FEBRUARY
Artist- Utagawa Toyokuni I
Actor- Onoe Kikugoro III (Goro)
Bando Mitsugoro III (Juro)
KABUKI-ZA KABUKI-ZA
Matinee Programme Evening Programme
Musume Nanakusa
Onna Shibaraku
Kumagai Jinya
Yosinoyama
KABUKI-ZA
Matinee Programme
1). "Haru no shirabe Musume Nanakusa".
This dance was originally performed as part of a much longer play which had its premiere in the first month of 1767. By that time in Edo, it was customary to open the New Year's performances with a play about the Soga brothers revenge and this dance is an interesting example of that tradition. With each succeeding year the playwrights were forced to come up with fresh ideas based on the old theme, so that in this case, not only do we have the brothers Goro and Juro themselves, but we see them dancing with the beautiful Shizuka Gozen, a character from a completely different romance which has nothing at all to do with the Soga story. The only logical excuse for Shizuka's inclusion here might have been that she lived in the same country at about the same time, but then "logic" in an auspicious Kabuki dance of this kind was hardly the point and it was undoubtably sufficient that the character provided a delightful surprise for the audience of the day.
The dance apparently came before a confrontation scene between the brothers and their enemy similar to that in the famous play, "Kotobuki Soga no Taimen", and it is therefore set within the mansion of that enemy, Kudo Suketsune. The brothers are anxious to meet Kudo at once but, advising greater caution, Shizuka holds them back.
The real point of the dance however, is a celebration of the New Year and the coming spring. Hence the reference to "nanakusa", the "seven herbs" of spring in the dance's title. It is still traditional to eat these herbs chopped up in rice porridge on the seventh day of the New Year and it is for this same reason that Shizuka enters carrying a basket of herbs, and that during the course of the dance all three characters begin chopping them in rhythm to the music. It is the Nagauta music that's the best thing about this dance. For example, after the opening lyrics (which are chanted in the solemn style of the No theatre called "Utai gakari"), the musicians break into a lively passage accompanied by the hip and shoulder drums that brilliantly set the mood of celebration and gaiety. The drums remain a pronounced feature of much of the music for the rest of the dance.
The choice of this dance to begin the programme this month is suitable for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the lunar New Year did indeed begin at the end of January and so this is the first "new" month following that event. It has always seemed a pity that in the Kabuki theatre, we can't keep to the practice of having the "Kaomise" programme in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, (as it was always designed to be), and "O-Shogatsu" in the first lunar new month. So many items in the repertoire show great sensitivity to the changing seasons that it often feels wrong, for example, to hear references to the spring blossoms, etc., when the real spring is still many months away. Secondly, this is the second month in which we are celebrating the "shumei", (name succession), of Kataoka Nizaemon XV. The dance "Musume Nanakusa" has come to be associated with the Kataoka family and has often been performed by the new Nizaemon's brothers Gato and Hidetaro. It is they who perform it again this month, together with Sawamura Tanosuke as Juro.
Overall, this is a pretty and colourful dance to watch and both Gato and Hidetaro look especially good as the impulsive Goro and the sensuous Shizuka respectively, but beyond that there doesn't seem to be much substance.
2). "Onna Shibaraku".
Artist- Natori Shunsen
Actor- Nakamura Tokizo III
Role- Onna Shibaraku
This is a parody, and it is an extremely amusing play when done well. Though first performed as long ago as 1746, and while retaining the old-world flavour of classical "aragoto", "Onna Shibaraku" should nevertheless lose nothing of its contemporary appeal. There is one good reason for this. It's often said that Kabuki as a whole is an actor-centered theatre and that, quite apart from whatever role he is playing, it is the recognition of the actor himself that is paramount in the theatrical experience. Infact, this applies in varying degrees to the vast repertoire of plays and dances, but in no case it this more true than in "Onna Shibaraku", for it is quite literally the leading actor himself who must carry the performance. The story is almost too simple to bother with: an evil lord has plans to usurp control of the country and has arrested a group of nobles who oppose him. He is about to execute them when a young heroine cries, "Shibaraku!", ("Wait!"), after which she enters and saves the day. The story is the same as that of the original "Shibaraku" but features a woman in the leading role instead of a man.
