Nakamura Kichiemon, Kataoka Nizaemon, Onoe Kikugorô, Nakamura Tomijûrô, Nakamura Shikan, Nakamura Shibajaku, Matsumoto Kôshirô, Nakamura Kaishun, Nakamura Baigyoku, Ichikawa Sadanji, Onoe Kikunosuke, Kataoka Takatarô, Nakamura Fukusuke, Onoe Shôroku, Nakamura Tôzô, Nakamura Kinnosuke, Nakamura Karoku, Nakamura Kashô, Ichikawa Somegorô, Nakamura Tamatarô, Nakamura Takanosuke

Tanemaki Sanbasô: based on the ritual play "Okina" in the Nô theatre, the sanbasô is both an important prayer for prosperity and a vigorous dance. The sanbasô stamps and shakes bells as a ritual for agricultural prosperity while the Senzai is an elegant attendant to the prayers. This particular version elaborates the original ritual into a dance evoking love, marriage and the prosperity symbolized by many children. Featuring Nakamura Baigyoku as the Sanbasô and Kataoka Takatarô as Senzai.

Domo Mata: the artist Matahei has been refused a professional name because of his stuttering. He makes a poor life by drawing folk paintings and decides to make one last effort to gain respectability. His wife Otoku, who is given as much to chatter as Matahei is silent, pleads his case. Turned down again by his master, Matahei decides to take his life. He draws a farewell portrait of himself, a painting so skillful that the lines seep through solid rock and this miracle convinces his master to confer a professional name. Starring Nakamura Kichiemon as Matahei and Nakamura Shibajaku as his wife Otoku.

Suô Otoshi:
(The Dropped Coat)
This play transforms a classical Kyôgen farce into Kabuki dance. Delivering a message for his lord, the servant Tarôkaja (Matsumoto Kôshirô) charms a princess and in reward for a dance showing a famous battle, he receives a formal coat and large amounts of drink. Knowing his lord is a greedy man, he tries to hide the coat on his return, but unfortunately, the sake that helped him feel so good earlier works against him.

Gosho no Gorozô: a portrait of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarters at the height of its splendor. Rival gangs dressed in the height of fashion exchange stately speeches before fighting in the elaborate poetic cadences of Kawatake Mokuami, the last great playwright of Kabuki. Gorozô is the handsome leader of a gang, but his lover, the top courtesan Satsuki pretends to reject him to save his life. Tragedy strikes when Gorozô is driven to revenge. Starring Kataoka Nizaemon as Gorozô, Ichikawa Sadanji as his rival in love, Nakamura Fukusuke as Gorozô's lover, the courtesan Satsuki and Kataoka Takatarô as Ôshû, a courtesan who is tragically killed.

Miyajima no Danmari: the beautiful courtesan Ukifune (Nakamura Fukusuke) appears at Itsukushima Shrine, but she is actually the famous and daring thief Kesatarô coming to steal the treasures of the shrine. Other famous characters from the Heike clan, closely associated with the shrine, appear, and there is a dreamy fight in the dark. This play is especially famous for the odd way in which Ukifune mixes both masculine and feminine movements.

Yamashina Kankyo: this is an act of the epic play based on a sensational incident in the early 17th century. Lord En'ya Hangan's attack on the senior official Kô no Moronô affected people even outside his own household. When Honzô, the senior retainer of another lord, stopped En'ya from killing Moronô, he thought that he was doing a good thing. But his actions earned him the scorn of Enya's retainers and brought personal tragedy to his daughter who was engaged to Rikiya, the son of Yuranosuke, En'ya's head retainer. The scene shows the tragedy as it affects Honzô's wife and daughter and how ultimately Honzô sacrifices his life to atone for his misjudgement. Starring Matsumoto Kôshirô as Honzô, Living National Treasure Nakamura Shikan as his wife Tonase and Onoe Kikunosuke as his daughter Konami, with Nakamura Kichiemon as Yuranosuke, Nakamura Kaishun as his wife Oishi and Ichikawa Somegorô as his son Rikiya.

Tsuchi-gumo: a dance play adapted from the classical Nô theatre. The samurai Lord Minamoto Raikô is famous in legend for ridding Kyôto of demons. While Raikô is confined to bed with illness, a priest (Onoe Kikugorô) from a prominent temple comes to pray for his health. In fact, the priest is actually the spirit of the earth spider which has caused Raikô's illness in the first place and hopes to destroy him. The spider's plan to kill Raikô is defeated by his retainers (the famous shitennô) in an exciting fight. Featuring Living National Treasure Nakamura Tomijûrô as Raikô.

