Kabuki Plus
Benkei: Seven years in the womb
Though not performed in recent years, the first two acts feature the well-known warrior-priest Benkei as the main character. Benkei’s mother was said to be pregnant for seven years. She was killed on Kiyomori’s orders while still pregnant, and the baby that emerged from the womb was later called Benkei. Originally names Oniwakamaru, he was given his more famous name after his father Benshin and the monk Seikei Ajari who raised him. The first two acts depict Benkei’s youth. In this play, Kijiro’s wife Okyo is set as Benkei’s sister.
Brothers as enemies and allies
notable!There are three Yoshioka siblings Kiichi, Kijiro and Kisanda, one of whom (Kiichi) serves the enemy clan. That resembles the three brothers in the classic Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy. In addition, Kiichi is secretly loyal to the Genji clan just as Matsuomaru was secretly loyal to his brothers’ side in Sugawara. These similarities suggest to some scholars that this play was the source for Sugawara.
Template for great actors
notable!This show was performed in the Meiji Era by the great actors Ichikawa Danjuro IX (Kiichi) and Onoe Kikugoro V (Torazo) alongside the younger Ichikawa Chusha VII (Chienai). A famous story holds that Danjuro rapped Chusha’s acting in the scene where the latter, as Chienai, beats Torazo. When asked why, he would only say, “Think about it.” At a loss, Chusha went to Kikugoro for advice. The latter noted, “I’m facing backward and can’t see, but you may be keeping your elbow higher than your shoulder.” Following this suggestion, Chusha portrayed his character as reluctant to beat his master by lowering his elbows. This seemed to work. Trembling, he went to Danjuro’s dressing room, who said, “You must have spoken with Kikugoro.” Chusha was impressed at the deep understanding of the character shared by the actors.
Secret Scroll in New Kabuki 18
The New 18 Kabuki Favorites was compiled by Danjuro IX following the original 18 Kabuki Favorites created by his grandfather Danjuro VII. However, the idea was already laid out by Danjuro VII himself, who had designated The Secret Scroll and The Tale of Rensho as part of the new repertoire. The former was a rewritten version of the “Kikubatake” (The Chrysanthemum Garden) scene from this play. The staging of this play includes Noh-style singing in the second half, but after its premiere by Danjuro VII, it has only been performed twice since, both by Danjuro IX.
Glimpse of real intentions
notable!The highlight of Lord Ichijo’s story is the unexpected portrayal of the character at the very end. The actor must take care not to show his true intentions until that point, but there is one scene in which he can briefly hint at his feelings. That is the final walk on the hanamichi at the end of the “Higaki” scene. Lord Ichijo stands at the hanamichi. His eyes meet with Kijiro, who is watching from behind. The lord casually opens a fan to cover his face, a gesture that suggests he is hiding something and thus subtly indicates his thinking. This method was performed mainly by Nakamura Kichiemon I (1886-1954). On the other hand, Onoe Kikugoro VI (1885-1949) did not hide his face or reveal his inner feelings, arguing that Lord Ichijo does not recognize Kijiro and therefore does not need to cover up. In contrast, Morita Kanya XIII (1885-1932) glared at Kijiro even more vividly.
“I want the reward money even if I die”
Kageyu, struck down by Lord Ichijo, cries out just before dying, “I want the reward money even if I die.” Those words are not in the original puppet play but were added to the Kabuki version. It is a great line depicting the character’s greed and pettiness, a stark contrast with the nobility of Lord Ichijo.
