|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
Kabuki
Kabuki, the popular theatre of Japan, as opposed to the aristocratic nō play. As its name implies—ka = singing, bu = dancing, ki = acting—it combines the three main theatrical arts, allied to an astonishing virtuosity, particularly in the playing of female parts, by highly trained actors. In its present form kabuki dates from about the middle of the 17th century, though some of its elements go back a thousand years. Since 1945 the many small kabuki troupes which used to tour the countryside have been disbanded and performances are given only in the larger cities. The plays are performed on a wide, shallow platform which since c.1760 has incorporated a revolving stage, later adopted by the Western theatre. Another characteristic of the kabuki theatre, taken from the nō play, is the hana-michi, or ‘flower way’, running along the left-hand wall of the auditorium to the stage at the level of the spectators' heads. Along this the actors make their entrances and exits, or withdraw for an aside. They wear rich brocaded costumes for historical parts, plain dress for scenes from daily life and, unlike the nō actors, are not masked. Music is provided by a small group of instrumentalists placed inconspicuously behind a lattice on the right of the stage. There are also two stage hands, the kurogo and the kōken, one hooded, the other not, who are by tradition invisible. They date from the time when each of the chief actors had a ‘shadow’ who crouched beside him holding a light on the end of a bamboo pole to illuminate the play of his features. The kabuki plays, which have no particular literary value, being frameworks for the display of technical accomplishments, take their subjects from many sources—history, myth, daily life, even from the nō plays, or from the puppet-theatre or bunraku. For a performance based on a puppet-play a singer, or jōruri, seated on the stage, recites the story which the actors are miming; for a nō play, the samisen players are joined by a group of nō musicians. In the old days performances by kabuki actors could extend over several days, and they still last from midday to midnight, the audience, in family groups, coming and going from the boxes in the auditorium, eating and talking during the less interesting parts of the performance and giving all their attention to the great set speeches and dance-dramas which, together with comic episodes and historical set-pieces, make up the programme.
|
|
|
Cite this article
PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Kabuki." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Kabuki." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Kabuki.html PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Kabuki." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Kabuki.html |
|
kabuki
ka·bu·ki / kəˈboōkē/ • n. a form of traditional Japanese drama with highly stylized song, mime, and dance, now performed only by male actors. ORIGIN: Japanese, originally as a verb meaning ‘act dissolutely,’ later interpreted as if from ka ‘song’ + bu ‘dance’ + ki ‘art.’ |
|
|
Cite this article
"kabuki." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kabuki." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-kabuki.html "kabuki." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-kabuki.html |
|
kabuki theatre
kabuki theatre Stylized mixture of dance and music, mime and vocal performance; a major form of moralizing entertainment in Japan since the mid-17th century. In contrast to No drama, which originated with the nobility, Kabuki was the theatre of the common people. See also Japanese theatre
|
|
|
Cite this article
"kabuki theatre." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kabuki theatre." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-kabukitheatre.html "kabuki theatre." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-kabukitheatre.html |
|
kabuki
kabuki : see Asian drama . |
|
|
Cite this article
"kabuki." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kabuki." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-kabuki.html "kabuki." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-kabuki.html |
|
kabuki
kabuki •chokey, croaky, folkie, folky, hokey, hokey-cokey, hoki, jokey, karaoke, Loki, okey-dokey, Okie, pokey, poky, smoky, trochee
•adzuki, bouzouki, fluky, kabuki, kooky, pukey, saluki, spooky, Sukie, Suzuki, verrucae
•bookie, cookie, hookey, hooky, nooky, rookie
•netsuke
•clucky, ducky, happy-go-lucky, Kentucky, lucky, mucky, plucky, yucky
•bulky, sulky
•chunky, clunky, flunkey, funky, hunky, junkie, junky, monkey, punky, spunky
•dusky, husky, musky
•synecdoche • Malachy • hillocky
•bullocky
•Andromache, logomachy, theomachy
•hummocky • anarchy • monarchy
•Cherokee • tussocky
•herky-jerky, jerky, mirky, murky, perky, quirky, smirky, turkey
•turnkey • Albuquerque
|
|
|
Cite this article
"kabuki." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "kabuki." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-kabuki.html "kabuki." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-kabuki.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
