My favorite plays in kabuki by far have to be Narukami, Yoshitsune Zenbonzakura and Yasuna, but I have also really liked the Soga brothers plays!
1: I know women are banned in Kabuki as a whole (but more lenient in noh), but would there ever be a time where women would eventually be allowed back into acting? If so, would it render onnagata obsolete?
2: How does the succeeding actor naming system work? Does the actor have to perfect certain skills/roles to become the next in line in their respective families? (Such as the Danjuro line of actors)
3: Would it be considered impolite to make your own play if you are not part of the actor family lines? I remember coming across the Oppenheimer noh (which is in english and not traditional Japanese), and I was curious as to how well an English play would work in Kabuki.
4: How far can you go in terms of stage tricks and decor? I was captivated over the Yoshitsune Zenbonzakura play and how seemingly ''complex'' the acts looked compared to more minimalist ones like Yasuna.
5: Are play ''fanarts'' encouraged, or allowed at all? I have so far doodled Kataoka Ainosuke VI's version of a mie in Narukami on my tablet, but I have no idea if that's even something that's tolerated to begin with (If it isn't, I'll scrap my drawing no questions asked!).
Thank you so much for taking the time to read! 🙂
by Sinxerely7420