Making Faces: 18 Essential Kabuki Plays

October 12, 2024–March 30, 2025, Gallery 105

Visually stunning, the “rough style” (aragoto) of Japanese kabuki theater includes exaggerated movements and speech, bold makeup and oversized costumes. This attention-grabbing style is encapsulated in 18 Kabuki Plays (kabuki jūhachiban), a collection of plays compiled in the nineteenth century by the actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VII (1791–1859) and closely associated with the Danjūrō family of actors. The plays convey tales of heroism and romance, jealousy and revenge, and many are repertoire standards still performed today. This exhibition explores the plays through a set of eighteen woodblock prints created by Torii Tadamasa (1904–1970), full of bold colors and exquisite details that capture the bravado of kabuki.

Featured Image: Torii Tadamasa (Japanese, 1904–1970), Shibaraku (Just a Minute!), from the series 18 Kabuki Plays, 1951–1953,
woodblock print, ink and color on paper. Transfer from Library to Museum Collection, 2023.346.14

EXHIBITION SPONSORS:

PROMOTING SPONSOR
University of Dayton

ONGOING SPONSORS
National Endowment for the Arts
Culture Works
Montgomery County
Ohio Arts Council