Kabuki master leads singular training opportunity at UH Mānoa

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Link to video (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/rcf

***Suggested VO script below***

A world-renowned kabuki actor is bringing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Hawaiʻi this summer. Ichikawa Monnosuke VIII, an eighth-generation kabuki master, will lead an intensive workshop at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa August 1-18, offering rare, hands-on training in this vibrant classical Japanese art form.

"This opportunity to train in kabuki with a professional is truly unique," said UH Mānoa theatre professor Julie Iezzi. "Nowhere else in the world, not even in Japan, can those outside of the tradition train under a kabuki actor."

Spirit of kabuki

The two-week workshop, offered Mondays through Fridays through UH Mānoa's Outreach College and Department of Theatre and Dance, is open to students, alumni, and community members, and will focus on Kabuki movement and vocal training. Two course tracks, credit and non-credit, are available for beginners and advanced beginners for $1,350 (non-credit) and $1,500 (credit). The program ends with a recital showcasing students' work on August 18th at 4 p.m. in the Earle Ernst Laboratory Theatre.

"Different from the realism of Western theatre, I hope students will learn the unique performance techniques of kabuki, which express the spirit of a character while also valuing the beauty of form," Monnosuke said.

Eighth-generation master

Monnosuke, whose family's kabuki lineage dates back to 1713, is no stranger to UH. In 2024, he and his apprentices trained student actors for UH Mānoa's English-language kabuki production, The Maiden Benten and the Bandits of the White Waves. That production not only sold out performances but also received a first-ever invitation to perform in Japan, where it was enthusiastically received.

Kabuki has deep roots in Hawaiʻi. In fact, the university staged the first known English-language kabuki production in the islands 100 years ago. Today, UH Mānoa is helping keep that legacy alive.

Kabuki legacy

With guidance from Iezzi, UH Mānoa's theatre and dance department is breathing new life into English-language kabuki, an art form that flourished on the Kennedy Theatre stage under the leadership of late UH Mānoa Professor James R. Brandon and master kabuki actor Nakamura Matagorō II, with vital support from community artists Onoe Kikunobu (dance) Yamada Chie (music) and Joji Wago (wigs and makeup).

Monnosuke and his wife, Yukika, first met Iezzi in 2016, already aware of the university's rich kabuki traditions and eager to support its continuation.

"They were wondering about future plans for kabuki, and actually

came at the perfect time, since I, too, was searching for artists interested in helping to rebuild the complex infrastructure of knowledge necessary to continue doing kabuki productions," Iezzi said.

For more about this summer's kabuki workshop, visit the Outreach College website, or contact [email protected], (808) 956-4377.

Link to video (details below): https://go.hawaii.edu/rcf

***Suggested VO script below***

B-ROLL: (1 minute, 34 seconds)

:00-:18 UH Mānoa 2024 kabuki production

:19-1:25 Kabuki workshop

1:26-1:34 file of past Kabuki performances at UH Mānoa

SUGGESTED VO SCRIPT

Pronunciation guide: Ichikawa Monnosuke VIII

(Moh-noh-skay) (the eighth)

INTRO
A kabuki master is back in Hawai'i offering a rare chance to learn Japan's iconic art form at UH Mānoa.

NATS (UH Mānoa 2024 kabuki production)

VO
Last year's kabuki in English performance at UH Mānoa debuted in front of sold out crowds. Student actors were trained by kabuki master Ichikawa Monnosuke VIII.

This summer, he returns to lead a two-week workshop from August 1st to the 18th.

The training covers classic kabuki movement and voice. It's open to the public and all skill levels. And is considered a rare opportunity, even in Japan.

Kabuki has a long history in Hawai'i. UH Mānoa celebrated 100 years since its first English-language kabuki just last year.

Today, the university is helping keep that legacy alive. For more on how to register for this summer's workshop, head to our (station website).