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Japanese Theater
• Kabuki – Traditional Theater (popular)Exs. Kabuki – YouTube (a good introduction) Centre Stage: Kabuki – YouTube (overview)
• Bunraku – Puppet TheaterEx. YouTube - Bunraku theater in Osaka
• Noh – Traditional Theater (elitist)Ex. Noh Theatre - YouTube
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Kabuki
• Originates in late 16th century (1596)
• All female performers (immediately banned)
• Replaced by male performers- includes “onnagata” (female impersonator)
• Primarily dance theater w/ colorful costumes
• Audience – traditionally middle-class
• Music – includes three different ensembles
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Kabuki Actors/Dancers
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Kabuki Dancer(note Debayashi in background)
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Kabuki Music• Geza (off-stage) – sound effects (o-daiko,
other percussion, shamisen, nohkan)
• Chobo (stage left) – “narrator” (“speaker” and shamisen)
• Debayashi (stage rear) – literally, the “coming out orchestra” (multiple singers, shamisens, drums, nohkan)
• AoK Presentation.m4v – YouTube(Musical Instruments of the Kabuki)
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Nagauta (Kabuki ensemble)
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Nagauta (Kabuki ensemble)
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Nohkan
Ex. Nohkan Lesson by MEJIRO (
株)目白 - YouTube
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Kotsuzumi
Ex. KOTSUZUMI - YouTube
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Otsuzumi
Ex. OH-TSUZUMI - YouTube
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Kabuki Examples• Kabuki Theatre – YouTube (overview)• Sagi Musume – YouTube (good examples w/ music)• Kabuki Dance- Bando Tamasaburo. Yamanba – YouTube• Musume Dojoji [The maiden at Dojo Temple]- Tamasaburo [F
ULL]. part 1 - YouTube• Musume Dojoji [The maiden at Dojo Temple]- Tamasaburo
[FULL]. part 2 – YouTube• Musume Dojoji [The maiden at Dojo Temple]- Tamasaburo
[FULL]. part 3 - YouTube• Musume Dojoji [The maiden at Dojo Temple]- Tamasaburo
[FULL]. part 4 – YouTube• Musume Dojoji [The maiden at Dojo Temple]- Tamasaburo
[FULL]. part 5 - YouTube