Nakamura Kichiemon I
Nakamura Kichiemon I (初代中村吉右衛門, Shodai Nakamura Kichiemon, 1886–1954) was a Japanese actor and kabuki performer. In 1945, he became the senior living kabuki actor in Japan.[1]
Kichiemon construed his career in terms of "lifelong study" (gei) of that which cannot be seen in an actor's performance.[2]
Nakamura Kichiemon is a formal kabuki stage name. The actor first appeared using the name in 1897; and he continued to use this name until his death.[3]
He was the maternal grandfather of Nakamura Kichiemon II.[4] 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] In choosing to be known by the same stage name as his grandfather, the living kabuki performer honors his family relationships and tradition.
In a long career, he acted in many kabuki plays, including the role of Matsuō-maru in the July 1951 production of Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami.[6]
Selected works
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about Nakamura Kichiemon I, OCLC/WorldCat encompasses roughly 10+ works in 20+ publications in 2 languages and 80+ library holdings.[7]
- 1946 — "Kabuki geki no susumu beki michi" ("The way kabuki drama must advance"). Tögeki, Tokyo Gekijö program. May 7, 1946
- 1951 — Diary of Kichiemon (吉右衞門自傳, Kichiemon jiden). OCLC 33707206
- 1956 — Kichiemon Diary (吉右衛門日記, Kichiemon nikki) OCLC 033708328
Honors
Gallery
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Nakamura Kichiemon I Takebe Genzō, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, March 1943. -
Nakamura Kichiemon I as Matsuō-maru, in Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami, July 1951.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Scott, Adolphe C. (1999). The Kabuki Theatre of Japan, p. 184., p. 184, at Google Books
- ^ Leiter, Samuel. (2002). A Kabuki Reader: History and Performance, p. 367, p. 367, at Google Books
- ^ Leiter, Samuel. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre, p. 260., p. 260, at Google Books
- ^ a b 母方の祖父 (maternal grandfather)
- ^ Scott, p. 159., p. 159, at Google Books
- ^ Japan Arts Council, 中村
- ^ WorldCat Identities: 中村吉右衛門 1886-1954.
References
- 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
- Scott, Adolphe Clarence. (1955). The Kabuki Theatre of Japan. London: Allen & Unwin. OCLC 622644114
External links
- Japan Art Academy (in Japanese)
- Find-A-Grave: Kichiemon Nakamura, Aoyama Cemetery, Tokyo
- Art Institute of Chicago: "Portrait of Nakamura Kichiemon" (1947) by Junichiro Sekino, 1914–1988
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