Professional Kabuki artists from Japan will mentor University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa students for the premiere of “The Maiden Benten and the Bandits of the White Waves” next year.
It marks the centennial anniversary of the first known English-language Kabuki ever performed in Hawai‘i, according to a news release last week. Hawai‘i has a long history with Kabuki dating back to the 19th century.
Kabuki is a form of Japanese theater, mixing dramatic performance with traditional dance.
Performers are adorned with Kumadori make-up and colorful costumes.
Julie Iezzi, a theatre professor at UH Mānoa, is overseeing the production.
“They are the masters, so it is absolutely critical that students learn directly from the source rather than through videos and secondhand information,” Iezzi said in a news release last week.
“We’re really fortunate that actors are willing to come here and work so diligently and for so long with our students.”
Award-winning Kabuki actor Monnosuke Ichikawa VII will teach a master class in the spring semester at UH Mānoa’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Ichikawa VII is an 8th-generation actor with Japanese Kabuki roots stretching back to 1713.
“Something that I would like students to learn from this Kabuki project is, first of all, the charm and appeal of Kabuki as an art form. It is often said that meaningful experiences nurture budding aspirations, so I want them to get that from this process,” Ichikawa said through an interpreter in a news release.
Tickets for the upcoming show range from $8 to $25. The show will premiere April 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 28 at 2 p.m.
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