Nakamura Utaemon I (中村歌右衛門 (初代), 1714–1791) was a Japanese kabuki performer. He was the progenitor of a family of kabuki actors from the Keihanshin region.[1] He was the son of a provincial doctor. As a youth, he decided to join a troupe of actors; and this was the beginning of a long career.[2]
Nakamura Utaemon I | |
|---|---|
 Nakamura Utaemon I, a caricature published in Osaka in 1780 | |
| Born | 1714 |
| Died | 1791 (aged 76–77) |
| Children | Nakamura Utaemon III (son) Nakamura Utanosuke II (adopted son) |
| Relatives | Kagaya Hashinosuke I (grandson) Nakamura Shikan III (great-grandson) Nakamura Tamashichi I (great-great-grandson) Nakamura Tsurusuke V (great-great-grandson) |
Nakamura Utaemon was a stage name with significant cultural and historical connotations.[3]
Life and career edit
In 1782, Utaemon presented the name Utaemon II to a favored apprentice; but the name was later retrieved (or abandoned) in 1790. Then the name was bestowed on his son, who kept it.[4] Utaemon III was the natural son of Nakamura Utaemon I.[2]
In the conservative Kabuki world, stage names are passed from father to son in formal system which converts the kabuki stage name into a mark of accomplishment.[5]
- Lineage of Utaemon stage names
- Nakamura Utaemon I (1714–1791) [2]
- Nakamura Utaemon II (1752-1798) [4]
- Nakamura Utaemon III (1778–1838) [1]
- Nakamura Utaemon IV (1798–1852) [1]
- Nakamura Utaemon V (1865–1940) [1]
- Nakamura Utaemon VI (1917–2001) [6]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric et al. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia, p. 691., p. 691, at Google Books
- ^ a b c Leiter, Samuel L. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre, pp. 263-264., p. 263, at Google Books
- ^ Kurkup, James. "Nakamura Utaemon VI,"[dead link] The Independent (London). April 6, 2001.
- ^ a b Leiter, Samuel L. (2002). A Kabuki Reader: History and Performance, p. 78, p. 78, at Google Books
- ^ Scott, Adolphe C. (1999). The Kabuki Theatre of Japan, p. 159., p. 159, at Google Books
- ^ Strom, Stephanie. Nakamura Utaemon VI, 84, International Star of Kabuki", New York Times. April 4, 2001.
Bibliography edit
- Leiter, Samuel L. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5527-4; OCLC 238637010
- __________. ( 2002). A Kabuki Reader: History and Performance. ISBN 9780765607041; ISBN 9780765607058; OCLC 182632867
- Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 48943301
- Scott, Adolphe Clarence. (1955). The Kabuki Theatre of Japan. London: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 622644114
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