The Kabuki Guide

by Masakatsu Gunju

Traces the history of Kabuki theater, describes the makeup, costumes, actors, music, and types of plays, and provides plot summaries for thirty-six plays

Paperback

First published December 31, 1987

Reviews

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up randomly, so I didn't know exactly what it was going to be about. It was a bit dry and not quite the accessible, warm introduction I was hoping it would be. A lot of descriptions are kind of sparse and seem to be intended for people who are already familiar with Kabuki and just want to refresh their memories. I guess I wanted something that was more chatty and informal, something that's trying to really engage my interest but also inform. I wanted to know more about several things that came up (like why are all of these plays now abbreviated, so that of perhaps 5 acts, only one or two are typically performed? Tell me more about the different actors and styles of acting, maybe some anecdotes, that kind of thing), but that was just not the focus of this book. So, my unfair expectations caused me to be disappointed.