The other more important difference however, concerns humour. Once we have accepted the conventions of "aragoto" we can almost believe in the super-human strength of the male hero, Kamakura Gongoro Kagemasa, and even if we do laugh when he decapitates a whole group of enemy men with a single swipe of his sword, we still remain essentially impressed with his brute heroism. But when a female character performs the same action, albeit a "strong woman", it stretches our credulity just that little bit too far. We laugh because this is in no way meant to be serious. We laugh also at the actor's cheek in performing such unbelievable feats, and it is surely this bare-faced cheek that constitutes the main ingredient of parody.
In this respect, perhaps no other actor is better suited to the role of Tomoe Gozen than Onoe Kikugoro who stars this month for, when he chooses to be, he is a past master at pure irreverence and can easily make an audience laugh out loud just with a single look or gesture. There are, of course, several occasions both in "Shibaraku" and in "Onna Shibaraku" when the actor must step out of character and refer to himself or to his acting family, (as, for instance, during the "tsurane" speech given by the hero after he or she has entered on the hanamichi), but in the case of Kikugoro one can feel wholly convinced that the actor's true personality is as much a part of his role as anything else. In short, he really seems to be enjoying himself. His enjoyment is infectious and is a major contribution to the success of this production.
Perhaps the most amusing section of the play comes at the very end. It is time for the famous "roppo" exit performed down the hanamichi after the curtain is drawn, but in most versions of "Onna Shibaraku", Tomoe Gozen professes that, as a woman, she just can't manage it, and asks another famous actor to come and show her how it's done. In this month's production however, Tomoe begins by thanking the audience for putting up with her but since the costume is so big and heavy she'd like to change into a normal kimono. There follows a very quick "hayagawari" costume change after which Tomoe transforms into a geisha, and she is just about to join the audience in the auditorium to watch the rest of the programme when the theatre manager appears to complain that she's forgotten the "roppo". He is none other than Ichikawa Danjuro himself of course, and after she persuades him to do it for her, they both proceed down the hanamichi on their way to visit Nizaemon's dressing room. This rather unusual section is full of improvised dialogue and jokes which are Kikugoro's forte and which certainly delight the audience.
3). "Kumagai Jinya".
Kumagai Jinya
This is the most famous scene from the long history play "Ichinotani Futaba Gunki" written for the puppets by Namiki Sosuke and assistants and first staged in 1751. It is also, surely, one of the world's most profound and moving dramas. This is a story about war. Yet, far from glorifying the bravery or strength of individual soldiers, it emphasizes the essential futility of human conflict and there is a powerful religious undercurrent throughout.
At the battle of Ichinotani, the warrior Kumagai of the Genji clan, comes across and overpowers the young lord Atsumori of the rival Heike. Kumagai is in a quandary for, though an enemy, Atsumori is also the descendant of an emperor whom under normal circumstances it would be treasonable to kill. Furthermore, Kumagai owes a debt of gratitude to Atsumori's mother for some past favour. He would rather spare the boy, but according to the custom of the battlefield it would be dishonourable to let an enemy escape. He has seemingly no choice but to take his victim's head. This part of the story is enacted in the previous scene called "Suma no Ura Kumiuchi no Ba" which is only occasionally performed, but there is a description of these same actions during the "monogatari" section of "Kumagai Jinya". This is the section in which Kumagai relates the day's tragic events to Atsumori's mother, Lady Fuji, and to his own wife, Sagami. The "monogatari" is a great highlight of the play and requires the actor both to speak and mime actions, with the chanter taking over several sections of dialogue. When done well, as it is this month, we should be able to see the events unfold before our eyes through the language of movement, as well as through the magnificent chanting.
It is only after this, however, that we discover what actually happened. General Yoshitsune has understood Kumagai's predicament and has offered him one alternative: if he is to spare Atsumori, he must sacrifice his own son in his place. This plan must be kept secret however, in case the supreme Genji commander, Yoritomo, finds out. Therefore, Yoshitsune can only hint at it by way of a cryptic message written on a sign board that's posted by a cherry tree. Kumagai has obeyed what he thinks are his lord's intentions and has taken the head of his son, Kojiro, saying that it is that of Atsumori. However, because of the covert nature of the plan, even he is unsure whether he has acted correctly. This sets up the tremendous tension that dominates the first half of the play and which reaches its climax in one of Kabuki's most magnificent poses: the "seisatsu no mie", (the "sign board pose"), in which Kumagai uses the sign to threaten and block the two women from exposing the true identity of the head. It is only after the head inspection by Yoshitsune himself that Kumagai can be sure he's done the right thing.
