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RESEARCH INTO KABUKI PERFORMANCE MODE COMPLETE, WORK IN OTHER NON-WESTERN TRADITIONS CONTINUES
A part of our mission at ConstellationCenter is to provide ideal performance conditions not only for Western music, but for non-Western traditions as well. To that end, we are conducting research on the venues of non-Western traditions to ensure that we can host a variety of art forms from around the world in optimal settings. Our initial research has focused on the traditional Japanese performing arts, specifically gagaku, noh, bunraku, and kabuki.
Given its rich and unique history, a substantial portion of the research has been devoted to kabuki. We traced the development of the theater’s physical structure from the temporary stages of seventeenth century Kyoto to the impressive and massive contemporary kabuki theaters throughout Japan today. Special attention was given to the Edo period during which many of the architectural elements and staging devices of kabuki were developed. As the theaters became more standardized, there were a variety of protruding sections and walkways (hanamichi) that literally brought the performers into the audience, as well as staging devices, such as revolving stages (mawari butai) and lifts (seri), that continue to be an essential element of contemporary kabuki theaters.
As we have done with Western traditions, ConstellationCenter will be creating performance modes for kabuki to inform the design of our halls. We are currently considering two performance modes for kabuki: one in the Odeon and another in the Great Hall. As we finalize the design process, we will continue to consult with kabuki scholars, the leading kabuki set designers in Japan and the Yenching Institute at Harvard University, to ensure that our performance modes will offer an ideal performance situation. Implementation of other Japanese performance modes within ConstellationCenter is also progressing.
- Steve Milton, Research
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Cambridge, MA 02142-1247
Tel 617.939.1900
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