Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy

（ ）

Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy

Bunraku: August 1746, Osaka Kabuki: September 1746, Kyoto

This is the oldest of the three plays (along with Kanadehon Chushingura and Yoshitsune and the Thousand Cherry Trees) considered the pinnacle of puppet-based Kabuki drama. The full five-act show is still performed in its entirety, and Acts III (The Celebration) and IV (The Village School) are often performed as independent dramas as well. The main character, Sugawara Michizane, is an historical figure who is worshipped today as the god of scholarship. He was suspected of fomenting rebellion and exiled to Dazaifu in Kyushu, away from his wife and young son. This story is overlaid with the tragedy of triplets Umeomaru, Matsuomaru and Sakuramaru (whose names mean, respectively, plum, pine and cherry). The story incorporates the legend of the flying plum tree, which held that Sugawara’s favorite tree flew to Dazaifu overnight upon his exile, along with other items associated with Sugawara such as cows and a wooden statue. The most famous act, The Village School, where Genzo rescues Sugawara’s son, brings the story of the god of learning to the level of everyday life.

【photo】［from left］Sakuramaru（Onoe Kikugoro）、Matsuomaru（Matsumoto Koshiro）、Umeomaru（Ichikawa Danjuro）　March 2000　Kabukiza Theatre