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[[File:Iseondo.JPG|right|thumb|400px|Advertising board for ''Ise Ondo'' outside [[Kabuki-za]], April 2017]]
*''Genre: [[Sewamono]]''
*''Genre: [[Sewamono]]''
*''Premiere: [[1796]]/7/25, [[Kado no Shibai]], [[Osaka]]''
*''Premiere: [[1796]]/7/25, [[Kado no Shibai]], [[Osaka]]''
''Ise Ondo'' is a summer play, both set during the summer and traditionally performed during the summer, when it is believed the chills the audience feels at the horror of the bloodbath will cool them off. Most of the characters wear summer ''[[yukata]]'', and visual and verbal references are made to the summer heat.
''Ise Ondo'' is a summer play, both set during the summer and traditionally performed during the summer, when it is believed the chills the audience feels at the horror of the bloodbath will cool them off. Most of the characters wear summer ''[[yukata]]'', and visual and verbal references are made to the summer heat.
Like many ''sewamono'', the play is based on a real incident, in this case a mass murder which occurred on the 4th day of the 5th month, that same year. A local doctor by the name of Magofuku Itsuki (age 27), sparked by jealousy, went on a drunken killing spree in the Aburaya, a local Furuichi brothel. It ended with three dead and six wounded; among those killed was a maid by the name of Oman (note that the chief maid or proprietess of the Aburaya in the play is named Manno). Itsuki committed suicide two days later at the home of his uncle, a low-ranking Ise shrine priest. His lover, the courtesan Okon (age 16 at the time), died of illness at age 49.<ref>"[http://www.dairinji.com/abura.htm Aburaya sôdô]." Dairinji Homepage. 2008. Accessed 22 November 2010.</ref>
Like many ''sewamono'', the play is based on a real incident, in this case a mass murder which occurred on the 4th day of the 5th month, that same year. A local doctor by the name of Magofuku Itsuki (age 27), sparked by jealousy, went on a drunken killing spree in the Aburaya, a local Furuichi brothel. It ended with three dead and six wounded; among those killed was a maid by the name of Oman (note that the chief maid or proprietess of the Aburaya in the play is named Manno). Itsuki committed suicide two days later at the home of his uncle, a low-ranking Ise shrine priest. His lover, the courtesan Okon (age 16 at the time), survived the incident, dying of illness at age 49.<ref>"[http://www.dairinji.com/abura.htm Aburaya sôdô]." Dairinji Homepage. 2008. Accessed 22 November 2010.</ref>
Though ''Ise Ondo'' is said to have been written in three days, making it an ''[[ichiyazuke]]'' or "pickled overnight" play, it in fact debuted roughly two and a half months after the incident, and after a [[jishibai|local rural theatre]] in Matsuzaka had already begun showing a play based on the event.
Though ''Ise Ondo'' is said to have been written in three days, making it an ''[[ichiyazuke]]'' or "pickled overnight" play, it in fact debuted roughly two and a half months after the incident, and after a [[jishibai|local rural theatre]] in Matsuzaka had already begun showing a play based on the event.
The debut performance was produced by Kado no Shibai ''[[zamoto]]'' [[Fujikawa Hachizo III|Fujikawa Hachizô III]], and featured [[Nakayama Bunshichi II]], [[Yoshizawa Ayame V|Yoshizawa Iroha I]], and [[Nakayama Bungoro I|Nakayama Bungorô I]] in the lead roles of, respectively, the samurai Mitsugi and the courtesans Okon and Manno.<ref>[http://www.kabuki21.com/kadoza.php#jul1796 Kadoza]. Kabuki21.com. Accessed 20 November 2010.</ref>
The debut performance was produced by Kado no Shibai ''[[zamoto]]'' [[Fujikawa Hachizo III|Fujikawa Hachizô III]], and featured [[Nakayama Bunshichi II]], [[Yoshizawa Ayame V|Yoshizawa Iroha I]], and [[Nakayama Bungoro I|Nakayama Bungorô I]] in the lead roles of, respectively, Mitsugi, Okon, and Manno.<ref>[http://www.kabuki21.com/kadoza.php#jul1796 Kadoza]. Kabuki21.com. Accessed 20 November 2010.</ref>
In a reverse from the more common situation of kabuki plays being based on those from the puppet theatre, a ''[[ningyo joruri|ningyô jôruri]]'' version of ''Ise Ondo'' first debuted in [[1838]].
