Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1973)
Motofuji discusses style in Chikamatsu’s Kabuki plays Japanese Kabuki theater. The name suggests fragile porcelain dolls revolving on a stage. The motions seem rhythmic and never quick, or the grace and style of the play might be broken. Frank Motofuji preserved this image while expanding it to in clude elements of comedy in his speech Friday entitled “Chikamatsu and His Kabuki Plays.” Chikamatsu was a major Japanese playwright of the seventeenth century, most noted for his work in the puppet theater, Motofuji said. The minority of his work was for the Kabuki or human theater, and according to Motofuji, are not well known. The Kabuki plays have a set pattern in the work of Chikamatsu, said Motofuji. Hie first and third acts could come undo* the heading of history plays, while the second is a comedy. The opening and ending acts are written in die high, formal language of the samurai, but the comedy is in the ver nacular of the plebeian classes, he said. Motofuji told of Chikamatsu’s most popular play, in which the heroine was in debt and the hero could not redeem her. The hero entered for the first time in the second act, accompanied by lyrics describing him, he said. He wore paper clothes stained brown by persimmon juice. This, ac cording to Motofuji, was sym bolic of his “down and out” position. Hie plot continued, when the hero attempted to speak to his lover through a second girl, Motofuji said. The hotline was no longer allowed to talk with him directly because he was an outcast. The second girl, however, did not know that the plans of escape that be spoke of were not meant for her, Motofuji said. The conflict is resolved by a comic tug-of-war between the two girls that is resolved, by the second gill realizing that she is not loved by the hero. Hie boo is then reinstated in his family, through pity inspired by one of the gods. Motofuji, a professor wrote most of his Kabuki plays for the leader actor of his time, Sakata Tofuro. Tofuro had a great concern for the plot of plays and dialogue as originally written according to Motofuji. This was unusual in a time when the actors felt free to change lines when they wanted, he said. He called seventeenth century Kabuki“an actor-dominated theater.” The plays of Chikamatsu were written in the fashion of the age, he said. “That is, they were written by a writer com missioned by a particular theater company to include all acton under contract to the company. This explains the large number of acton, thirty to forty, in his plays.” Hie actor was assigned a part according to his im portance in the company, he said. The original manuscripts of Chikamatsu’s plays have not been preserved, Motofuji said, because they were given orally to the actors instead of in written form. In concluding, the professor mentioned that Tofuro’s style of acting will be carried on by his sons who are now active in the Kabuki. He directed anvone interested to the published manuscripts ot Chikamatsu’s plays, and “The Actor’s Analects,” a book containing Tofwo’s advice on acting. GRG€K LII/lhG AT ORGGOIi COULD BC fOR VOU... FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF WHAT IT S REALLY LIKE. IF INTERESTED CONTACT PANHEU.ENIC EXT. 3888 INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL EXT. 3701 "The A.S.U.O. should serve the real, immediate and long range needs of all students jand all student groups. Individuals who valueTheir time and money don't need juvenile student politicians and defiant U.O. administrators." BH1 MARSHALL - CATHY FITZPATRICK Bill Davis Follows Through ^ Jr. Class Pres, [x] Bill Davis I EUROPE From $249.00 round trip For information contact: international Education Center Room 202 EMU x3721 I INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION CENTER PLANNING SOMETHING SPECIAL... LIKE MAYBE A WEDDING? Shopping tor a diamond ring can be discouraging. Usually what you want, you can’t attord, and what you can afford, you don’t want. That’s where we come in. We”have a large selection of quality, high fashion, completely guaranteed rings for as much as 35% less than you’d normally expect to pay because we sell direct from a leading diamond ring manufacturer, saving you the “jewelry store” costs. ' Call your campus representative today. He has a book entitled “Check List For A Perfect Wedding” for you ... FREE ... just for taking the time to see his beautiful rings. f S. Owens 345-6552 oc'jq AMERICAN CAMPUS SALES ASSOCIATES payment plan available rJP0L±P,<aaD~ £Wi,»MCrSlcAm __ a HAc, PKFYAU.V VW» •jUICJUTbF^orJfflO^r HU, LAST GF£AT FVoVE SOIHAT rrAJafT}E To coVNTZMcrr ntce 9i agvihg t>« vvoR-LP of -r«ou&«'r. OF I twt KXiNI i_T # '!>**£•* U saM. aw in Sontto jBEstwwro t~^zrHnI SAY!! P&TTf <fir rtfXT •J'iaiJ'b/Qf f u^j> ~~ ■cUi isi#kt - mtn QcoRQfc
