Changes

==Characters==

==Characters==

[[Image:Agemaki.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Mannequin as Agemaki in display of the play's costumes, set, and props at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.]]

[[Image:Agemaki.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Mannequin as Agemaki in display of the play's costumes, set, and props at the Edo-Tokyo Museum.]]

*Sukeroku - a samurai, frequent patron of the Yoshiwara, especially of Agemaki of the Miura-ya, and a street tough, who often starts fights on the streets of the pleasure quarters. Secretly Soga Gorô

*'''Sukeroku''' - a samurai, frequent patron of the Yoshiwara, especially of Agemaki of the Miura-ya, and a street tough, who often starts fights on the streets of the pleasure quarters. Secretly Soga Gorô

*Agemaki - the top courtesan of the Miura-ya, famous and popular throughout the district; she is known to be especially close to Sukeroku, but Ikyû has his eyes on her as well

*'''Agemaki''' - the top courtesan of the Miura-ya, famous and popular throughout the district; she is known to be especially close to Sukeroku, but Ikyû has his eyes on her as well

*Ikyû - an older, bearded samurai who seeks to steal Agemaki away from Sukeroku

*'''Ikyû''' - an older, bearded samurai who seeks to steal Agemaki away from Sukeroku

*Manko - Sukeroku's mother, disguised as a samurai

*'''Manko''' - Sukeroku's mother, disguised as a samurai

*Shinbei - Sukeroku's brother, secretly Soga Jûrô

*'''Shinbei''' - Sukeroku's brother, secretly Soga Jûrô

*Kanpera Monbei - retainer to Ikyû

*'''Kanpera Monbei''' - retainer to Ikyû

==Plot Summary==

==Plot Summary==

The close ties between the theatre and the broader community extended beyond such onstage references to real merchants. Actors playing the lead roles would often pay a visit to the Yoshiwara and offer gifts to the teahouses, receiving in exchange umbrellas, ''[[kiseru]]'', lanterns, and other objects for use onstage and for distribution or sale to audience members following the production. The actors' visit was a fairly major affair involving a procession of many actors, and involved various traditions or rituals performed as part of the visit and of the offering of gifts; courtesans and others directly associated with the teahouses would also attend the performances at the kabuki theatres, and performed various customs even as audience members. When the actor playing Sukeroku addressed the audience as himself (the actor) in the role of the stage manager, the courtesans would clap along with him. This addressing of the audience, incidentally, is not unique to ''Sukeroku'', but the play is distinctive in incorporating more improvisation, and more elements of the actor shedding the character and being himself, the actor, for certain parts of the performance.<ref>Maeshiba, Naoko. "About the Play." "Sukeroku: The Flower of Edo." Theater Program. Kennedy Theatre, University of Hawaii at Manoa, March 1995. p9.</ref>

The close ties between the theatre and the broader community extended beyond such onstage references to real merchants. Actors playing the lead roles would often pay a visit to the Yoshiwara and offer gifts to the teahouses, receiving in exchange umbrellas, ''[[kiseru]]'', lanterns, and other objects for use onstage and for distribution or sale to audience members following the production. The actors' visit was a fairly major affair involving a procession of many actors, and involved various traditions or rituals performed as part of the visit and of the offering of gifts; courtesans and others directly associated with the teahouses would also attend the performances at the kabuki theatres, and performed various customs even as audience members. When the actor playing Sukeroku addressed the audience as himself (the actor) in the role of the stage manager, the courtesans would clap along with him. This addressing of the audience, incidentally, is not unique to ''Sukeroku'', but the play is distinctive in incorporating more improvisation, and more elements of the actor shedding the character and being himself, the actor, for certain parts of the performance.<ref>Maeshiba, Naoko. "About the Play." "Sukeroku: The Flower of Edo." Theater Program. Kennedy Theatre, University of Hawaii at Manoa, March 1995. p9.</ref>

In his second performance of the play, [[1716|three years later]], Danjûrô played Sukeroku in a somewhat gentler manner, incorporating elements of the Kamigata ''[[wagoto]]'' style in his performance. This was the first time that ''wagoto'' and ''aragoto'' elements were combined in the same character. Danjûrô also introduced at this time other elements which would later become quite standard, and even iconic. It was during this performance that he first wore a purple headband and carried as bullseye-patterned [[wagasa|umbrella]], today two of the most iconic props or costume elements in kabuki. The connection to ''Soga Monogatari'' was added at this time as well.<ref name=blumner/>

In his second performance of the play, [[1716|three years later]], Danjûrô played Sukeroku in a somewhat gentler manner, incorporating elements of the Kamigata ''[[wagoto]]'' style in his performance. This was the first time that ''wagoto'' and ''aragoto'' elements were combined in the same character. Danjûrô also introduced at this time other elements which would later become quite standard, and even iconic. It was during this performance that he first wore a purple headband and carried as bullseye-patterned umbrella, today two of the most iconic props or costume elements in kabuki. The connection to ''Soga Monogatari'' was added at this time as well.<ref name=blumner/>

Many variations on the play were later developed and performed throughout the Edo period, and down into more modern times. The famous ''[[onnagata]]'' [[Segawa Kikunojo II|Segawa Kikunojô]] appeared in the premiere of ''Onna Sukeroku'' ("Woman Sukeroku") at the [[Ichimura-za]] in [[1764]], a variation in which a female Sukeroku is not the man Soga Gorô in disguise, but rather [[Oiso no Tora]], a courtesan who is the lover of one or the other of the two Soga brothers in many of the old stories. The following year ([[1765]]), the [[Morita-za]] debuted a dance drama version of the story which focused more heavily on Agemaki's ''[[kamuro]]'' (child attendants).<ref name=blumner/>

