GENJI MONOGATARI (original) (raw)

History

Murasaki Shikibu's masterpiece "Genji Monogatari" was dramatized at the beginning of the 1950s by Funahashi Seiichi. The resulting play was supervised by Tanizaki Jun'ichir� and directed by the playwright Kubota Mantar�. It was successfully staged in 3 parts. The first part was premiered in March 1951 at the Kabukiza, starring Ichikawa Ebiz� IX in the role of Hikari-no-Kimi. The first chapters to be adapted for Kabuki in this first part were chapter 1 ("Kiritsubo"), chapter 3 ("Utsusemi"), chapter 4 ("Y�gao"), chapter 5 ("Wakamurasaki"), chapter 7 ("Momiji no Ga") and chapter 10 ("Sakaki"). A revised version of the first part was staged in October 1951 at the Kabukiza. It was made up of Chapter 1 ("Kiritsubo"), chapter 4 ("Y�gao"), chapter 5 ("Wakamurasaki"), chapter 7 ("Momiji no Ga") and only two new chapters were added: chapter 12 ("Suma") and chapter 13 ("Akashi"). The role of Hikari-no-Kimi was played by Ichikawa Ebiz� IX. "Genji Monogatari" was also staged in November 1951, in �saka at the �saka Kabukiza, with the same contents as the October production, starring Ichikawa Jukai III in the role of Hikari-no-Kimi. The second part was produced in May and June 1952, at the Kabukiza with Ichikawa Ebiz� IX in the role of Hikari-no-Kimi. It was made up of chapter 17 ("E-awase"), chapter 19 ("Usugumo"), chapter 21 ("Otome"), chapter 22 ("Tamakazura"), chapter 24 ("Koch�"), chapter 25 ("Hotaru"), chapter 27 ("Kagaribi") and chapter 31 ("Makibashira"). The third part was produced in May and June 1954, at the Kabukiza with Ichikawa Ebiz� IX in the role of Hikari-no-Kimi. It was made up of chapter 34 ("Wakana J�"), chapter 35 ("Wakana Ge"), chapter 36 ("Kashiwagi"), chapter 37 ("Yokobue") and chapter 41 ("Maboroshi").

The next big Hikari-no-Kimi was Ichikawa Ebiz� X, who played this role for the first in February 1970 at the Kabukiza. He successfully played the role several times, the last one happening in February 1989 at the Kabukiza.

The modern days star in the role of Hikari-no-Kimi is Ichikawa Ebiz� XI, who had a new script written for him in 2000 by Setouchi Jakuch�. The play was a huge hit at the Kabukiza in May 2000.