Editing Kabuki (section)

==Play structure and performance style==
Kabuki, like other forms of drama traditionally performed in Japan, was—and sometimes still is—performed in full-day programmes, with one play comprising a number of acts spanning the entire day. However, these plays—particularly {{transliteration|ja|sewamono}}—were commonly sequenced with acts from other plays in order to produce a full-day programme, as the individual acts in a kabuki play commonly functioned as stand-alone performances in and of themselves. {{transliteration|ja|Sewamono}} plays, in contrast, were generally not sequenced with acts from other plays, and genuinely would take the entire day to perform.

The structure of a full-day performance was derived largely from the conventions of both {{transliteration|ja|bunraku}} and Noh theatre. Chief amongst these was the concept of {{nihongo||序破急|[[jo-ha-kyū]]}}, a pacing convention in theatre stating that the action of a play should start slow, speed up, and end quickly. The concept, elaborated on at length by master Noh playwright [[Zeami]], governs not only the actions of the actors, but also the structure of the play, as well as the structure of scenes and plays within a day-long programme.

Nearly every full-length play occupies five acts. The first corresponds to {{transliteration|ja|jo}}, an auspicious and slow opening which introduces the audience to the characters and the plot. The next three acts correspond to {{transliteration|ja|ha}}, where events speed up, culminating almost always in a great moment of drama or tragedy in the third act, and possibly a battle in the second or fourth acts. The final act, corresponding to {{transliteration|ja|kyū}}, is almost always short, providing a quick and satisfying conclusion.<ref name="Quinn">Quinn, Shelley Fenno. "How to write a Noh play—Zeami's ''[[Sandō]]''. ''[[Monumenta Nipponica]]'', vol 48, issue 1 (Spring 1993). pp53–88.</ref>

[[File:Heike Nyōgo-ga-shima by Shibakuni and Hokushū.jpg|thumb|The September 1824 production of {{transliteration|ja|Heike Nyogo-ga-shima}} at Kado-za theatre in Osaka|450px]]

While many plays were written solely for kabuki, many others were taken from {{transliteration|ja|jōruri}} plays, Noh plays, folklore, or other performing traditions such as the oral tradition of the ''[[Tale of the Heike]]''. While {{transliteration|ja|jōruri}} plays tend to have serious, emotionally dramatic, and organised plots, plays written specifically for kabuki generally have looser, more humorous plots.<ref name=Toita>Toita, Yasuji (1970). Kabuki: The Popular Theater. New York: Weatherhill. pp 6–8.</ref>

One crucial difference between {{transliteration|ja|jōruri}} and kabuki is a difference in storytelling focus; whereas {{transliteration|ja|jōruri}} focuses on the story and on the chanter who recites it, kabuki has a greater focus on the actors themselves. A {{transliteration|ja|jōruri}} play may sacrifice the details of sets, puppets, or action in favor of the chanter, while kabuki is known to sacrifice drama and even the plot to highlight an actor's talents. It was not uncommon in kabuki to insert or remove individual scenes from a day's schedule in order to cater to an individual actor—either scenes he was famed for, or that featured him, would be inserted into a program without regard to plot continuity.<ref name="Toita"/> Certain plays were also performed uncommonly as they required an actor to be proficient in a number of instruments, which would be played live onstage, a skill that few actors possessed.<ref>Photographic Kabuki Kaleidoscope, I. Somegoro and K. Rinko, 2017. Shogakukan.</ref>

Kabuki traditions in [[Edo (Tokyo)|Edo]] and the Kyoto-Osaka region (Kamigata) differed; throughout the Edo period, Edo kabuki was defined by its extravagance, both in the appearance of its actors, their costumes, stage tricks and bold {{transliteration|ja|mie}} poses. In contrast, Kamigata kabuki focused on natural and realistic styles of acting. Only towards the end of the Edo period did the two styles begin to merge to any significant degree.<ref name="Thornbury">Thornbury, Barbara E. "Sukeroku's Double Identity: The Dramatic Structure of Edo Kabuki". ''Japanese Studies'' 6 (1982). Ann Arbor: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan. 13</ref> Before this time, actors from different regions often failed to adjust their acting styles when performing elsewhere, leading to unsuccessful performance tours outside of their usual region of performance.