NAKAMURA TAKESABURÔ I

Stage names:

Nakamura Takesaburô I
Nakamura Kikutarô

Existence: ??? ~ 25th day of the 10th lunar month of 1724^[1]

Connection:

Career:

???: he starts his career at an unknown date as a disciple of Nakamura Gentarô, who gives him the name of Nakamura Kikutarô.

11th lunar month of 1707: Nakamura Kikutarô takes the name of Nakamura Takesaburô I at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of Princess Umezono in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Ôkagami".

1st lunar month of 1714: Takesaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1714: Takesaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Naishi-no-Kami in the kaomise drama "Banmin Daifukuchô".

1st lunar month of 1715: Takesaburô plays in the same theater the role of the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô (Soga Gorô's lover) in the new year drama "Bandô Ichi Kotobuki Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune, Soga Jûrô Sukenari, Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Kobayashi no Asahina are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Katsuyama Matagorô, Ogawa Zengorô I and Tomizawa Hanzaburô I.

5th lunar month of 1715: Takesaburô plays in the same theater the role of Princess Taema in the drama "Narukami Shônin"; the role of the wicked priest Narukami is played by Ichikawa Danjûrô II.

11th lunar month of 1715: Takesaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Kesa Gozen in the kaomise drama "Kogane no Kaburi Konrei Yorimasa".

11th day of the 1st lunar month of 1716: a fire breaks out in the district of Shitaya Ike-no-Hata and spreads to others sections of Edo, destroying both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. Takesaburô has to take some unintended vacation during the rebuilding of the theater.

2nd lunar month of 1716: Takesaburô plays in the same theater the role of the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shôshô (Gorô's lover) in the new year drama "Shikirei Yawaragi Soga". The roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune, Kudô Saemon Suketsune and Kobayashi no Asahina are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Hayakawa Dengorô and Ôtani Hiroji I. The play includes a "Sukeroku" section in which the roles of Sukeroku, Agemaki and Ikyû are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô II, Takesaburô and Ôtani Hiroemon I.

11th lunar month of 1716: Takesaburô plays at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Mitsudomoe Katoku Biraki", which celebrates the shûmei of Arashi Kiyosaburô II.

1st lunar month of 1717: Takesaburô's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

11th lunar month of 1717: Takesaburô plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Saden in the kaomise drama "Hachinoki Hônen Mitsugimono".

11th lunar month of 1720: Takesaburô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Akamatsu Danjôzaemon's sister Matsugae in the kaomise drama "Kodakara Imagawajô", which celebrated the shûmei of Yamanaka Takejûrô; the role of Akamatsu Danjôzaemon is played by Yamanaka Heikurô I.

1st lunar month of 1721: Takesaburô plays in the same theater the role of the courtesan Ôiso no Tora (Soga Jûrô's lover) in the new year sogamono "Tsurukame Wakayagi Soga"; his stage partners in the roles of Soga Jûrô Sukenari, Soga Gorô Tokimune and Kudô Saemon Suketsune are Sawamura Sôjûrô I, Ichimura Takenojô IV and Yamanaka Takejûrô.

11th lunar month of 1721: Takesaburô appears on stage for the last time, at the Nakamuraza, playing the role of Princess Ojima in the kaomise drama "Torisaka no Jô Tsuru no Sugomori".

25th day of the 10th lunar month of 1724^[1]: Takesaburô dies in Edo.

Comments:

Nakamura Takesaburô I was a promising wakaonnagata actor, who made a short but successful career in Edo during the first quarter of the 18th century. He excelled in musume or keisei roles. He was also a talented Kouta musician.

[1] The 25th day of the 10th lunar month of the 9th year of the Kyôhô era was the 10th of December 1724 in the western calendar.

Nakamura Takesaburô I

Print made by Torii Kiyomasu 1718~1720

The Nakamura Takesaburô line of actors