6 February 2012, 11:37 am
i need to make sure i have everything i am supposed to have, and if i need to edit out anything... here is the paper i put together, The Kabuki Theater, which is now comprised of men, was created in the year 1600. Kabuki was founded by Okuni, a shrine maiden who brought her lively dance style to the dry river beds of the ancient capital of Kyoto. Over the next 300 years it developed into a sophisticated, highly stylized form of theater. Later women had been banned from taking the stage and were left to watch from audience. But instead of disbanding Kabuki for good, teenage boys took to the stage to replace the woman. This caused the 1652 Wakashu Kabuki, teenage boys' Kabuki, to be banned. Only adult men could now act on the stage, and this Yaro Kabuki continues basically unchanged to this day. Even if they are men, they are being women in the play so it’s a given they must put makeup on their faces. These men go through a lot of pain to get into their roles. First, wax must be applied to the man’s eyebrows. oil is spread on the areas where make-up is to be applied to help the make-up stick to his face and not come off when he is sweating on stage. Oshiroi, or white face cream, is applied as a base. The shade of white depends on the role to be played: young or old, princess or commoner, or any other number of factors, Mehari, or red lines, are added to accent the eyes, and eyebrows are drawn in. The eyebrows are one of the most important aspects of expressing the role to be played. A small amount of lipstick is applied to further express the characteristics of the role. Make-up is applied not only to create a pretty face, but is also a way for the actor to get into character. It provides a chance for the actor to actually become his role. With these done and he changes into the kimono or any other kind of attire the play requires he is ready to go to the stage. Kabuki plays and dances may be about grand historical events or the everyday life of people in the Edo period (1600-1868). For each play, though, the sets, music, costumes and other factors combine to create the fantastic world of Kabuki. Instruments are used to signify lots of things in Kabuki plays, Usually the first sound one hears when one enters the theater is the shime daiko drum, which is used to signal the beginning and end of a performance, The shamisen is the most important instrument in Kabuki. It was imported to Japan around the same time Kabuki was created; it became the main instrument for all schools of music started in the Edo period, The tsuzumi is the central instrument around which the percussion ensemble is formed. Its distinctive "pon" is a symbol for traditional Japanese culture as a whole, The Odaiko drum is used to create various sound effects, such as the sound of rain or the wind. The fast beats used here symbolize the appearance of a ghost. Note how the eerie sound of the flute adds to the effect, The Okawa side drum has a sharp, distinctive sound that sets it apart from the other drums with softer skins, Some of the many plays the kabuki has are, Migawari Zazen also known as The Zen Substitute, Hototogisu Kojo Rakugetsu, Sagi Musume, Fuin Giri(Breaking the Seal), Noriai Bune Eho Manzai, and Ichiriki Teahouse The Zen Substitute is a dance-drama that was adapted from the Kyogen farce "Hanago" and was first performed in 1910. The simple set, a large, stylized pine painted on the rear panels, mimics that of the classical Noh Theater, and many of the stylizations of speech and movement are borrowed from Kyogen. "Migawari Zazen's" easy to understand, universal comic theme of the strong-wife, weak husband has made it popular both in Japan and overseas. Fuin Giri (Breaking the Seal) In the pleasure quarters of the Edo period, ones most important possessions were money and pride. In danger of losing his lover, the courtesan Umegawa (Takataro), the money courier Chubei (Kankuro) breaks the seals on a package of money entrusted to him after being taunted by a rich rival Hachiemon (Takao), even though the misuse of such entrusted funds is punishable by death Sagi Musume (The Earth Spider) In a landscape covered with snow, the spirit of a crane appears as a beautiful woman dressed in a pure white kimono. She dances of the many stages and emotions of love, including the joy of a young woman in love and the worry caused by love that can be as bad as the tortures of hell. Starring Jakuemon.... Read More »
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