‘The Art of the Onnagata’ at Japan Foundation

“The Art of the Onnagata: An Evening with Kabuki Actor Kyozo Nakamura” will be presented on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, 5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 100, Los Angeles.

A dynamic lecture and demonstration with a celebrated onnagata (actor specializing in female roles). Kabuki is known for elaborate characters played by an all-male cast. The program includes a short lecture introducing the basics of male and female acting in kabuki by Nakamura and professor Ryuichi Kodama (Waseda University) and there will be a demonstration of kabuki dance classics such as “Fuji Musume” (Wisteria Maiden).

After graduating from university in 1972, Nakamura joined as a sixth-term trainee at Japan Arts Council’s Kabuki Actor Training Center, which was established by the National Theatre. After completing the entire program in 1982, he commenced his professional career as a member of the Nakamura Jakuemon IV family under an acting name, Nakamura Kyozo, given by his master.

In April 1994, he was promoted to nadai (billboard-ranked actor) at the Kabuki Theatre. While appearing in performances at the Kabuki Theatre and the National Theatre, he has been actively involved in kabuki lectures and demonstrations organized by the Japan Foundation’s overseas branches, including in Europe, the U.S., Oceania, and Southeast Asia.

In November 2015, he was certified as a member of the Organization for the Preservation of Kabuki. Currently, he teaches at the Kabuki Actor Training Center at the National Theatre.

Admission is free but registration is required. Click here to register.

For more information on this and other programs, call (323) 761-7510 or visit www.jflalc.org.