Title: Restoring an Imagined Past: The National Theatre and the Question of Authenticity in Kabuki
Abstract:By the mid-1970s, full-play productions (tōshi kyōgen) of kabuki , which were central to the mission of the Kokuritsu Gekijō (National Theatre) when it opened in 1966, had noticeably declined in numbe...By the mid-1970s, full-play productions (tōshi kyōgen) of kabuki , which were central to the mission of the Kokuritsu Gekijō (National Theatre) when it opened in 1966, had noticeably declined in number. A more eclectic program approach began to dominate the schedule. Lack of money to put into complex tōshi kyōgen , lack of willing and able theatre personnel, and restive audiences have been suggested as causes. Yet they do not really explain what amounts to a reversal of policy. Rather, tōshi kyōgen as "authentic" kabuki at the Kokuritsu Gekijō had symbolized the postwar restoration and revival of Japanese culture as a whole. The history of the tōshi kyōgen project, in fact, can be traced back to the Occupation years-and to influential people such as Faubion Bowers and Onoe Kikugorō VI. Once an adequate degree of success had been achieved in producing tōshi kyōgen , the number of such productions quite logically diminished. The Kokuritsu Gekijō now faces a pressing task: to revitalize kabuki by incubating and nurturing new works.Read More
Publication Year: 2002
Publication Date: 2002-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 2
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