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　　Dance

Momiji is maple, and momiji-gari means maple-tree-viewing. There was a legend of the witch of Togakushi mountain, and this play is its kabuki version. Some Kabuki plays are from Noh, and they are performed on the stage that is made like a Noh stage. Its stage is very simple. They are called 'Matsubame-mono'. Also this play is based on a Noh play. However, 'Momiji-gari' isn't performed on like a Noh stage. It has a very luxurious beautiful kabuki stage. There are three chorus groups Nagauta, Gidayu, and Tokiwadu, on the stage. Each of them is a traditional song. Although I don't know how they are different actually, I know they all are very powerful.

An actor plays two different characters in the first half and the second half. Tamasaburo performed them this time. In the first half, Tamasaburo performs as a beautiful noble lady, Sarashina-hime. And he performs as a horrible witch in the second half. It is a point of this play. Tamasaburo performed two different characters perfectly. However, I have an opinion about this point.

I think that beauty has a horrible element in itself. Tanasaburo changes his kimono and makeup from a beautiful noble lady to an ugly horrible witch. But I think that Tamasaburo didn't need to change anything, because his beauty has a horrible element already. There would be no problem even if he performs a witch with a form of Sarashina-hime. I think that Tamasaburo must have shown a horrible Sarashina-witch. Of course you know that a beautiful woman has a thorn. That witch seems to have many thorns like a hedgehog, though. And I think that a witch should be beautiful. A strange element is always beautiful. I think that I would like to see a horrible beautiful witch.

Kabuki was an entertainment for public before. When a samurai came to a theater that was presented kabuki at Edo period, he put on a bamboo hat in order to hide his face. So people of the kabuki theater could have thought that audiences needed an easy understandable direction. For example, a witch should have a horrible makeup. I think that it is too kind direction now. Every audience has imagination. And I'm sure that you have it, of course. (2002,12,7)