Kabuki : $b The popular stage of JapanKincaid, Zoë
History
Kabuki : $b The popular stage of Japan
Kincaid, Zoë
Japanese drama -- History and criticism; Kabuki; Theater -- Japan
Morita Kanya, the thirteenth, among the most promising young actors
of the Imperial, is a name to conjure with in Tokyo. The son of the
theatre manager of the same name who became intoxicated with Western
ideas and experimented in the new only to return to the sanity of
Kabuki in the end, Kanya has a deep hold upon the affections of
Tokyo playgoers, not only because of his long lineage and the
association of his family with the city, but for the reason of his
handsome appearance and unquestioned ability.
He has become so popular in modern plays dealing with the problems
of the young man of to-day that he is forgetful of tradition. Like
his father, however, he is original and eager to seek out new paths.
His brother, Bando Mitsugoro, is one of the chief exponents of the
shosagoto school in Tokyo, and a dancer of whom Tokyo is proud.
Associated with these players is Onoe Matsusuke, the fourth, the oldest
actor on the Tokyo stage. He played with Danjuro, but old age has no
terrors for him, and he is never absent from the footlights. Although
Matsusuke is benevolent and fatherly in appearance, he delights in
acting villains, and when he takes old men’s rôles he is such a
complete success that it will be very difficult to fill his place after
he is gone.
For twenty years the acknowledged leader of the Tokyo actors has been
Nakamura Utayemon, the fifth. The most finished onnagata in Japan,
having played with the three stars of Meiji—Danjuro, Kikugoro, and
Sadanji—he is still active at the end of a long career, playing maidens
of sixteen, though he is approaching the sober judgement of the sixties.
At the Kabuki-za, Nakamura Utayemon still holds his own. His audiences
notice the signs of advancing age, yet their attitude is one of great
loyalty. The chief Tokyo yakusha has a world of meaning for the patrons
of shibai, as it signifies the actor has obtained the highest rank
possible. He is proud and something of a martinet in the theatre, but
on the stage Utayemon’s fair women are a study in themselves. His
elegance will be remembered long after he is no more.
Nephew to Kikugoro, the fifth, Ichimura Uzaemon, the thirteenth, has
inherited a name that adorns the history of Kabuki, the first Uzaemon
being the owner of the Ichimura-za, for long years one of Yedo’s
chief shibai. He is brilliant, showy, sentimental, an actor of many
accomplishments, accustomed to play lover, brother, or father to
Utayemon’s heroines.
Follower of Danjuro, the ninth, Ichikawa Chusha is an actor who enjoys
much popularity. His restrained manner and well-modulated voice,
and cleverness in the realm of the unreal have marked him as a true
disciple of the Ichikawa family. He manages to make his villains more
thoroughly wicked than those of any other player.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account