�TANI TOMOEMON III (original) (raw)

Stage names:

Poetry names: Bund�, Kinbi, Sank� [3]

Existence: 1793 ~ 5th day of the 11th lunar month of 1839 [1]

Connection:

Masters: �tani Tomoemon II, Nakayama Shary�

Career:

1793 ~ 1812: born in Ky�to. He started his career in miyaji shibai as a disciple of the actor Nakayama Shary�, who gave him the name of Nakayama Monzabur�.

1812: Monzabur� went to Edo, where he became a jitsuaku actor.

3rd lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's drama "Sumidagawa Hana no Goshozome", commonly called "Onna Seigen"; Monzabur� played the role of the yakko Todahei [more details].

7th lunar month of 1814: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's natsu ky�gen "Imaori Hakata no Irifune"; Monzabur� played the roles of �tsune Naonoshin, the Chinese emissary Go Chikkan and Tomitaya Tazaemon [casting].

11th lunar month of 1817: he took the name of Arashi Sanpachi II at the Miyakoza, performing in the kaomise drama "Muro no Ume H�gan Biiki" [2].

11th lunar month of 1820: Arashi Sanpachi II took the name of Arashi Shagan IV (most likely in Edo). Shagan was the haimy� of the actors Arashi Shichigor� I, Arashi Shichigor� II and Arashi Shichigor� III.

1821 ~ 1823: Shagan went back to Kamigata.

1st lunar month of 1827: Shagan's rank in the �saka hy�banki, jitsuaku/katakiyaku section, was j�-j�-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual].

24th day of the 3rd lunar month of 1830 [4]: his master �tani Tomoemon II died.

9th lunar month of 1831: Arashi Shagan IV took the name of �tani Tomoemon III at the Naka no Shibai. It was interesting to note that two months later, in the 11th lunar month of 1831, the actor �tani Rakuen, another disciple of late �tani Tomoemon II, took the name of �tani Tomoemon IV in Edo at the Kawarasakiza. The 2 actors performed under the same name in 2 different cities (an unique case in Kabuki history). �tani Tomoemon III and �tani Tomoemon IV were respectively nicknamed 'Kamigata Tomoemon' and 'Edo Tomoemon'.

11th lunar month of 1831: Tomoemon played at the Kitagawa no Shibai the roles of Ono no Kuday�, Sagisaka Bannai and Ichimonjiya Saib� in the drama Kitagawa no Shibai.

2nd lunar month of 1832: the "Goj�bashi" scene of "�giya Kumagai", which was not in the original puppet drama, was added to this drama for the first time and staged in �saka at the Kado no Shibai; Tomoemon played the role of Kazusa [more details].

1st lunar month of 1836: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Nishizawa Ipp�'s drama "Hana no Ani Tsubomi no Yatsufusa"; Tomoemon played the roles of Somaki Bokuhei and Kamezasa [casting].

11th lunar month of 1837: Tomoemon played at the Minamigawa no Shibai in the dramas "Meiboku Sendai Hagi", "Godairiki" and "Daiky�ji Mukashi Goyomi".

5th day of the 11th lunar month of 1839 [1]: Tomoemon died.

Comments:

�tani Tomoemon III was a good 19th century jitsuaku and katakiyaku actor, who was quite popular in Kamigata but who did not reach the same level of fame as his Edo namesake �tani Tomoemon IV, who was of another calibre altogether.

[1] The 5th day of the 11th lunar month of the 10th year of the Tenp� era was the 10th of December 1839 in the western calendar.

[2] Another possible reading of this title could be "Muro no Ume Hangan Biiki".

[3] Used when he was called Arashi Sanpachi II.

[4] The 24th day of the 3rd lunar month of the 13th year of the Bunsei era was the 16th of May 1830 in the western calendar.