The actor in the role of Kumagai this month is the new Kataoka Nizaemon XV and he is, quite frankly, superb. He conveys the dignity and heavy seriousness of the character extremely well and in the "seisatsu no mie" in particular, his form and expression are excellent. When expertly performed, a single pose like this can say what it would take pages of dialogue to express, and the emotional impact of the "seisatsu no mie" is overwhelming. This is Kabuki's presentational form at its very best.
After the head inspection the tension is somewhat relieved but it is now time to grieve. It's also Sagami's turn to take centre-stage. She has just discovered that her only son has been killed for the sake of duty but, as a warrior's wife, she too, must show the strict discipline and self-sacrifice that is the samurai code. This section is known as the "kudoki", ("lamentation"). Though she grieves, she still may not openly acknowledge that it is her own son's head she cradles, and much of the effect of this section comes from the idea of having to suppress unbearable pain. For this month, the actor playing Sagami is Living National Treasure, Nakamura Jakuemon, and he is very touching in this role. A part like this requires both "stage" and "life" experience and so is considered one of the greatest and most demanding for an onnagata. In this respect, one could hardly wish for a better actor. Jakuemon may be a veteran but he is still at the very height of his powers in this role.
One essential characteristic of all puppet derived plays is, of course, the interaction between the musicians and the actors. The two sets of players must be in perfect time with each other to achieve the intended effect, and it is during such sections as the "kudoki" that this effect really hits home. By taking over lines of dialogue the Gidayu chanter allows the actor freedom to "act out" the story through expressive movement and pose. But of equal, if not even more importance, is the player of the 3-stringed shamisen for it is the sound of the shamisen which emphasizes or fills in the spaces between these movements. The Gidayu shamisen is the largest of the three sizes of shamisen used in Kabuki music and has a very deep and dramatic tone that goes perfectly with such scenes of lamentation. To hear a single stroke of this instrument at exactly the same time as seeing some action performed by the actor... perhaps the biting of a cloth to repress tears, or the sudden falling back of the character from weakness and pain... adds immeasurably to the power of the whole.
Another special point of interest about the "kudoki" this month is the very beginning when Sagami must pick up Kojiro's head. Usually she remains at stage level but stands to take the head from its tray. The head has been placed on the edge of the "engawa" to the left of the stairs. However, this month something quite different happens. Sagami moves to the centre and actually climbs the stairs to meet Kumagai himself half-way up. She then takes the head directly from Kumagai's hands. I am not sure where this "kata", ("acting convention"), comes from but have been told that it is associated with the Kataoka family of actors. At any rate, it seems preferable because it suggests great intimacy between Kumagai and his wife at a time when both must be sharing the same bitter emotion. For the mother to take the head out of the father's hands has greater impact than merely lifting it out of a wooden tray. Unfortunately, there are many such wonderful "kata" in Kabuki which are only rarely performed, and some that even die out with a particular line of actors.
Much of the effectiveness of the "kudoki" stems from the grotesque. It is not only macabre to see a woman fondle her son's decapitated head, it is also the idea that she should be forced to do so that's unnatural and cruel. In this way, "Kumagai Jinya" highlights the real horror that is war, and the ludicrousness of a social system based on the undue prevalence of military ideals. That, at least, is how we must view it today, but writing for the "common" people of the 18th century, one suspects that the playwrights too, were not entirely convinced by the ideals of their social betters. Yet, "Kumagai Jinya" is not a simple morality tale. Nor is it just an excuse to condemn the excesses of feudalism. There is real heroism in the characters of both Kumagai and Sagami, and whatever we think of thier reasons, their self-sacrifice and thieir loyalty are truly praise-worthy. It's just that we can't help feeling the waste of it all. This feeling of waste is central to the tragedy and finds expression in the final dialogue shared between all the characters on stage: "Though the flower mentioned in Musashibo's sign is to be pitied, far more must we mourn a child's life discarded... a warrior's life discarded... that now has no place of rest, in this ephemeral world."
