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Kabuki is an art form which allowed normal, middle-class Japanese to enjoy something previously restricted to the upper class. In this case, it is theater, where the nobles enjoyed “Noh”, an extremely formal style of entertainment.
In constrast with Noh, kabuki is lively and energetic, coming from early 17th century performances put on by women in Kyoto. The women putting on performances caused a little too much excitement, however, and in 1629 the government restricted kabuki to male actors only. The men who played the womens’ roles were called “onnagata”.
Kabuki plays tend to be about everyday events of Edo citizens during the Tokugawa period (1600 - 1868), but they can also be about epic events. Kabuki actors were idolized, and the subject of many woodblock prints. The two arts complemented each other.
Actors often enter and exit the stage through the audience, helping to draw them into the action. Many kabuki plays are put on in 17th century Japanese, causing even Japanese theater-goers to refer to notes on what is being said.
