Free Essays on Kabuki

Kabuki is one of Japan's traditional theatrical arts. Its inception goes back to the latter part of the 16th century and, with extensive and continuous evolution, it has flourished and remains a very popular dramatic art form in Japan drawing large audiences across the country. During the period generally referred to as the Edo Era, during which much of the development of kabuki took place, distinction between the warrior class and the commoners was more rigidly observed than at any other time in Japan's history. The art of kabuki was cultivated mainly by the merchants in those days. They had be come increasingly powerful economically, but had to remain socially inferior as they belonged to the commoner class. To them kabuki was perhaps most significant as the artistic means by which to express their emotions under such conditions. Thus, the fundamental themes of kabuki plays are conflicts between humanity and the feudalistic system. It is largely due to this humanistic quality of the art that it gained such an enduring popularity among the general public of those days and remains this way today. A unique feature of the kabuki art is the fact that it has no actresses whatsoever. All female parts are played by male impersonators known as onnagata. The players of the kabuki drama in its primitive stage were principally women, and with the increasing popularity of kabuki, many of the actresses began to attract undue attention from male admirers. The authorities felt that this would lead to a serious demoralization of the public and in 1629 the theatrical appearance of women was officially banned. However, since kabuki as an art form was already accepted by the public, men immediately took over and have continued performing to the present. The ban on actresses was in effect for about 250 years. In the mean time kabuki brought to perfection the art of the onnagata. As a result, there was no room for actresses in kabuki whe... Free Essays on Kabuki Free Essays on Kabuki Kabuki is one of Japan's traditional theatrical arts. Its inception goes back to the latter part of the 16th century and, with extensive and continuous evolution, it has flourished and remains a very popular dramatic art form in Japan drawing large audiences across the country. During the period generally referred to as the Edo Era, during which much of the development of kabuki took place, distinction between the warrior class and the commoners was more rigidly observed than at any other time in Japan's history. The art of kabuki was cultivated mainly by the merchants in those days. They had be come increasingly powerful economically, but had to remain socially inferior as they belonged to the commoner class. To them kabuki was perhaps most significant as the artistic means by which to express their emotions under such conditions. Thus, the fundamental themes of kabuki plays are conflicts between humanity and the feudalistic system. It is largely due to this humanistic quality of the art that it gained such an enduring popularity among the general public of those days and remains this way today. A unique feature of the kabuki art is the fact that it has no actresses whatsoever. All female parts are played by male impersonators known as onnagata. The players of the kabuki drama in its primitive stage were principally women, and with the increasing popularity of kabuki, many of the actresses began to attract undue attention from male admirers. The authorities felt that this would lead to a serious demoralization of the public and in 1629 the theatrical appearance of women was officially banned. However, since kabuki as an art form was already accepted by the public, men immediately took over and have continued performing to the present. The ban on actresses was in effect for about 250 years. In the mean time kabuki brought to perfection the art of the onnagata. As a result, there was no room for actresses in kabuki whe... Free Essays on Kabuki While reading the short story â€Å"Flower-Eating Crone† by Enchi Fumiko, the one obstacle that I had with the text dealt with the Kabuki theatre. I kept wondering what the Kabuki theatre was all about, since it was mentioned throughout the story. I have very little experience with Japanese culture, so I thought it would be a good idea to see what exactly the Kabuki theatre entails. I feel this topic is significant because it seems like Kabuki theatre plays a major role in the Japanese culture. I feel the following information would only enhance a reader’s understanding of this story if they actually knew a little background on the aesthetics of the Kabuki theatre. I’m going to give a brief explanation about certain key aspects of the Kabuki theatre and these aspects are the background, repertoire, the aesthetic elements, the stage, and finally the actors. Kabuki theatre is one of Japan’s traditional theatrical art programs. The Kabuki theatre started around the 16th century in the period known as the Edo Era century. This was the period in which Kabuki developed the most. The merchant class was the class that did most of the groundwork for the Kabuki theatre. To the commoners Kabuki theatre was a way to express their emotions about their living conditions. (i.g. social class difference). The feudalistic system and conflicts between humanity are the two main themes that are found throughout each play. This form of theatre is constantly evolving and making changes for the better. Kabuki theatre does have a big following among the Japanese. The thing about Kabuki theatre that amazed me the most is the fact the males play both female and male roles. Yes this means that there are no female actresses in Kabuki theatre. These males are known as onnagata. The use of woman was banned in 1629 in order to protect the public from demoralization. Kabuki theatre has a huge repertoire of around 300 plays. This number is s... Free Essays on Kabuki Japan’s dances and dramas as they are seen today contain 1300 years of continuous uninterrupted history. This prodigious feat of conservation, theatrically speaking, makes Japan an extraordinary and unique country. In all of Asia, where tradition generally is sanctified and change eschewed, Japan stands as the only country whose theatre is its entirety has never suffered an eclipse nor undergone any drastic revivification or renovation. The most traditional form of Japanese theatre is kabuki. Its origin goes back to the latter part of the 16th century and, with extensive and continuous evolution, it has now been perfected into a state of classical refinement. Though not as flourishing as it once was, the kabuki theatre retains wide popularity among the people, and is in fact drawing quite large audiences even now. During the period generally referred to as the Edo Era, during which much of the development of kabuki took place, distinctions between the warrior class and the commoners was more rigidly observed than at any other time in Japan's history. Mainly the merchants cultivated the art of kabuki in those days. They had become increasingly powerful economically, but had to remain socially inferior as they belonged to the commoner class. To them kabuki was most significant as the artistic means by which to express their emotions under the prevailing conditions. Thus, the fundamental themes of kabuki plays are conflicts between humanity and the feudalistic system. It is largely due to this humanistic quality of the art that it gained such an enduring popularity among the general public of those days and remains this way today. A unique feature of the kabuki art, and possibly the most significant detail and in keeping with the kabuki spirit of unusualness, is the fact that it has no actresses whatsoever (Bowers 325). Male impersonators known as onnagata play all female parts. The players of the kabuki drama in its primitive stage...