Kabuki,
traditional Japanese popular drama with singing and dancing performed in
a highly stylized manner. A rich blend of music, dance, mime, and spectacular staging and costuming, it has been a major theatrical form in Japan for four centuries.
What is the focus of kabuki drama?
Kabuki plays are scripted, and may focus on
historical events, romances or ethical conflicts
. Traditional Japanese musical instruments accompany the action, including various drums and the shamisen (a three-stringed lute).
What are the characteristics of Kabuki Theatre?
Important characteristics of Kabuki theatre include
its particular music, costumes, stage devices and props as well as specific plays, language and acting styles
, such as the mie, in which the actor holds a characteristic pose to establish his character.
Why was Kabuki Theatre created?
Kabuki theatre originated
as an entertainment for the common people
. Before the early years of Japan's Tokugawa era (1600-1868), the theatre had been a form of entertainment primarily for Japanese aristocrats, who enjoyed a stately, serene form of performance called noh.
What are the main themes of kabuki Theatre?
Kabuki Themes and Playwrights
Many kabuki dramas have similar themes and plots as western dramas. Common kabuki themes include
loyalty, love, honor and revenge and consummating love with suicide
. Many kabuki masterpieces are adaption of bunraku puppet pieces.
What are the three main categories of kabuki play?
The three main categories of kabuki play are
jidaimono (時代物, historical or pre-Sengoku period stories), sewamono (世話物, “domestic” or post-Sengoku period stories), and shosagoto (所作事, “dance pieces”)
.
What word best describes kabuki theater?
What word best describes kabuki theater?
International
.
Unrealistic
.
Why is kabuki so important?
Okuni's Kabuki was
the first dramatic entertainment of any importance
that was designed for the tastes of the common people in Japan. The sensuous character of the dances (and the prostitution of the actors) proved to be too disruptive for the government, which in 1629 banned women from performing.
Why do kabuki actors wear white makeup?
Kabuki actors need
white powder to prevent color bleeding caused by excessive oil and sweat
, with an easy-to-apply, lump-free consistency. Oshiroi must also look impeccable and defined under special stage lights, and provide a stunning contrast to the colorful kumadori makeup.
Why do you think kabuki theater is still popular in Japan?
Soon after, several rival troupes were formed just to perform this style of dance drama and they even created suggestive themes for the audience to enjoy. Another reason why kabuki was so popular during this century was also
because the performers of these dramas were also sometimes available for prostitution
.
What was kabuki influenced by?
Influenced by
Japan's other theatre arts—noh, kyogen, and bunraku
—kabuki grew up from simple (if not sordid) origins, and worked for decades to create for itself a memorable style that would keep the townsfolk returning to its theatres.
Who invented kabuki Theatre?
More than 400 years have passed since the emergence of kabuki theater. It was in 1603 that
Izumo no Okuni
, said to have been a female attendant at the Grand Shrine of Izumo (in present-day Shimane Prefecture), created this new style of dramatic art, then called the kabuki odori.
What does kabuki makeup mean?
Kabuki is
a style of traditional Japanese theater that includes music, dance, and drama
. This makeup is applied heavily to create a brightly painted mask that uses colors in symbolic ways to indicate the age, gender, and class of each character, as well as their moods and personalities. …
What makes kabuki theater unique?
A unique feature of a kabuki performance is
that what is on show is often only part of an entire story (usually the best part)
. Therefore, to enhance the enjoyment derived, it would be good to read a little about the story before attending the show.
What are the three types of Japanese Theatre?
Kabuki, noh, kyogen, and bunraku
make up the essential forms of Japanese theatrical entertainment. Traditional Japanese theatre is a colorful and mesmerizing combination of dance, drama and musical accompaniment.
What are the components of kabuki?
Like the three kanji characters that make up the word, kabuki consists of
ka (singing), bu (dancing) and ki (skill)
. In addition to these three components, kabuki is characterized by unique stage sets such as a revolving platform that allows for nearly instant set changes and a runway that stretches into the audience.
