OCTOBER
Artist Hashimoto Chikanobu
Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Benkei
"Gentousyain kurabe Kanzincyo" 1890
KABUKI-ZA KABUKI-ZA
Matinee Programme Evening Programme
1). Koi Nyobo Somewake Tazuna
2). Kanjincho
3). Naniwa no Ashi
KABUKI-ZA
Evening Programme
1). Koi Nyobo Somewake Tazuna
This is one act known as "Shigenoi Kowakare" from a much longer play, the rest of which is no longer performed. "Kowakare" means "separation from one's child", and it belongs to a category of plays all dealing with the same theme. Others include "Kuzunoha". "Shigenoi Kowakare" was first performed as a Kabuki play in 1751 and was adapted from a puppet play produced in the same year.
The story is simple. The character Shigenoi is a wet-nurse who looks after the young princess Shirabe. Shirabe's father is lord Yurugi who, as part of a political alliance, is marrying off his daughter to the son of another lord in the East. However, princess Shirabe is refusing to go, and her stubbornness is proving extremely trying for all the other members of the household, Shigenoi included. It is just at this moment that another lady enters with a suggestion which may persuade the princess to change her mind. The lady reports that a boy of around ten years old is playing a game of sugoroku just outside, and he's playing it with a picture of the Tokaido Highway, the very highway along which Shirabe is to travel. The boy, a young pack-horse driver called Sankichi, is brought in and ordered to teach the young princess how to play the game. They all begin playing excitedly and it isn't very long before, unsurprisingly, the princess wins. She never knew that travelling to the East could be such fun and she is now eager to depart. Shigenoi is relieved and grateful to the boy whom she intends to reward. Members of the household all retire to get ready for the journey. Shigenoi then re-enters with a tray of sweet cakes that she intends for Sankichi, and during the following exchange it transpires that the boy is none other than her own son whom she was forced to give up at birth. Sankichi is overjoyed at having found his real mother and his only remaining wish is that his father might also be found so that the three of them can live as one family. But this can never be. Shigenoi is shocked at first, and though she would love to hold the boy in her arms, she knows that she cannot. If word were to leak out that princess Shirabe and a humble pack-horse driver shared the same mother's milk at birth then there'd be no telling what terrible consequences would result. Shirabe is about to be married for political reasons and her reputation must be above reproach. It is this situation that gives rise to the heart-rending tragedy, for Shigenoi must, once more, give up her child for the sake of duty. She explains to Sankichi that they can never be mother and child in this world and that he must leave the mansion at once.
It's this kind of extreme, unnatural sacrifice that Westerners find not only hard to agree with, but also difficult to believe. Some may find the play unconvincing as a whole simply because the story is too "preposterous". Yet such situations were quite possible in the feudal period of the past, and plays like this are in effect a criticism of the code of behaviour that would force a mother even to discard her own child out of loyalty to her lord. In fact, such criticism is given openly in the lines of the chanter. Once the historical situation is accepted as true, then this play becomes one of the most moving and horrifying scenes in Kabuki.
Nakamura Ganjiro plays the role of Shigenoi for the first time while his real grandson, Kazutaro, takes the part of Sankichi. Kazutaro will be eight this year and it's difficult to imagine a child actor who can show as much maturity of expression. (Ganjiro is reported as saying that during private rehearsals, it was he rather than Kazutaro who was nervous about appearing in a new role.) Although on opening day, both actors were a little wayward with their lines, once they were a few days into the run they became word perfect. Kazutaro already displays the great sense of timing that's so essential to "maruhon mono", and his energy and seriousness at the play's climax was fantastic. It was only a shame that certain members of the audience didn't seem as serious as the actors. Women tend to laugh at children when they are really good which is highly irritating. As Shigenoi, Ganjiro was superb. He is an actor of the old school and his art lies in stylisation and theatrical convention. But this is vital to Kabuki and atb this he is a genius. Certain of my theatre-going friends find him "a bit much to take" because at times he seems to take the idea of stylisation to idiosyncratic extremes, but there's nothing wrong with that if both the role and the situation call for it. Ganjiro's diction is beautiful for its rhythm and flow and I personally find his tendency to draw out and lengthen the last sound of a sentence both tension-building and aesthetically pleasing. If you heard people talking like that in the street you would of course think they were completely mad, but we don't need naturalism on the Kabuki stage. We need art, and though "art" shares the same root as "artifice" this need not detract one bit from its real emotional impact.
The movements too were carefully choreographed, as always with "maruhon mono", and Ganjiro's gracefulness in handling the "uchikake", (outer robe), was perfect. It added much to the climactic poses and made them visually very stunning. Altogether a magnificent production.
2). Kanjincho
This month's performances are in honour of the 50th death anniversary of Matsumoto Koshiro VII, and the 17th death anniversary of his son, Matsumoto Hakuo. For this reason, actors of this family line or who have a strong connection to these men feature strongly in the line-up. Both Koshiro VII and Hakuo were famous in the role of Benkei and this month's performance sees Koshiro VII's grandsons perform in their honour. Benkei is played by Koshiro IX and Togashi is played by Danjuro. (Danjuro's father was the eldest son of Koshiro VII and the elder brother of Hakuo.) In his lifetime, Koshiro VII was famous for having played Benkei 1,600 times, though the current Koshiro believes that if we include provincial tours, etc., this total would reach 2,000. It's obvious that the current Koshiro intends to follow in his grandfather's footsteps for he himself has performed the role on very many occasions: last year he acted Benkei at the Nagano Olympics, at the Minami-za in Kyoto, and again at the National Theatre this January.
If it isn't Koshiro playing Benkei then it'll probably be his brother, Kichiemon, or if not him then Danjuro himself. It seems that family rivalry is obsessing these actors who all want to be labeled with the coveted title, "Benkei yakusha", that is, an actor most suited to play Benkei.
"Kanjincho" is certainly a very great masterpiece and I think all these actors are good in it, but I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one in thinking that all this is a bit like overkill. Having said that, Koshiro's Benkei is probably the best I have ever seen, (live), and this month Danjuro's Togashi was especially good. Yoshitsune was played by Jakuemon, again. (See
previous reviews for story, etc.)
3). Naniwa no Ashi
This is a new work first performed in 1955. It was written by the famous Kabuki playwright, Uno Nobuo, who was also responsible for the current version of "Sonezaki Shinju". "Naniwa no Ashi", ("The Reeds of Naniwa"), is another very good play, if a little sentimental, but its more modern style is a welcome contrast to the formal heroics of the previous play.
The ex-retainer, Saemon, and his wife, Mayumi, have fallen on hard times and their poverty is causing both incredible stress. Mayumi has the bad habit of letting her emotions get the better of her, making her say and do things which she later regrets. One day, this is exactly what happens. Coming home and finding her husband in a terrible mood, she rashly declares that they must separate, even though her original intention was quite the opposite. Saemon is too ashamed of his inability to provide for her to object. Five years pass, and Mayumi has become the wife of a provincial lord but, though she lives in comfort and splendour, she has no love for her new husband and thinks constantly of Saemon. One day she meets a poor man selling reeds along the waterfront and recognizes him as Saemon. When he runs away, she pursues him to his hut where she breaks down and confesses her past mistake. Yet, he goes off again, realizing that nothing can now be done to change things. Mayumi finally leaves a farewell poem behind written on her outer kimono and then rides off into the sunset.
The character of Mayumi is played by Tokizo who demonstrates his talent at modern plays as well as classical ones. Saemon is played by Bando Yasosuke.
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