Kabuki-The art of plays

Kabuki (歌舞伎, kabuki?) is a form of traditional Japanese theatre. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by its performers. The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing (歌, dance (舞, and skill (伎. Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing." These are, however, ateji, characters that do not reflect actual etymology. The word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary", so kabuki can be interpreted to mean "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre.[1] The expression kabukimono (歌舞伎者 referred originally to wild urban gangs of young eccentrics who dressed outrageously and had strange hairstyles.
1603–1629: female kabuki
The history of kabuki began in 1603, when Okuni, a miko (young woman in the service of a Shinto shrine) of Izumo Taisha, began performing a new style of dance drama in the dry river beds of Kyoto.[2] Female performers played both men and women in comic playlets about ordinary life. The style was instantly popular; Okuni was even asked to perform before the Imperial Court. In the wake of such success, rival troupes quickly formed, and kabuki was born as ensemble dance drama performed by women—a form very different from its modern incarnation. Much of its appeal in this era was due to the ribald, suggestive performances put on by many troupes; this appeal was further augmented by the fact that the performers were often also available for prostitution.[1] For this reason, kabuki was also written "歌舞妓" (singing and dancing prostitute) during the Edo Period.
Since kabuki was already so popular, young male actors took over after women were banned from performing. Along with the change in the performers' gender came a change in the emphasis of the performance: increased stress was placed on drama rather than dance.[2] Their performances were equally ribald, however, and they too were available for prostitution (also to male customers). Audiences frequently became rowdy, and brawls occasionally broke out, sometimes over the favors of a particularly handsome young actor, leading the shogunate to ban young male actors in 1652.
After 1653: men's kabuki
From 1653, only mature men could perform kabuki, which developed into a sophisticated, highly stylized form called yarō kabuki (野郎歌舞伎, roughly, men's kabuki). This metamorphosis in style was heavily influenced by kyogen comic theater, as mandated by the shogunate.[1] Kyogen was, in any case, extremely popular at the time.
The yarō was eventually dropped, but all roles in a kabuki play continued to be performed by men. Male actors who specialize in playing women's roles, called onnagata or oyama (both 女形, emerged, and families of onnagata specialists developed. In later years, most onnagata came from these families.
Two major role types developed: aragoto (rough style) was pioneered by Ichikawa Danjūrō (1660–1704) in Edo, and wagoto (soft style) by Sakata Tōjūrō (1647–1709) in the Kyoto-Osaka area. Aragoto is a bombastic style of role, in which the actor greatly exaggerates words, gestures, and even costumes and makeup; its name is derived from a word meaning the reckless warrior matter, and its plays emphasize action. In contrast, wagoto features more realistic speech and gestures, and its plays are usually tragic romances.
Famous Play
While there are many famous plays known today, the three most famous ones were written in three successive years in the middle of the 18th century. Like most of kabuki's longer, more serious, more dramatic plays, these were originally written for jōruri (bunraku) and were adopted by kabuki soon afterwards. All three were written by Takeda Izumo II, Miyoshi Shōraku, and Namiki Senryū I, between 1746 and 1748.
Kanadehon Chūshingura (Treasury of Loyal Retainers) is the famous story of the Forty-seven Ronin who track down their lord's killer, and exact revenge upon him before committing seppuku as required by their code of honor upon the death of their lord.[16]
Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees) follows Minamoto no Yoshitsune as he flees from agents of his brother Yoritomo. Three Taira clan generals supposed killed in the Genpei War figure prominently, as their deaths ensure a complete end to the war and the arrival of peace, as does a kitsune named Genkurō.[17]
Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy) is based on the life of famed scholar Sugawara no Michizane (845–903), who is exiled from Kyoto, and upon his death causes a number of calamities in the capital. He is then deified, as Tenjin, kami (divine spirit) of scholarship, and worshipped in order to propitiate his angry spirit.
The Minamiza in Kyoto : The oldest Kabuki theatre in Japan