Kabuki works were written by professional dramatists called Kyogen-sakusha until Shin-kabuki (new Kabuki) began to be written by the authors and the dramatists from outside Kabuki in the Meiji period. There were multiple Kyogen-sakusha attached to each theater, and each Kabuki work was completed by a division of work among these multiple Kyogen-sakusha based on the plan made by the leading Kyogen-sakusha, who was called Tatesakusha.
The outline of Kabuki dramaturgy creation by Kyogen-sakusha is explained here.
The outline of Kabuki dramaturgy creation by Kyogen-sakusha is explained here.
First, before creating a new work, the Sekai, the theme that provides the frame for the work, is determined.
Sekai came from literary works, previous entertainments, and legends, in which there were characters very familiar to the audiences of the time, such as Minamoto Yoshitsune or the Soga brothers. The development of an outline including such elements as the background of the era, places, names, characters, the situation of each role in the dramatis personae, relationships between the dramatis personae, revenge, love, battles, etc., was then specifed.
The Sekai selected was not necessarily limited to just one; multiple Sekai were sometimes combined. This method, called Naimaze, was a speciality of Tsuruya Namboku 4th. The freedom to create story settings was increased by this method, and the fantastic story development of which Namboku was fond, became possible.
Sekai came from literary works, previous entertainments, and legends, in which there were characters very familiar to the audiences of the time, such as Minamoto Yoshitsune or the Soga brothers. The development of an outline including such elements as the background of the era, places, names, characters, the situation of each role in the dramatis personae, relationships between the dramatis personae, revenge, love, battles, etc., was then specifed.
The Sekai selected was not necessarily limited to just one; multiple Sekai were sometimes combined. This method, called Naimaze, was a speciality of Tsuruya Namboku 4th. The freedom to create story settings was increased by this method, and the fantastic story development of which Namboku was fond, became possible.
After the Sekai has been determined, various plans appropriate to the original parts of the work are built in. These plans are called Shuko. Standard scenes such as migawari (substitution), koroshi (murder), enkiri (separation scenes), and the incidents occurred at that time such as real murders, robbery, and double suicides were built into the story. The content of each Shuko and the method used to build it into the story are directly related to the quality of the completed work. Therefore the Tatesakusha who selects the Shuko and makes the overall plan for the work, requires real ability.
Now, we'll look at the relationship between Sekai and Shuko using the example of Namboku's most important work, "Tokaido yotsuya kaidan" [hereafter called "Yotsuya kaidan"].
Now, we'll look at the relationship between Sekai and Shuko using the example of Namboku's most important work, "Tokaido yotsuya kaidan" [hereafter called "Yotsuya kaidan"].
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The Sekai of "Yotsuya kaidan" is the world of Chushingura based on the preceding work, "Kanadehon chushingura" which dramatized the revange by ako roshi (Ako's masterless samurai). The main basic framework, the story of the ronin (masterless samurai) of the Enya family attacking Ko Morono, the enemy of their master Enya Hangan, is prescribed. Therefore, in "Yotsuya kaidan," the major characters, Tamiya Iemon, and Yotsuya Samon - father of Iemon's wife Oiwa, are said to be Enya family ronin.
Rumors spreading at the time about the vengeful goast of Oiwa, daughter of the Tamiya family in Yotsuya-samon-cho, and about a male corpse and a female corpse fastened to the front and back sides of a wooden door, which floated away, were built in as Shuko. Doing this deterined the names of the characters, Tamiya Iemon, and Oiwa's father Yotsuya Samon, the story development in which Oiwa becomes a ghost and curses Iemon, and the Toitagaeshi production technique used in the 'Ombobori' scene.
Rumors spreading at the time about the vengeful goast of Oiwa, daughter of the Tamiya family in Yotsuya-samon-cho, and about a male corpse and a female corpse fastened to the front and back sides of a wooden door, which floated away, were built in as Shuko. Doing this deterined the names of the characters, Tamiya Iemon, and Oiwa's father Yotsuya Samon, the story development in which Oiwa becomes a ghost and curses Iemon, and the Toitagaeshi production technique used in the 'Ombobori' scene.
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In Kabuki, there was also a method called Kakikae in which the names of characters and part of the story development were rewritten, while leaving intact the main framework of a popular previous work. A work created in this way is called Kakikae-kyogen, and can be considered a kind of parody of previous work.
One example shows the relationship between "Yowa nasake ukina no yokogushi" [common name "Kirare yosa" (Scarface Yosa)] and "Musumegonomi ukina no yokogushi" [common name "Kirare otomi" (Scarface Otomi)], a Kakikae-kyogen by Kawatake Mokuami, in both of which the characters Yosaburo and Otomi appear.
In the earlier work "Kirare yosa," Yosaburo was cut all over his face and body and left for dead in punishment for his love affair with Otomi. In the setting of the Kakikae-kyogen "Kirare otomi," Otomi is the person whose face and body were cut, as punishment for her affair with Yosaburo. The situation in which Otomi replaces Yosaburo can be said to be the Shuko of Mokuami, the writer of "Kirare otomi." Also, the words "ukina no yokogushi" are commonly used in the titles of both these works, showing their relationship as a prior work and its Kakikae-kyogen.
The advantage of Kakikae-kyogen was that it was easy to attract audiences even for a newly created work because the audiences knew the names of the characters and the story development of the preceding work. Because of this, many Kakikae-kyogen were created.
One example shows the relationship between "Yowa nasake ukina no yokogushi" [common name "Kirare yosa" (Scarface Yosa)] and "Musumegonomi ukina no yokogushi" [common name "Kirare otomi" (Scarface Otomi)], a Kakikae-kyogen by Kawatake Mokuami, in both of which the characters Yosaburo and Otomi appear.
In the earlier work "Kirare yosa," Yosaburo was cut all over his face and body and left for dead in punishment for his love affair with Otomi. In the setting of the Kakikae-kyogen "Kirare otomi," Otomi is the person whose face and body were cut, as punishment for her affair with Yosaburo. The situation in which Otomi replaces Yosaburo can be said to be the Shuko of Mokuami, the writer of "Kirare otomi." Also, the words "ukina no yokogushi" are commonly used in the titles of both these works, showing their relationship as a prior work and its Kakikae-kyogen.
The advantage of Kakikae-kyogen was that it was easy to attract audiences even for a newly created work because the audiences knew the names of the characters and the story development of the preceding work. Because of this, many Kakikae-kyogen were created.
