THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
January 21, 2020 at 13:35 JST
Shochiku Co. will start setting a non-performing day for its Kabuki plays during a 25-day run in April, heeding calls for work-style reforms.
With the April Grand Kabuki at Shinbashi Enbujo Theater scheduled for April 3-27, there will be no performances on April 15, Shochiku announced Jan. 20.
As Kabuki play schedules are very tight, actors typically have to play the same role in day and night performances for 25 successive days.
In musicals, different actors tend to alternate playing the same role, with audiences mainly interested in the music and story.
However, with Kabuki, fans tend to go to see particular actors. For this reason, younger actors with larger followings, such as Ichikawa Ebizo, often perform several times a day.
Ebizo has been calling on Shochiku to introduce work-style reforms for several years. Recently he has been calling for a non-performing day on his official blog.
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