Kyogen's demise is constantly exaggerated. In the shadow of noh for centuries, kyogen began performing all-kyogen shows at ladies' clubs and festivals with increased frequency before the Pacific War. Then after the war, an upsurge in amateur students at home lessons and culture centers, university clubs and theatre companies, created large fan clubs for the big families like the Nomuras and in Kyoto, the Shigeyamas. NHK child stardom (Ippei Shigeyama) and teen acting (Nomura Mansai) led to more opportunities, new audiences, stretching the limits of the traditional world. Izumi Motohide fell from grace, paarental hubris and lack of respect to the powerful iemoto traditions. Female performers flared and spluttered. The bubble economy burst and people cut back on their theatre practice and viewing.
And yet. This past month, not a very active one in the Japanese theatre calendar traditionally, I've seen a rakugo performer pair with a kyogen actor (each did their own genre, then collaborated on a new Rakugen), a kyogen and buyo collaboration (similarly structured), and heard of a new kyogen written by one of Kansai's great comic dramatists, Tsuchida Hideo. The Sanshokai of young, non-familiy members (including MaruishI) gave a farewell performance to sold-out Furitsu Kaikan; 5 young disciples continue the tradition there from May. Videos, biographies, calendars, and even card-decks continue to sell. Meanwhile Maruishi completes a kyogen workshop with 10 participants there Sunday.
On the international front, Shime (Shingo) continues teaching at Theatre du Soleil's altelier in France, his son Motohiko visits Czech frequently to train and perform with actors there who have taken kyogen as a serious study. Three actors join the Katayama Kashujuku Troupe next week to Carnegie Hall and four other U.S. cities (Bo Shibari). And my own theatre company, Noho, celebrates 30 years with a performance planned in July featuring father and son Shigeyama Akira and Doji, and Maruishi, doing Beckett and something new.
During my major research on the Shigeyamas, the elders (present Sensaku, late Sennojo) feared for the lack of training of the young people, the decline in audiences interested in performing arts. But somehow, despite (or because of?) such clear aging of traditional spectators, kyogen continues to evolve new collaborative partners, genres, reaching out to new fans, and signalling its inexpressable potency.
And yet. This past month, not a very active one in the Japanese theatre calendar traditionally, I've seen a rakugo performer pair with a kyogen actor (each did their own genre, then collaborated on a new Rakugen), a kyogen and buyo collaboration (similarly structured), and heard of a new kyogen written by one of Kansai's great comic dramatists, Tsuchida Hideo. The Sanshokai of young, non-familiy members (including MaruishI) gave a farewell performance to sold-out Furitsu Kaikan; 5 young disciples continue the tradition there from May. Videos, biographies, calendars, and even card-decks continue to sell. Meanwhile Maruishi completes a kyogen workshop with 10 participants there Sunday.
On the international front, Shime (Shingo) continues teaching at Theatre du Soleil's altelier in France, his son Motohiko visits Czech frequently to train and perform with actors there who have taken kyogen as a serious study. Three actors join the Katayama Kashujuku Troupe next week to Carnegie Hall and four other U.S. cities (Bo Shibari). And my own theatre company, Noho, celebrates 30 years with a performance planned in July featuring father and son Shigeyama Akira and Doji, and Maruishi, doing Beckett and something new.
During my major research on the Shigeyamas, the elders (present Sensaku, late Sennojo) feared for the lack of training of the young people, the decline in audiences interested in performing arts. But somehow, despite (or because of?) such clear aging of traditional spectators, kyogen continues to evolve new collaborative partners, genres, reaching out to new fans, and signalling its inexpressable potency.
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