Sumidagawa – The Sumida River
Place: I.K Barber Learning Centre, UBC Chilcotin Room – Room 256
Date: Monday October 17, 2016
Time: 7:00 to 8:30pm
About Sumidagawa
This dance play premiered in 1919. It was adapted from the noh of the same name and features Kiyomoto style music. The story focuses on a woman from Kyôto who is searching for her son, the loss of whom has driven her to madness. Her search brings her to the banks of Edo’ s Sumida River where she meets a boatman who takes her across the river to discover her son’s fate. This video version features Nakamura Jakuemon IV.
About the Saloon Series
This year’s series highlights some amazing female roles in kabuki and kabuki dance. We are also highlighting some “elite” onnagata (female role) actors: Nakamura Jakuemon IV (1920-2012) and Bandô Tamasaburô. We begin in October with Sumidagawa – a tale of a mother looking for her lost son; move on in January to Akoya, considered one of the most challenging female roles in kabuki; and end in March (just in time for the beginning of cherry blossom season!) with a two-dancer version of the greatest onnagata dance play in the kabuki repertoire Musume Dôjôji. We will be screening full videos of live performances from Shôchiku’s Kabuki Meisakusen Series, which feature some of the greatest kabuki performers of the 20th and 21st centuries. The recordings have English language commentary, and we will also discuss important story and performance elements. We will have green tea too!
More information here.