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Kabuki Club

Kabuki Club is sponsored by JETAANC and the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California

The JETAANC Kabuki Club is an educational community devoted to furthering the study of Kabuki theatre and other Japanese performing arts. We offer classes focusing on classic plays and participate in related events in our area. We also have an active online community. Anyone is welcome to join the Club’s classes and online community; no previous knowledge is necessary!

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive emails about upcoming classes, events, and recent news from the world of Kabuki!

A listing of upcoming Kabuki Club classes. All of our classes are free and open to the public.

Kabuki and Japanese performing arts resources in the Bay Area, online and beyond

Resources & Links

Japanese Performing Arts
in the Bay Area, Online, and Beyond
 
JETAANC Kabuki Club

An educational non-profit organization devoted to the study of Kabuki theatre and other Japanese performing arts. The group offers classes in the San Francisco Bay Area centered on classic plays and hosts an active online community. Anyone may join; no previous knowledge is necessary. Sponsored by JETAANC and the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC).

Kabuki Theatre Appreciation Class info: https://www.jcccnc.org/events/kabuki-theatre-appreciation-class-with-jetaanc/

Contact: kabuki@jetaanc.org

San Mateo Kabuki Club

San Mateo has a well-established Kabuki Club that holds classes the first Sunday of every month focusing on classic plays.

 

Date: first Sunday of every month
Time: 1:30pm
Location: San Mateo Japanese American Community Center, 415 S. Claremont St., San Mateo (near San Mateo Caltrain station)

Contact: kabuki@jetaanc.org

 
Other Groups in the San Francisco Bay Area and Beyond
  • Theatre of Yugen: An experimental theatre ensemble in San Francisco that explores dramatic and literary classics and the crafting of new works of world theater. Draws heavily on Japanese theatrical aesthetics – primarily the classical forms of Noh drama and Kyogen comedy. Classes in drama, movement, and music are also offered. http://www.theatreofyugen.org/index.html

  • San Francisco Fujii Miyabi-kai offers lessons in utai (Noh singing) and shimai (Noh dance) by Noh Master Masayuki Fujii. Contact Yu Asahina, 415-846-1684, yuuasahina@hotmail.com (San Francisco); or Makoto Suzuki, 650-515-9553, suzuki-usa@comcast.net (South San Francisco)

  • NPO Infusion sponsors traditional Japanese performing arts lectures and performances in the Bay Area: http://www.npoinfusion.org/

  • The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (San Francisco) offers classes in traditional Japanese dance and other arts: http://www.jcccnc.org/programs/music.htm

  • Classes in Nihon Buyo dance, Nagauta music, shamisen (via Skype as well!), makeup, and kimono in the Seattle area by teacher Mary Mariko Ohno: http://www.kabukiacademy.org/intro.html

 
Kabuki Online
Noh Online
 
Noh Theatre Troupes and Training
  • Theatre of Yugen: An experimental theatre ensemble in San Francisco that explores dramatic and literary classics and the crafting of new works of world theater. Draws heavily on Japanese theatrical aesthetics – primarily the classical forms of Noh drama and Kyogen comedy. Classes in drama, movement, and music are also offered. http://www.theatreofyugen.org/index.html

  • Theatre Nohgaku: A theatre group dedicated to creating and performing English-language plays in the Noh style. They have a great website, including a good links page: http://www.theatrenohgaku.org/

  • The Noh Training Project – a summer three-week intensive, performance-based training in the dance, chant, music and performance history of Japanese classical noh drama: http://www.bte.org/index.php?page=noh-training-project

  • Kyoto Art Center Traditional Theatre Training (T.T.T.) is a workshop in Kyoto that introduces Japanese traditional forms Noh, Kyogen, and Nihonbuyo. The program follows three stages: three days of orientation workshops, including lecture-demonstrations, followed by three weeks of training, culminating in a recital: http://en.kac.or.jp/category/46

  • A first-hand account of the training: http://www.hyogoajet.net/hyogotimes/2012/06/02/the-kyoto-ttt-program/

 
Japanese Performing Arts Online
 
Japanese Traditional Dance
 
Visual Media
  • Masterpieces of Kabuki, NHK’s DVD series of performances at the Kabuki-za with commentary in English and Japanese.

  • Kabuki-za Sayanora Performances, lavish DVD box sets of the final performances at the old Kabuki-za before it was demolished in 2010. The performances took place for 16 months between January 2009 and April 2010. These will be released bi-monthly as DVD/book box sets until October 2011. All performances feature an English commentary option. Description in English by a vendor.

  • Kabukiza: Final Curtain (Waga Kokoro no Kabukiza) – A documentary navigated by 11 celebrated leading Kabuki actors sharing their personal memories and the history of the legendary theater, and the 16 months of special performances presented up until the final closing on April 30, 2010. A rare glimpse behind the scenes including rehearsals, backstage, and dressing rooms, and the process of making kabuki productions with designers, musicians, costumes, wigs, and props. Also including famous scenes from thirty-five different productions.

  • Cinema Kabuki – Shochiku has hired the best directors from the Japanese film industry to film live productions in High Definition for theatrical screening with high-quality digital projectors and 6-channel sound. Overviews in English and JapaneseList of Cinema Kabuki films in English. Critical review of Rakuda and Renjishi.

  • Hello Kabuki – A documentary about a visit from a professional Kabuki gidayu reciter to the “Children’s Kabuki” troupe of Minakami town in Gunma prefecture.

  • Video of the Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan meeting Utaemon and Hakuo in their dressing rooms at the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo, 1959.

 
Books

Many of these are links to Google Books (free online reading):

 

Conferences and Symposia
 
Kabuki in American Culture

 

Please send any additions or corrections to kabuki|at|jetaanc.org

Kabuki Resources

The JET Alumni Association of Northern California is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

PO Box 2873

San Francisco, CA 94126

Tax ID Number: 94-3201385

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