In a reverse from the more common situation of kabuki plays being based on those from the puppet theatre, a ''[[ningyo joruri|ningyô jôruri]]'' version of ''Ise Ondo'' first debuted in [[1838]].
Today, the Aburaya and Inner Courtyard/Garden scenes of Act III are most often performed, with the [[Futami-ga-Ura]] scene from Act I being quite common as well. Act IV is no longer performed at all, and so the ending of Act III has been modified to serve as the ending of the play. In addition, two styles or traditions of performing ''Ise Ondo'' have emerged, one in [[Kamigata]], established by [[Ichikawa Danzo V|Ichikawa Danzô V]], and a different style or tradition in Edo, tracing back to [[Onoe Kikugoro III|Onoe Kikugorô III]].
Today, the Aburaya and Inner Courtyard/Garden scenes of Act III are most often performed, with the [[Futami-ga-Ura]] scene from Act I being quite common as well. Act IV is rarely if ever performed at all these days, and so the ending of Act III has been modified to serve as the ending of the play. In addition, two styles or traditions of performing ''Ise Ondo'' have emerged, one in [[Kamigata]], established by [[Ichikawa Danzo V|Ichikawa Danzô V]], and a different style or tradition in Edo, tracing back to [[Onoe Kikugoro III|Onoe Kikugorô III]].
==Characters==
==Characters==
*Tokushima no Iwaji and Aidamaya Kitaroku - two men from [[Awa province (Shikoku)|Awa no kuni]], who have stolen the sword
*Tokushima no Iwaji and Aidamaya Kitaroku - two men from [[Awa province (Shikoku)|Awa no kuni]], who have stolen the sword
==Plot==
==Backstory==
There is a fair bit of backstory which fleshes out the connections between the characters, their individual backstories, and helps explain the situation at the start of the play. Much of this is presumably known to scholarship primarily from scenes that are no longer performed, variant versions of the play no longer performed, and/or sources such as contemporary Edo period publications.
The daimyo of [[Tokushima Domain|Awa]] had in his service a samurai to whom he entrusted a precious Shimosaka sword. However, the sword caused the death of the samurai and his son, leaving only the samurai's grandson, Fukuoka Mitsugi, alive. Fearing the evil sword, Mitsugi's aunt disposed of the sword secretly and fled with her nephew to Ise, where they began to live under assumed names.
Mitsugi was then adopted by an Ise Shrine priest, but was taught by his aunt to still have allegiance to Awa, and specifically to the daimyo’s Chief Counselor, who his father had served directly under.
Meanwhile, the daimyo of Awa had died and was succeeded by a child, whose uncle, Hachisuke Kajikawa Daigaku,<ref>An obvious reference to the [[Hachisuka clan]] which governed Awa, but with the name slightly changed to avoid censors; mention of contemporary figures in kabuki, especially high-ranking samurai, was forbidden at the time.</ref> sought to seize power for himself, but was prevented from doing so by the Chief Counselor.
The sword was lost for many years, but when rumors arose of it being up for sale in Ise, the daimyo's Chief Counsellor sent his son, Imada Manjirô, to retrieve the daimyo's heirloom. He did so, purchasing the sword, but then met the courtesan Okishi, and in staying in Furuichi (and paying for his visits to the teahouse) to spend time with his newfound love, he accumulated a considerable amount of debt. Presumably seeing no other option, and persuaded by Jôshirô that this was a good idea, he pawned the sword for the money to pay what he owed. He kept the certificate of authenticity, however.