Sannin Kichisa:
(Three Thieves Named Kichisa)
The playwright Kawatake Mokuami excelled at portrayals of thieves and this short scene, with its music and poetic lines, is one of his most famous. A beautiful young woman helps out a woman who is lost on the road. But she is actually Ojô Kichisa, a male thief who is disguised as a woman. He steals an immense sum of money that the woman is carrying and this leads to an encounter on this riverbank of three thieves, all with the name Kichisa. The two others Kichisa are Oshô Kichisa, a bonze turned thief, and Obô Kichisa, an ex-samurai turned thief Though they start out as rivals, they decide to become blood brothers and form a gang. Featuring Kataoka Takatarô as Ojô Kichisa, Onoe Shôroku as Oshô Kichisa and Ichikawa Somegorô as Obô Kichisa.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Sakata Tôjûrô, Bandô Mitsugorô, Kataoka Gatô, Nakamura Kanjaku, Nakamura Senjaku, Kataoka Hidetarô, Bandô Hikosaburô

First performed as a puppet play in 1773, this play shows the searing passion of a stepmother for her son, a story that began with a legend in India and became the great classic of French theatre, “Phedre” by Racine and took the form of the love of Tamate Gozen for her stepson in this play. In the puppet play, this forbidden desire is explained in the typical manner of a history play, as a way to reconcile conflicting duties. But nevertheless, the scandalous theme has made the play often banned, even as the climactic scene has become one of the great classics of both Kabuki and Bunraku puppet theatre.

In November at the National Theatre there will be the first full-length performance of the play in thirty-nine years. Plays originally from the puppet theatre are a specialty of the distinctive Kansai style of acting and this month’s production features Living National Treasure Sakata Tôjûrô (Tamate Gozen), Kataoka Gatô (Gappô) and Kataoka Hidetarô, three of the foremost actors in the Kansai acting style. Also featuring Bandô Mitsugorô as Takayasu Shuntokumaru.

Tamate Gozen has become the second wife of a great lord, Takayasu Saemon Michitoshi. He has two sons, Takayasu Shuntokumaru and Jirômaru. Although Takayasu Shuntokumaru is designated heir to the clan, Jirômaru plots to seize power instead. Suddenly Tamate Gozen confesses her love for Takayasu Shuntokumaru. He flees the mansion now disfigured by a strange illness. Eventually all the parties to the drama come to the house of Tamate Gozen’s father, a priest named Gappô, where Takayasu Shuntokumaru has taken refuge. In this tense scene, Tamate Gozen confesses her passion, Gappô is forced to kill his daughter and finally, all the secrets are revealed in the surprising conclusion.

Ichikawa Kamejirô, Ichikawa Danshirô, Bandô Takesaburô, Ichikawa Monnosuke, Nakamura Kikaku, Bandô Shinsha

Sodehagi Saimon: a larger-than-life history play originally written for the puppet theater, this is an epic of the intrigues in the Tôhoku region of Japan. It shows the larger political movements of the region as the individual tragedies of various people that are caught in this turmoil. In the most famous section, this play tells the tragic story of Sodehagi (Ichikawa Kamejirô), a woman disowned by her family after falling in love with a man that they did not accept. Now she is alone and blind from weeping. She wanders with her child, supporting them as a musician and comes to her family's house. They do not let her in and sitting outside in the snow, she sings her tragic tale. Meanwhile, her husband (Ichikawa Kamejirô) is inside the house, in a story of political intrigue.

Yoshinoyama: a dance travel scene from the epic "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". Now in exile and disgrace, Yoshitsune has left his lover Shizuka in the safekeeping of his trusted retainer Tadanobu. But she is unaware that this Tadanobu is actually a magical fox who has disguised himself to be near the treasured drum that Shizuka carries, a drum made from the skins of his fox parents. Starring Ichikawa Kamejirô as Tadanobu, with Nakamura Baishi as Shizuka.

Source: Earphone Guide website

Bandô Tamasaburô, Ichikawa Danjirô, Ichikawa Emisaburô, Ichikawa Shun'en, Ichikawa En'ya

The great star Bandô Tamasaburô is on tour with the yound and talented actors of the Omodakaya guild.

Nakamura Umenosuke, Arashi Keishi, Kawarasaki Kunitarô, Segawa Kikunojô, Fujikawa Yanosuke, Osagawa Genjirô, Arashi Hironari, Yamazaki Tatsusaburô

Shunkan: the priest Shunkan (Nakamura Umenosuke) has been exiled to Devil's Island for plotting against the dictator Kiyomori. A pardon is given to his fellow conspirators, but Shunkan is only saved by an additional pardon given by Kiyomori's compassionate son. Even so, he gives up his place on the boat to freedom so his companion's new wife can accompany her husband back to the capital. The boat leaves and Shunkan is left watching is disappear in the distance, knowing he will be left on the island forever. Featuring Osagawa Genjirô as the evil emissary Senoo and Arashi Keishi as the merciful envoy Tanzaemon. With Kawarasaki Kunitarô as the island girl Chidori and Arashi Hironari as Naritsune, Shunkan's fellow exile who has fallen in love with her.

Ninjô Isseki Banashi: ???

Source: Earphone Guide website