Kabuki Plus
Lions and peonies
Lions and peonies are regarded as an auspicious pairing, used as motifs in wall panels and art objects since olden days. They represent the king of the animals and king of the flowers. Parasitic insects said to threaten the lion are warded off by the evening dew on the peonies, allowing lions to take a secure rest in the flowers. The pair thus represent a peaceful life.
Representations of father and son
notable!The father lion and cub in Renjishi are distinguished by their white and red colors, respectively. In the show’s first half, the colors are used in the manes and robes of the puppets, and in the second half in the massive wigs worn by the actors. In addition to their different colors, the characters have contrasting body movements. The father is calm and dignified, while the cub is young and boisterous with sharp gestures, such as sudden turns of the head. Such gestures express the difference between old and young and make for distinctive characterizations.
Triple lions in Heisei Era (1989- )
A three-lion Renjishi has come into vogue since the 1990s. Broadly speaking, there are two versions: one with two cubs, and one with father, mother and cub. The former was popularized and frequently performed by Nakamura Kanzaburo XVIII with his sons Kantaro (now Kankuro) and Shichinosuke. The trio was filmed in October 2007 and directed by the celebrated Yamada Yoji for the Cinema Kabuki series. The latter version is called Sannin Renjishi (“Three-Person Renjishi”). The three actors appear first as a happy family, then as lions for the cub-pushing scene. This show focuses more on a strong family bond between a strict father, brave cub, and watchful mother. Unlike the usual Noh-inspired simple backgrounds, this version features a large stone bridge in mid stage, making the cub-pushing scene more vivid. This version, which premiered in 1908, is also known as Umemoto Renjishi after its Kyoto-based choreographer Umemoto Sensho II. The popular young actor Kataoka Ainosuke, who also heads the Umemoto dance school as the fourth-generation grand master, played the role of the father lion in Osaka in October 2013 alongside Nakamura Kazutaro and Kamimura Kichitaro as mother and cub. That revival prompted subsequent versions with other actors. There was also a three-generation version called Kadonde Io Kotobuki Renjishi (“Auspicious Debut Renjishi”) in June 2009 performed by Matsumoto Koshiro, his son Ichikawa Somegoro and his grandson Matsumoto Kintaro.