In order to get the Chief Counselor out of his way and seize power in Awa, Hachisuke Daigaku was determined to prevent Manjirô's retrieval of the Shimosaka sword and thus disgrace the Chief Counselor, Manjirô’s father. To these ends, Daigaku sent his top spy, a samurai named Tokushima Iwaji, to steal the Shimosaka sword and the certificate providing its authenticity, from Manjirô. Iwaji was successful in somehow tricking Manjirô into giving up the certificate but the pawnbroker, and the sword, had vanished. Mitsugi heard of Manjirô's predicament and came to his aid.
Mitsugi has managed to retrieve the sword but has not, as of the beginning of the play, been able to find the certificate. He decides his first priority is to get Manjirô to safety.<ref>Halford, Aubrey and Giovanna. ''The Kabuki Handbook''. Charles Tuttle Company, 1956. pp107-108.</ref>
==Plot Summary==
===Act I===
===Act I===
====Scene One: The Chase<ref>Some of the scene numbers may have been changed, as the translations omit scenes that were in the original.</ref>====
====Scene One: The Chase<ref>Some of the scene numbers may have been changed, as the translations upon which this article is based omit scenes that were in the original.</ref>====
The play opens on a country road, where Daizô and Jôshirô provide exposition, describing their plot to trick Manjirô into pawning the heirloom Aoi-Shimosaka sword, and getting disowned for losing it, so that their master can take control of Awa. They reveal that Tokushima no Iwaji has the certificate of authenticity for the sword, and Jôshirô gives Daizô a letter to deliver to Iwaji.
The play opens on a country road, where Daizô and Jôshirô provide exposition, describing their plot to trick Manjirô into pawning the heirloom Aoi-Shimosaka sword, and getting disowned for losing it, so that their master can take control of Awa. They reveal that Tokushima no Iwaji has the certificate of authenticity for the sword, and Jôshirô gives Daizô a letter to deliver to Iwaji.
Manjirô enters at the end of the ''hanamichi'', explaining aloud that it has been several days since he saw Mitsugi, and has no idea where the sword or the letter are, so he has come here to visit his lover, Okishi, in the hopes that she might know something.
Manjirô enters at the end of the ''hanamichi'', explaining aloud that it has been several days since he saw Mitsugi, and has no idea where the sword or the letter are, so he has come here to visit his lover, Okishi, in the hopes that she might know something.
Okishi happens to emerge from the party, and lets Manjirô in. He explains quickly everything that has been going on, and Okishi tells him that Mitsugi has been to the teahouse a number of times in the past few days, looking for Manjirô. Sennô, another courtesan of the Aburaya, emerges from the party, looking for Okishi, while Manjirô withdraws and hides, making his way to nearby [[Dairin-ji]], so as to remain out of sight of Sennô just long enough that he can then turn around and come back.
Okishi happens to emerge from the party, and lets Manjirô in. He explains quickly everything that has been going on, and Okishi tells him that Mitsugi has been to the teahouse a number of times in the past few days, looking for Manjirô. Sennô, another courtesan of the Aburaya, emerges from the party, looking for Okishi, while Manjirô withdraws and hides, making his way to nearby [[Dairinji]], so as to remain out of sight of Sennô just long enough that he can then turn around and come back.
After he exits, Mitsugi enters on the ''hanamichi''. He makes his way to the teahouse and asks Okishi as to Manjirô's whereabouts. He tells her he has obtained the Shimosaka sword, but rather than going to Dairin-ji to meet up with Manjirô, Okishi convinces him to stay, assuring him that Manjirô will be back soon, and that if he leaves for the temple, they might cross paths and miss one another.
After he exits, Mitsugi enters on the ''hanamichi''. He makes his way to the teahouse and asks Okishi as to Manjirô's whereabouts. He tells her he has obtained the Shimosaka sword, but rather than going to Dairin-ji to meet up with Manjirô, Okishi convinces him to stay, assuring him that Manjirô will be back soon, and that if he leaves for the temple, they might cross paths and miss one another.
