ............... . ............. 121

Ancient Sketches of Kabuki Actor&-

ILLUSTRATIONS

A Chivalrous Man in "Shibaraku" (Color Print)' . . . . . . . Frontispiece

Page

The Fagade of the Kabukiza Theater . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Interior of the Kabukiza Theater. . . . . . . . . . . 14 Players on the Passage to the Stage ........... . 14 Utaemon Nakamura as a Woman-servant-from

"K . J' h'" agamI I S 1 .. ... ......... . .........• 17 A L· 'D f "K . J' h'" IOn s ance--rom agamI IS 1

(In Colors) .......... . ...... . ....... 18, 19 Children Actors and Tokiz6 Nakamura as a Wet

Nurse . . .... . .... ... ................. . 20 Baik6 Onoe, as Princess Y aegaki -hime ....... .. . 21 A Female Impersonator Preparing for the Stage 22, 23 Wig-dressers in the Dressing Room ........... . A Scene from "Sukeroku" .................. . A S f "II h- NT" - h 'k- " cene rom onc 0 IJUS 1 0 ........... • "Kumadori," Special Make-up Used in Kabuki .. Varieties of "Kumadori" (In Colors) ......... . The Authentic Curtain Used on Kabuki Stages ... . Actors on the H anamichi . ...... .. .......... . A Samurai Rises onto the Hanamichi by the Trap-

lift ...... . ........................... .

2rl.

27 27

31 33 35

35 A Part of the Revolving Stage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 36 Chobo Musicians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Kiyomoto Musicians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39 A Kurogo , Black Hooded Attendant . . . . . . . . . . . 4-0 From the Eighteen Best Plays. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43, 44 "Chushingura" and "Sugawara Denju Tenarai-

I kagami" ............................ . . 47

A scene from "Koibikyaku Yamato Orai" ...... . 48 A Scene from "Shinju-Ten-no-Amijima" ....... . 51 A Scene from "Sannin Kichisa" .............. ' 51 A Pantomime ·Show ....................... . 52 A "1\1)~l).iyuki" . (Travel of Two Lovers) ...... " 55 A Sw.ord . Fight : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Inspe~t.ing a Severed Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 56 Tales of Princess Usuyuki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 56 "Kumagai Monogatari" by Kichiemon Nakamura

(In Colors) ................... .. ... .... 59 A Scene from "Musume Dojoji" ............ " 63 A Chorus Dance. . . . . . 64 A Scene from "Kirare y~~~;,' ............. " 67 The Harakiri Scene from "Chfr~hi'n'g~~~;': : : : : : : 67 A Scene from "Sukeroku" 73 The '~Michiyuki" Scene fr~l~' ;'Chfr~hi~'g~~~;' : : : : 75 A Scene from "Ichinotani Futabagunki" . . . . . . .. 76 Poses of Well-known Kabuki Actors. . . . . . . . . 81-84. At the Kabukiza Theater. .................. 107,108 Scenes from the Popular Kabuki Plays (8 photos)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 109-112 A Scene from "Kamakura Sandaiki". . . . . . .. 109 The Sushi Shop Scene from "Yoshitsune Sem- .

bonzakura" 109 The "Kinkakuji~;' S~~n'e' . fr~~ . ~'G'i~~ . 'S'ail:~i

Sh 'k-k'" 1 0 1 " . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 110 The Amagasaki Scene from "Ehon Taikoki". .. no The Mustering Scene from "Benten Kozo". . .. 111 A Scene from "Kochiyama to Naozamurai". . .. 111

. "Fujimusume," the Dance of a Wistaria Maiden 112 The Katsuragi Mountain Scene from "Tsuchi-

gumo" .......... . ............. . ...... 112

I j •

L HOW TO ApPRECIATE KABUKI

~hat is Kabuki? An answer for the uninitiated may be supplied by

the study of the etymology of the word itself, which shows that (gabuki" is a type of acting based on the arts of singing and dancing. It will thus be seen that Kabuki is not acting, pure and simple; it . is fundamen- tally different from Western dramiJ

rln the Kabuki play, singing and dancing occurs dur- ingThe course of the development of a story characteriz- ed by dramatic elements, and the whole performance is executed as a highly refined art. To be exact the Kabuki may be described as a play more like a revue than a drama, in the European sense-a play in which a clas- sical story is enlivened with spectacular scenes.