The religious undertones are pretty obvious. According to the Buddhist concept of "ukiyo", this is a "floating world" in which we live and our only chance of salvation is to rise above it... to break the emotional ties that bind us to this earthly plane. Neither the Genji nor the Heike side are shown to be "in the right" in this play. This is demonstrated by both the villainy of Kajiwara, (who is supposedly on the same side as Kumagai and Yoshitsune), and by the honourable magnanimity of Midaroku, (who is supposedly an enemy). When, towards the end of the play, Kumagai reveals that he will renounce the world and take holy orders, he promises to pray for both the Genji and the Heike dead. Clearly there are no winners and no losers. It is the men of both sides who embroil themselves in what is no more than an empty power struggle of the kind that, to a certain extent, characterizes human life itself. Enlightenment lies along a different path but it is a difficult one to follow and even Kumagai, who has seen more human suffering than most, finds it hard to leave this world behind. This is the essence of Kumagai's final exit down the hanamichi after the curtain is closed. Many of Kabuki's most famous exits performed on the hanamichi are designed to emphasize the strength and exuberance of the hero, as for example, in Gongoro's "roppo" at the end of "Shibaraku", or even in the fox Tadanobu's "roppo" at the end of "Fushimi Inari" from "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". But this couldn't be more different. After giving the famous line, "How 16 years have gone by like a dream... a dream", Kumagai is left collapsed in tears, his head concealed beneath his wicker hat. It is only when the Geza produce the sounds of battle close by that he instinctively jumps to his feet, prepared for immediate action. But then he realizes that the battle horn no longer calls to him. Slowly, and with great sadness, he walks off.
It takes an actor of immense presence to hold an audience's attention at such a time. The Geza certainly help, but without scenery, without dialogue, with hardly any movement and with only the drab costume of a priest, it is only too easy for an actor to seem insignificant as he stands in the Kabuki-za's very large auditorium. "Kumagai Jinya" is a very long play and many in the audience will be feeling exhausted after watching and empathising with such extreme emotions. But Nizaemon succeeds in keeping the audience hooked to the very end. There seem to be few actors who are able to make an audience cry, and even fewer who can cry at the right time themselves. Nizaemon appears to have this facility for, on more than one occasion, he has shed tears while departing. Some may find this a little too sentimental but it certainly seems to work in its effect on the audience. It makes for a very moving end to an extremely moving play.
Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura.
The character of Shizuka Gozen reappears on the last item of the matinee programme but this time in her proper context. This dance was a later addition to the long play "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura" and was first performed in 1808. The actors dancing for us this month are Ichikawa Danjuro as the fox Tadanobu and Living National Treasure, Nakamura Ganjiro as Shizuka Gozen.
As a "michiyuki", ("travel dance"), it depicts these two characters en route to their destination, journeying through the spring landscape of Mt. Yoshino which is covered in cherry blossom. Shizuka has heard that her lover, Yoshitsune, was forced to retreat back to Mt. Yoshino where he is now taking refuge in the mansion of a friend, and she is now anxious to catch up with him. She is accompanied by one of Yoshitsune's most loyal retainers, Sato Tadanobu, into whose care she was entrusted by Yoshitsune himself in a previous scene. The only trouble is, this is not the real Tadanobu. It is a fox disguised as Tadanobu in order to be near the "tsutsumi" shoulder drum which Shizuka was given as a keepsake and which she keeps on her person at all times. The "tsutsumi" is made from fox hides, and these particular hides happen to come from this Tadanobu's parents.
There are many "michiyuki" travel dances in Kabuki but this is one of the most beautiful. The fact that the characters are journeying outdoors presents an excellent opportunity for descriptive lyrics and those from "Yoshinoyama" are certainly very lovely. This is true from the very first entrance of Shizuka on the hanamichi when the Kiyomoto singers describe her hardship finding her way along mountain paths overgrown with grass. The choreography illustrates the lyrics so that we see Shizuka parting the tall grasses as she goes. She is a little startled when a pheasant suddenly takes to the air and we're told that, though the bird's attachment to its chicks is strong, Shizuka's own love for Yoshitsune is no less constant. As she finally makes her way to the main stage the Geza musicians play the drum pattern called "kodama", ("echo"), suggesting the gentle murmurs reverberating through the valleys, as well as the steady beats that indicate a fresh breeze over the hills. One suspects that many in the audience don't notice these Geza sounds or do not know what they're meant to represent. This is a great pity for they are important in creating the correct atmosphere for the dance.
