| Kabuki Plays on Stage. Volume 4: Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905 Contributor(s): Brandon, James R. (Editor), Leiter, Samuel L. (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0824825748 ISBN-13: 9780824825744 Publisher: University of Hawaii Press OUR PRICE: $49.40 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: July 2003 Annotation: Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905, is the fourth and final volume in a monumental new series that traces kabuki's changing relations to Japanese society during the premodern era. The twelve plays translated in Volume 4 cover the remarkable Meiji period, which followed the restoration of the emperor as the leader of Japan. They reflect the years in which reform-minded leaders struggled to help Japan catch up with the West. Dramatists no less than others sought ways in which to bring their traditional art into the modern world and to bring international respectability to the national stage. Included are kabuki dance plays that strive to resemble no and kyogen; historical dramas that abandon theatrical fantasy and opt for accurate reproduction of ancient manners; domestic dramas featuring colorful heroes and heroines; pieces that introduce faddish Western properties and behavior; and a play that bridges the gap between the conventions of classical kabuki, Shakespeare, and modern psychological drama. Dominating the era are the works of Kawatake Mokuami, the last great kabuki playwright, while the dramaturgy of literary scholar Tsubouchi Shoyo brings kabuki into the twentieth century. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Drama | Asian - General |
| Dewey: 895.620 |
| LCCN: 2001027912 |
| Series: Kabuki Plays on Stage |
| Physical Information: 1.2" H x 7.36" W x 10.26" (2.93 lbs) 448 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905, is the fourth and final volume in a monumental new series that traces kabuki's changing relations to Japanese society during the premodern era. The twelve plays translated in Volume 4 cover the remarkable Meiji period, which followed the restoration of the emperor as the leader of Japan. They reflect the years in which reform-minded leaders struggled to help Japan catch up with the West. Dramatists no less than others sought ways in which to bring their traditional art into the modern world and to bring international respectability to the national stage. Included are kabuki dance plays that strive to resemble n and ky gen; historical dramas that abandon theatrical fantasy and opt for accurate reproduction of ancient manners; domestic dramas featuring colorful heroes and heroines; pieces that introduce faddish Western properties and behavior; and a play that bridges the gap between the conventions of classical kabuki, Shakespeare, and modern psychological drama. Dominating the era are the works of Kawatake Mokuami, the last great kabuki playwright, while the dramaturgy of literary scholar Tsubouchi Sh y brings kabuki into the twentieth century. |
Contributor Bio(s): Leiter, Samuel L.: - Samuel L. Leiter is distinguished professor of theatre at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and also teaches at The Graduate Center, City University of New York.Brandon, James R.: - James R. Brandon is emeritus professor of Asian theatre at the University of Hawai'i. |