Kabuki Plays on Stage: Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905 (Kabuki Plays on Stage, Volume 4) [Hardcover]

James R. Brandon (Editor), Samuel L. Leiter (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003 | Series: Kabuki Plays on Stage, Volume 4 (Book 4)

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 the 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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Published with the assistance of the Nippon Foundation.

About the Author

James R. Brandon is emeritus professor of Asian theatre at the University of Hawai'i. Samuel L. Leiter is professor of theatre at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, and also teaches at The Graduate Center, City University of New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Hawaii Pr (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824825748
• ISBN-13: 978-0824825744
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,032,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)