Written in May 2011 Wrote this after studying Kabuki and Takarazuka theaters and their unique acting roles, namely the onnagata and otokoyaku, and the interpretations of gender through their performances.
She’s the Man: Performing Gender in Kabuki and Takarazuka through Kata
Of all the theatre forms in the world, there are few as mystifying and fascinating as those found in Japan, especially the highly stylized Kabuki and Takarazuka. What is it about the Kabuki and Takarazuka aesthetics that attract their respective audiences? More than the music, the dancing, the romance, or the lavish spectacle, it is the male-role specializing otokoyaku in the all-female Takarazuka theatre and the female-role specializing onnagata in the all-male Kabuki theatre that draws spectators. Both of these actors demonstrate that gender is not connected to one’s sex, but is a performance. A performance which requires the learning of a highly stylized set of patterns known as kata, by which the onnagata in Kabuki and the otokoyaku in Takarazuka learn to exude femininity and masculinity respectively, as well as become more elegant, graceful, and attractive than a “real” woman or man ever could. This in turn affects the audience’s perception of gender for both male and female spectators and demonstrates the cultural difference between Japan and the West when defining “femininity” and “masculinity.”
Kata, which literally means “form” or “pattern,” are what dictate the acting and production of all forms of Japanes theatre, although the style of kata differs depending on the form of theatre. Such set forms or patterns range from an actor’s dialogue and voice, to physical movements of the hands, feed, and neck, to appearance such as makeup, costumes and hairdressing. The kata found in Kabuki, especially those for the onnagata, are meticulous and are learned through diligent practice and repitition. The highly sophisticated movements of the onnagata are regarded as the most difficult and painful skills to acquire in Kabuki. Although the onnagata exude feminine charm and beauty in a seemingly effortless fashion, those graceful poses, according to Nakamura Matazo, a contemporary Kabuki actor, “are excruciating to perform.” (Nakamura 14) And unlike his male-role acting counterpart, an onnagata also has to learn how to disguise his tall physique and hide his large hands.
Yoshizawa Ayame, a prominent figure in the history of the onnagata, brought the art of performing onnagata to perfection in the eighteenth century. According to Ayame’s teachings, an onnagata should not only continue to have the feelings of an onnagata offstage in the dressing room but that he should also extend it to his real life and live like a woman, conceal the fact that he is married, and take care not to eat in a mannish fashion. It is the combination of such highly stylized acts and conventions that make an onnagata’s performance convincing. (Fukuoka 53, 61-62) An onnagata can “pass” as a woman effortlessly because he has spent his whole life studying the art. The tecnique of the onnagata is a clear illustration that femininity can be an attribute of the male body, and that a man can appropriate those cultural constructs which are usually associated with the female body. The kata developed by the onnagata demonstrate that the attraction of the onnagata has little to do with the anatomical body of the actor, and has everything to do with the way he performs.
Panda Samurai 