com).

Today, kabuki retains a number of leading plays and theatrical groups. The conventional kabuki repertoire has about 300 plays, although others are being added. Play types range from the shosa-goto (dance-drama), to the jidai-mono (historical drama), and the sewa-mono (domestic drama) (University of Texas at Austin)

There are three main groups of kabuki plays. Many kabuki plays were adapted from the puppet theater (such as Chushingura and Tsubosaka-Dera), or the no and kyogen dramas (such as Zazen, Kanjincho, and Musume Dojoji. Kagotsurube is among plays written especially for kabuki theater (University of Texas at Austin).

Kabuki performers Nakamura Kichiemon II, Sawamura Sojuro, Ichikawa Sadanji, Nakamura Matsue and Nakamura Kasho perform with the 70-member Shochiku Company of Tokyo. Of these performers, Nakamura Kichiemon II is considered to be one of Kabuki's strongest actors. Director Nakamura Utaemon is considered to be a "living national treasure" (Lo).

Today, Kabuki presentations in America...
[ View Full Essay]