Overview
| Title | Yamato Takeru |
|---|---|
| Writer | Original novel: Umehara Takeshi Supervision: Nakawa Shosuke, Tobe Ginsaku Playwright/director: Ichikawa Ennosuke III |
| Premiere |
February 1986, Tokyo |
| Overview |
“Super Kabuki” is a new theatrical form reaching beyond traditional Kabuki fans to a wide range of audiences. Yamato Takeru is a milestone as the first in the series, making its debut in Tokyo’s Enbujo Theater in 1986. Ichikawa Ennosuke III (currently En’o II), inspired by the works of the philosopher Umehara Takeshi, crafted a stage piece based on the legend of Yamato Takeru. This became a phenomenal hit and created a Kabuki genre, representing Ennosuke’s pioneering spirit. The play depicts the life and heroic acts of the title character, a famed warrior from ancient Japanese history. In service to his father, Emperor Sumera, he fights the Kumaso, occupies Azuma and conquers the gods from Mt. Ibuki in breathtaking battles. Takeru is driven by his love for his father, his determination to pursue his dreams and explore the possibilities of the future, and his desire to do something of meaning – described as his “flying heart”. The play is in three acts delivered in modern speech. It takes an innovative approach that incorporates many traditional Kabuki techniques. It includes large-scale fight scenes, stage tricks like flying sequences, and elements of Chinese opera. Yamato Takeru created a new genre in the long history of Kabuki, worthy of the name Super Kabuki.
●main graphic Yamato Takeru（Ichikawa Ennosuke） October 1998 Osaka Shochikuza Theatre
●publication date April 2016 |
- External links
-