Some things about Kabuki

Alan P. Scott - Fictions - Kabuki World

on the hanamichi

An onnagata is a "male actor playing a female role exemplifying ideal, ultimate womanhood." Although a woman, Izumo no Okuni, originated the kabuki form in 1603, male actors have played all roles since a ban was placed on female performers (1629 C.E.) and boys (1652 C.E.) by the Tokugawa Shogunate.

You can learn more about kabuki online or in numerous scholarly works. The Wikipedia article turns out to be a pretty good general overview.

Of the sources I originally used and painstakingly verified on 7/25/1997, all are now offline (thanks to Heather Johnson for pointing that out!). They were:

• "Kabuki for Everyone" (http://www.fix.co.jp/kabuki/)
• "Kabuki" (http://www.webcouver.com/culture/japan/kabuki.html)
• "Kabuki: Traditional Theatrical Arts" (http://asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/countries/japan/kabuki.html)
• Dr. Patrick Finelli, University of South Florida, Tampa had placed his lecture notes for "3100 Theatre History" (http://arts.usf.edu/theater/notes.html) on the web.
• "Portrait of an Onnagata" is a video available at various universities under the Library of Congress catalog number PN2924.5.K3 P67 1992

Last updated November 8, 2011.

©1997, 2011 Alan P. Scott. All rights reserved.

Contact me: