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The Kabuki Tradition
| Article
# : |
10009 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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| Issue
Date : |
4 / 1986 |
2,938 Words |
| Author
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Onoe Kuroemon II
Oneo Kuroemon II comes from a long line of Kabuki actors. He
is a professor in the School of Fine Arts/Theater Department
at the University of California at Irvine. |
From a standpoint of pure spectacle, Kabuki has few rivals in world theater--Broadway in its own way being a worthy contender. But the form behind the spectacle--the expressions of a three-hundred-year-old acting tradition--seems still to leave Western audiences puzzled.
By manner of explanation, I can perhaps solve some of these mysteries. Yet attempting to describe the intricacies of a centuries-old art form in the space of a single article presents its own puzzle. To translate a primarily physical medium effectively into one of words is to run the risk of oversimplification--or worse, pedantry. Obstacles considered, I shall present my subject actively, that is, from an education gained from my life in the Kabuki theater.
In Japan, tradition has always been a guiding force behind the attitudes of its people and in the shaping of its culture. This influence is also a decisive factor in the individual's role in society.
For the Kabuki actor, induction into the tradition of the theater begins immediately, with his birth into an acting family. Although it is true that not all Kabuki actors are born into an acting family, it is almost assured that those who are will follow the heritage maintained by their fathers.
Since Kabuki theater is limited to male performers, only the sons in an acting family are able to become actors. Men play both male and female roles, and the children's parts are played by the boys as part of their training. The young actor thus makes his stage debut quite early, and always under the watchful guidance of his father or
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