..or so it went yesterday at the Kabuki-za Theater's production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". Since all roles in Kabuki are played by men, the character Viola, here Princess Biza, along with twin brother Cesario (aka Shuzennosuke) and Sebastian (aka Shishimaru) were all played by the actor Onoe Kikunosuke.
I had been wanting to go to a Kabuki performance ever since I arrived here in Tokyo and I couldn't think of a better (and more bizarre) initiation than this. And it didn't disappoint - the beautiful sets, ornate costumes and over-the-top acting (here it is actually an acting style called Aragoto) were all evident.
Just as enjoyable was the experience itself of being in a Kabuki Theatre, with all three levels filled with food and clothing shops. I mean really, what better way to spend the two 30 minute intermissions than to shop and eat. The patrons as well were interesting to watch - some dressed in kimono, some going very casual, bringing their own lunch to eat outside during the breaks.
There is a special type of patron or Omuko-san allowed to call out greetings, or Kakegoe, to the performers. Usually the greeting is either the actor's generational number or "acting house name", one which they share with other members of the same acting family. These patrons are almost exclusively men (do you see a pattern here?) and highly knowledgeable about the theatre. They sit in the far reaches of the theatre, which makes their name (Omuko-san means "great distant people") rather appropriate.
I had been wanting to go to a Kabuki performance ever since I arrived here in Tokyo and I couldn't think of a better (and more bizarre) initiation than this. And it didn't disappoint - the beautiful sets, ornate costumes and over-the-top acting (here it is actually an acting style called Aragoto) were all evident.
Just as enjoyable was the experience itself of being in a Kabuki Theatre, with all three levels filled with food and clothing shops. I mean really, what better way to spend the two 30 minute intermissions than to shop and eat. The patrons as well were interesting to watch - some dressed in kimono, some going very casual, bringing their own lunch to eat outside during the breaks.
There is a special type of patron or Omuko-san allowed to call out greetings, or Kakegoe, to the performers. Usually the greeting is either the actor's generational number or "acting house name", one which they share with other members of the same acting family. These patrons are almost exclusively men (do you see a pattern here?) and highly knowledgeable about the theatre. They sit in the far reaches of the theatre, which makes their name (Omuko-san means "great distant people") rather appropriate.
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