Playwright names:

Nagawa Kamesuke I	|  |
Nagawa Eichôdô
Nagawa Kamesuke I	|  |

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Namiki Shôzô I

Disciples: Nagawa Shimesuke I, Nagawa Shinzô, Nagawa Sanbu

Career:

Before 1771: son of a Nara merchant, he became a disciple of Namiki Shôzô I but did not receive a Namiki name. He called himself Nagawa Kamesuke ^[1].

11th lunar month of 1771: Kamesuke worked at the Naka no Shibai, along with his master Namiki Shôzô I, on the kaomise drama "Temomutsumajiya Ryûgû no Shimadai", which also celebrated the shûmei of Arashi Bungorô I, Ichikawa Otojûrô and Arashi Shichisaburô II.

Summer 1773: Kamesuke became tatesakusha in Ôsaka.

4th lunar month of 1775: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Kamesuke's drama "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari" [more details].

11th lunar month of 1775: Kamesuke was tatesakusha at the Naka no Shibai, where he worked on the kaomise drama "Gohiiki Tenmokuzan", which was produced by Mimasu Matsunojô.

12th lunar month of 1776: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Kamesuke's drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa" [casting].

4th lunar month of 1777: premiere in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai of Kamesuke's drama "Meiboku Sendai Hagi" [casting].

11th lunar month of 1777: Kamesuke and Nagawa Shimesuke I worked on the kaomise drama "Daijizai Kaminari no Kodakara", which was produced at the Naka no Shibai by the zamoto Ichiyama Tajirô, celebrated the shûmei of Yamashita Kamenojô IV and welcomed back in Ôsaka Arashi Sangorô II after 3 and 7 seasons spent in Kyôto and Edo.

12th lunar month of 1781: Kamesuke's drama "Katakiuchi Tengajaya-mura" was staged for the first time, in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai [casting]. A similar play was staged a few days later under a different title, "Renga Chaya Homare no Bundai", written by his disciple Nagawa Shimesuke I, who became tatesakusha at the Naka no Shibai [casting], opening a competition between the two theaters for the best performance and the best line-up. The performance at the Kado no Shibai was a huge success and a long run. Unfortunately for Nagawa Shimesuke I, the performance at the Naka no Shibai was a commercial failure.

11th lunar month of 1784: Kamesuke worked at the Naka no Shibai on the kaomise drama "Naka ni Môketa Otogo Kaomise", which was produced by Nakamura Kumetarô II and welcomed in Ôsaka the Edo star Matsumoto Kôshirô IV ^[2].

1st lunar month of 1785: he temporarily took the name of Nagawa Eichôdô and held it for a short period of time before taking back the name of Nagawa Kamesuke.

5th lunar month of 1785: he worked at the Naka no Shibai on the drama "Na ni Ôsaka Kôraiya Bashi". No record afterwards.

Comments:

Nagawa Kamesuke I was an important Kamigata sakusha, the founder of the Nagawa clan, who was active only from the middle of the beginning of the 1770s to the middle of the 1780s and who took part in the creation of more than 70 Kabuki dramas, including "Meiboku Sendai Hagi", "Tengajaya" or "Hade Kurabe Ise Monogatari" which were still part of the Kabuki repertoire.

"In Ôsaka during the Hôreki period the leading sakusha was Nagawa Kamesuke."
(Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")

[1] The Na of Nagawa was for Nara and the Gawa was for Kawachi (the province Kawachi, where he enjoyed himself during his youth).

[2] Matsumoto Kôshirô IV was not very well welcomed by the Ôsaka audience and Onoe Kikugorô I's son Onoe Ushinosuke I, who worked at the Kado no Shibai as a zamoto, made a scornful speech on stage against Matsumoto Kôshirô IV, the 'frightening uncle from Edo in the little hut next door'.

The name of Nagawa Kamesuke I in the 1778 Ôsaka hyôbanki (the zone within the red box)

The Nagawa Kamesuke line of playwrights