@.e Kabuki is a classical play for the masses and is rich in artistic qualities. It naturally follows that the Kabuki is presented in large theaters, and not, as with modern plays of the West, in a small theater intended to serve the sole purpose of art for its own sake.:J --i:\1oreover, the Kabuki is a very complicated dramatic

form. A Kabuki play contains material not in accordance with reason, and its classic style is but a feeble excuse. Foreigners seeing a Kabuki play for the first time in- v ari ably think it is "wonderful." And "wonderful" is a fitting epithet for the irrational element in KabukD So a theater built with the principles of modern stage science

~ 11

VIII. PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE PRESENT-DAY KABUKI

~resent-day Japan there are several large theaters which specialize in the presentation of Kabuki plays. The celebrated Kabukiza Theater in Ginza-Higashi, Tokyo, which was badly damaged during the \Var, was restored in January, 1951, to its former magnificence (capacity: about 2,000) , and is devoted exclusively to the performance of Kabuki plays. There are, as a rule, two performances a day-part I from 11.00 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. and part II from 4.00 p.m. to about 8.30 p.m. The plays shown in part I (generally three) are all different from those in part II (generally three or four) .-This general rule applies throughout the country. (Admis- sion for the Kabukiza: ¥650 for a first-class ticket)

Next in order of merit comes the Meijiza Theater in Hamacho, Tokyo, which was rebuilt in December, 1950, with a seating capacity of about 1,700. The Meijiza Theater often but not invariably, gives Kabuki perform- ances. The size of the stage, which is a little smaller than that of the Kabukiza Theater, is considered more advantageous for the staging of Kabuki plays. Besides these, Tokyo has the Shimbashi Embujo Theater with

78 '"

seating accommodation for 1,500 people. The Mitsu- koshi Gekijo Theater, one of the auditoriums in the Mitsukoshi Department Store, is large enough to hold just about 600 people. In this smart little theater young Kabuki actors and also the Shingeki troupe give per- formances.

Then there are three other important theaters in Tokyo, where, however, Kabuki plays are very seldom staged. One is the Teikoku Gekijo (Imperial Theater)' a three-storied edifice facing the Emperor's Palace. This play-house (capacity: 1,300) is suited for all sor ts of theatrical performances, including the revue, opera and ballet. The second is the Yurakuza Theater (capacity: 1,500) which, though inferior to the Teikoku Gekijo from an architectural point of view, is a useful theater of practical value. The last one, the Tokyo Gekijo Theater, is now used exclusively for the movies.

Osaka has also one of the largest theaters in Japan; namely the Kabukiza, which has accommodation for 2,000 people. It is a fine palatial theater; in fact, it is even open to the charge of being a little too spacious for purposes of any other branch of stage art than the Kabuki pure and simple. The N akaza Theater (capacity: 1,200) was rebuilt in January, 1948 and is just the kind of theater that is suitable for Kabuki performances. No description of Osaka theaters would be complete without mention of the Bunrakuza Theater at Y otsubashi (capac- ity: 700), the only theater in Japan devoted to the performance of the puppet-play. It was rebuilt com- pletely in February, 1946. As the Bunraku puppet show

-- 79

is Osaka's most time-honored institution, foreign visitors should by all means visit this novel theater.

Mention must be made, last but not least, of the Minamiza 'Theater in Kyoto and the Misonoza Theater in Nagoya. These are well-equipped theaters which can accommodate 1,500 and 1,600 people respectively.

So much for the theaters. Now a few words about the actors. Chief among the great Kabuki actors of to- day is Kichiemon Nakamura, who is an outstanding actor of plays with historical backgrounds and who is past master in the observance of all the Kabuki traditions.

Besides him there is Tokizo Nakamura, veteran Onnagata, (actors playing women's parts). Then there are Mitsugoro Bando and Ennosuke Ichikawa who are great Kabuki dancers. Among the younger Onnagata actors in Tokyo may be mentioned Utaemon Nakamura, Baiko Onoe and Tomoemon Otani. Ebizo Ichikawa, Koshiro Matsumoto, Shoroku Onoe, Kanzaburo N aka- mura and Hikosabur6 Bando are actors of great promise in Kabukidom.

Among the veteran actors in Osaka we have Jukai Ichikawa, who usually plays the parts of handsome men, and J usaburo Banda, who is more at home in the new type of Kabuki than in the classical. . In addition to these there are Ganjiro Nakamura, Niz-aemon Kataoka and Minosuke Banda, all in their forties.

The group of poses in the following pages (p, 81 ~ 84) are of well-known Kabuki actors in their favorit.e roles from

populqr Kabvki plays, (NQmes of q~tor:; below each photQ)

80 ""

Kich iemon Nak amura Ennosuke Ichikawa .

Jusaburo Bando Ganjiro Nakamura l ltnemon Nakamura Baiko Onoe .

Tokizo Nakamura -':omoemon 0 t;t,ni

Koshiro Matsumoto Hi k osabu ro Bando

APPENDIX

NOTES ON

SOME OF THE FAMOUS KABUKI

PLAYS

Eikichi Hosoi, of the Theatrical Arts Museum

at Waseda University

"-' 85