Many variations on the play were later developed and performed throughout the Edo period, and down into more modern times. The famous ''[[onnagata]]'' [[Segawa Kikunojo II|Segawa Kikunojô]] appeared in the premiere of ''Onna Sukeroku'' ("Woman Sukeroku") at the [[Ichimura-za]] in [[1764]], a variation in which a female Sukeroku is not the man Soga Gorô in disguise, but rather [[Oiso no Tora]], a courtesan who is the lover of one or the other of the two Soga brothers in many of the old stories.<ref name=blumner/> Three theatres were staging versions of the Sukeroku story at this time; such competitions would occur in later years as well, with each theatre using a different type, or school, of music, and different interpretations of the characters and story. As is the case with most kabuki plays, it would eventually settle into a single more-or-less standard form, though never becoming wholly static.<ref name=iezzi>Iezzi, Julie. "Sounding Out Kabuki: Music Behind the Scenes." in ''101 Years of Kabuki in Hawai'i''. pp45-48.</ref>

The Ichikawa family secured its control over the play in [[1832]]. As the play is extremely popular, other families have developed their own versions, such as ''Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa'' performed by the [[Onoe Kikugoro|Onoe Kikugorô]] line of actors. However, only the Ichikawa family uses the title ''Sukeroku Yukari Edo Zakura'', and various stylistic elements only appear in this version of the play.<ref name=blumner/>

The following year ([[1765]]), the [[Morita-za]] debuted a dance drama version of the story which focused more heavily on Agemaki's ''[[kamuro]]'' (child attendants).<ref name=blumner/>

''Sukeroku'' is quite unique, as well, in its use of the ''[[katobushi|katôbushi]]'' style of musical accompaniment. While it is quite typical in kabuki for a combination of different styles of [[shamisen]] and chanting, such as ''[[kiyomoto]]'' and ''[[nagauta]]'', to be used within a single play (often switching between styles numerous times within a single scene), ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in the current repertoire to make use of ''katôbushi'' music (which it employs alongside ''kiyomoto'' and ''nagauta''). Due in large part to the unique traditions of the ''katôbushi'' style, which employs amateur performers alongside professionals, ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in which amateur performers appear on stage having been granted professional status just for the duration of the performance; it is also one of the only plays in which female musicians perform onstage, and the only play in which an actor onstage formally requests the musicians to play. During the Edo period, ''katôbushi'' was especially popular in the Yoshiwara, even after its popularity in the theatre world waned. As part of the close ties between the theatres and the pleasure districts, ''katôbushi'' musicians from the Yoshiwara (i.e. not performers professionally associated with the kabuki theatres) were often invited to perform onstage in productions of ''Sukeroku''. This was an opportunity for fans and patrons of the theatre to show off their musical skills and take part in a performance, and also served, as the play ''Sukeroku'' did as a whole, as an advertisement for the pleasure districts.<ref name=iezzi>Iezzi, Julie. "Sounding Out Kabuki: Music Behind the Scenes." in ''101 Years of Kabuki in Hawai'i''. pp45-48.</ref>

''Sukeroku'' is quite unique, as well, in its use of the ''[[katobushi|katôbushi]]''<!--河東節--> style of musical accompaniment. While it is quite typical in kabuki for a combination of different styles of [[shamisen]] and chanting, such as ''[[kiyomoto]]'' and ''[[nagauta]]'', to be used within a single play (often switching between styles numerous times within a single scene), ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in the current repertoire to make use of ''katôbushi'' music (which it employs alongside ''kiyomoto'' and ''nagauta''). Due in large part to the unique traditions of the ''katôbushi'' style, which employs amateur performers alongside professionals, ''Sukeroku'' is the only play in which amateur performers appear on stage having been granted professional status just for the duration of the performance; it is also one of the only plays in which female musicians perform onstage, and the only play in which an actor onstage formally requests the musicians to play. During the Edo period, ''katôbushi'' was especially popular in the Yoshiwara, even after its popularity in the theatre world waned. As part of the close ties between the theatres and the pleasure districts, ''katôbushi'' musicians from the Yoshiwara (i.e. not performers professionally associated with the kabuki theatres) were often invited to perform onstage in productions of ''Sukeroku''. This was a great honor, and source of pleasure for the musicians offered this rare opportunity. Unlike in most plays, where the musicians perform behind a ''[[kuromisu]]'' screen in one corner or end of the stage, in ''Sukeroku'', they are more fully and more centrally onstage, albeit still hidden behind a screen. This helps simulate, or recall, the idea of courtesans on display in the front windows of teahouses, allows these amateur musicians to more easily see Sukeroku's grand ''[[hanamichi]]'' entrance that is a highlight of the play, and grants them more fully the honor and pleasure of being "on stage" for the performance.<ref name=iezzi/>

 

The Ichikawa family secured its control over the play in [[1832]], and some histories trace the current version of the play back to this year, rather than to any earlier date.<ref>"''Kaisetsu to midokoro''" (解説と見どころ, "Highlights and Commentary"). ''Rokugatsu Ôkabuki'' (六月大歌舞伎, "The June Grand Kabuki"). Theatre Program. Tokyo: Kabuki-za, June 2004. p63.</ref> As the play is extremely popular, other families have developed their own versions, such as ''Sukeroku Kuruwa no Momoyogusa'' performed by the [[Onoe Kikugoro|Onoe Kikugorô]] line of actors. However, only the Ichikawa family uses the title ''Sukeroku Yukari Edo Zakura'', and various stylistic elements only appear in this version of the play.<ref name=blumner/>

==References==

==References==