Playwright name:

Okamura Shikô

Real Name: Okamura Kusuji

Existence: 14 September 1881 ~ 6 May 1925

Career:

14 September 1881: born in Kôchi.

March 1910: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the kyôgen "Hanago", adapted for Kabuki by Shikô and staged under the title "Migawari Zazen" [casting].

January 1916: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the kyôgen "Bô Shibari", which was adapted to kabuki by Shikô [casting].

July 1917: premiere at the Ichimuraza of the kyôgen "Tachi Nusubito", adapted to Kabuki by Shikô with a musical accompaniment written by Kineya Mitarô. Onoe Kikugorô VI, Bandô Hikosaburô VI and Bandô Mitsugorô VII played the 3 roles of the dance.

September 1918: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Shikô's dance-drama "Imohori Chôja" [casting].

September 1920: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Shikô's dance-drama "Keisei Sandogasa", which starred Onoe Kikugorô VI and Nakamura Kichiemon I.

8 November 1920: Tamura Nariyoshi died. The management of the Ichimuraza was taken over by both Tamura Nariyoshi's son Tamura Toshijirô and Shikô.

March 1921: premiere at the Imperial Theater of the dance-drama "Chatsubo", which was adapted from kyôgen to Kabuki by Shikô and starred Onoe Kikugorô VI and Bandô Mitsugorô VII.

1 September 1923 (11:58 AM): Tôkyô was destroyed by a powerful earthquake called Kantô Daijishin, which killed more than 200,000 people; the Ichimuraza was destroyed.

June 1924: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Shikô's Nagauta-based matsubamemono "Akutarô" [more details].

24 July 1924: Tamura Toshijirô died. The management of the Ichimuraza was taken over by Shikô alone.

6 May 1925: Shikô died.

June 1928: premiere at the Kabukiza of Shikô's dance-drama "Maboroshi Wankyû" [casting].

Comments:

Okamura Shikô was a playwright specialized in matsubamemono adapted from Kyôgen. He was a journalist and a theater critic at the beginning of his career and ended as a theater manager, in Tôkyô at the Ichimuraza, from 1920.