Playwright names:

Nagawa Kunisuke

Existence: ???

Connection:

Master: Nagawa Shimesuke I

Disciple: Nagawa Kumesuke

Career:

1785: disciple of Nagawa Shimesuke I, he starts his career as a sakusha in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater.

1797: Kunisuke settles in Ôsaka.

3rd lunar month of 1808: the drama "Hachijin Shugo no Honjô", which was originally written for the puppet theater and premiered in the 9th lunar month of 1807 in Ôsaka, is adapted for Kabuki by the sakusha Nagawa Kunisuke, Nagawa Tokusuke I and Ichioka Washichi I and staged in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting].

Fall 1814: Kunisuke goes to Edo, along with the actors Arashi Sangorô III, Nakayama Sharyû, Arashi Umatarô I and others minor actors.

11th lunar month of 1814: Kunisuke works at the Ichimuraza, along with Tsuruya Nanboku IV (tatesakusha), Matsui Kôzô I and Sakurada Jisuke II, for the creation of the drama "Sekai no Hana Sugawara Denju", which celebrates the shûmei of Ôtani Hiroemon IV.

Fall 1817: Kunisuke goes back to Kyôto.

11th lunar month of 1817: Kunisuke becomes tatesakusha and works at the Minamigawa no Shibai for the production of "Kaeribana Somewake Tazuna", which welcomes in Kyôto the Kamigata star Kataoka Nizaemon VII. We don't know what happens to him afterwards for he disappears from the records.

Comments:

Nagawa Kunisuke was a Kamigata sakusha, who was active from the middle of the 1780s to the end of the 1810s and who took part in the creation of more than 35 Kabuki dramas.

The name of Nagawa Kunisuke in a 1805 Kyôto hyôbanki (the name within the red box)