Shizuka then hears the song of a bush warbler and decides to accompany it with her "tsutsumi" drum. Meanwhile, her companion Tadanobu has been absent all this while, but when Shizuka begins to play the drum he mysteriously appears on the "suppon". The "suppon" is a stage-lift located at approximately the 7-3 position on the hanamichi and its use is normally reserved for the appearance of supernatural creatures. This is our first hint in the dance that this Tadanobu may not be all that he seems. After he joins her they both begin to comment on the beauty of Mt. Yoshino now that every twig is in full bloom, and they go on to relax and amuse themselves. Tadanobu calls Shizuka's attention to the distant sounds of music from a near-by village and then teaches her the steps of a simple rustic dance. Then, as the season is spring, the lyrics mention the doll festival on the 3rd of the 3rd month and both Shizuka nad Tadanobu perform a celebrated pose depicting a male and female paper doll. Tadanobu stands with arms outstretched behind Shizuka... a pose symbolizing marital bliss. They then go on to play-act, imagining themselves as a pair of lovers drinking beneath a bright moon and spending the night in each other's company.
All this talk of couples finally makes Shizuka melancholy and recalling her real lover, Yoshitsune, she begins a dance describing his escape from Kyoto and the violent sea storm that prevented him from sailing to the west. This is a short solo section for Shizuka which is performed with great beauty by Nakamura Ganjiro this month for he can not only dance well, but also suggests Shizuka's real anxiety for Yoshitsune's safety very successfully.
The real highlight of "Yoshinoyama" however, belongs to the character of Tadanobu. This is the "Yashima no Ikusa Monogatari", a description of the battle of Yashima, which Tadanobu offers to tell Shizuka. In dance form he describes two separate episodes: the first involving the Heike warrior Kagekiyo and the Genji warrior Mihonoya no Shiro. Their fight took place on the seashore and again the Geza musicians provide essential background atmosphere by creating the clanging sounds of battle and the sound of crashing waves. After fighting for some time with halberd and sword, the warriors threw down their weapons and grappled in hand-to-hand combat. Kagekiyo grabbed the neck-piece of Shiro's helmet and pulled backwards while Shiro resisted by pulling forwards. Finally the neck-piece broke and both men fell to the ground. This is perhaps the most famous and easily appreciated section of the dance. For the moment, the actor must put aside the dual nature of his character, (half man, half fox), and concentrate on portraying a pair of courageous warriors whose prodigious strength is equally matched. This in itself is no problem for Danjuro since he has acted this kind of role very often, but whether he is the best to bring out the tension of battle through dance is another question. There are several actors in Kabuki who may be imposing enough physically and who can impress an audience through dialogue, but who cannot express themselves well through dance movement.
The second episode which Tadanobu describes during this battle sequence involves his own brother, Tsuginobu. Spotting Yoshitsune on the shore, the enemy warrior Noritsune shot an arrow that would have killed the Genji lord had Tsuginobu not been watching for he rode infront and blocked the arrow's path.
In this way, Tsuginobu sacrificed his own life for his lord. At the end of this section Shizuka herself joins in the story-telling since she has heard of Noritsune's great reputation as a bowman and of Tsuginobu's sad end. Both characters shed tears at the thought of such self-sacrifice and at the bitter waste of a human life.
There then follows a comic section in which Hayami no Toda enters on the hanamichi with his men. Toda is employed by Yoshitsune's brother, Yoritomo, and he has been sent to find and capture Yoshitsune whom Yoritomo no longer trusts.
Though quite funny, this section is sometimes cut, and is really no more than an excuse for a bright and spectacular end to the dance. Toda attacks but is no match for this Tadanobu, who with his supernatural powers easily defeats him. Toda's men are dressed in colourful costumes and are called "hana yoten" after the flower-decked spears they hold. The fight which they have with Tadanobu is called "shosadate", and is infact a carefully choreographed dance featuring some acrobatics and designed to emphasize the strength of the central character.
At last, left on their own again, shizuka and Tadanobu decide to continue their journey to meet up with Yoshitsune. Shizuka goes ahead down the hanamichi and following behind, the fox Tadanobu again reveals his animal nature with little hops and jumps. In some versions of this dance the character even undergoes a "bukkaeri" costume-change and performs a full "roppo" exit to show his supernatural identity. But that does not happen this month. Danjuro is actually a little disappointing her as he's not very good at suggesting the animal nature of the character and seems a little unconvinced himself of such a "fairy tale" story. Even so, "Yoshinoyama" is a visually stunning finale to the matinee programme.
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