Genre of contemporary setting plays in Japanese traditional theatre
Sewamono (世話物) is a genre of contemporary setting plays in Japanese traditional theatre. The term applies to both bunraku and kabuki. The genre is in contrast to "period setting plays" or jidaimono. Though the distinction between "historical" and "contemporary" is not exact, and there are also plays that do not fit either category.[1]
Sewamono plays are naturalistic and set in contemporary normal environments rather the historical and samurai plays typical of the bombastic aragoto style.[2] In the conflicted lovers genre, such as The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, conflict between emotions (ninjo) and social pressure (giri) form the motor of the plot.[3] The engirimono, cut-knot-thing meaning “drama of cutting the lovers' knot" such as Namiki Gohei's Godairiki Koi no Fujime is a subcategory of sewamono.[4]
^Earl Roy Miner, Hiroko Odagiri, Robert E. Morrell The Princeton Companion to Classical Japanese Literature 1988- Page 72 "The distinction between period pieces or jidaimono and contemporary pieces or sewamono is not exact, any more than is the Elizabethan distinction in drama between tragedy and history. There were also some plays that do not fit either ..."
^John Gassner, Edward Quinn The Reader's Encyclopedia of World Drama - Page 758 2002 "Sewamono is a branch of the kabuki tree diametrically opposed to the quasihistorical plays of war, violence, and bombast acted in the aragoto style. With their highly advanced naturalism. sewamono plays are set in contemporary rather ..."
^Shūichi Katō, Don Sanderson A History of Japanese Literature: From the Man'yōshū to Modern Times 1997 - Page 149 "But whether these should properly be called sewamono is a matter of definition. In the typical plot the couple's feelings (ninjo) come into conflict with some social obligation or pressure (giri). This latter may involve a rival for the favours of the ..."
^Keiko I. McDonald Japanese Classical Theater in Films -1994 Page 104 "Actually, this subclass sewamono is called an engirimono play, which may be rendered “drama of cutting the lovers' knot." The definitive work is usually taken to be Gohei Namiki's Godairiki Koi no Fujime (Lovers' pledge: Gengobei and ..."
Sewamono (世話物) is a genre of contemporary setting plays in Japanese traditional theatre. The term applies to both bunraku and kabuki. The genre is in contrast...
class, sewamono focused primarily upon commoners, namely townspeople and peasants. Often referred to as "domestic plays" in English, sewamono generally...
plays, around 70 are jidaimono (時代物) (historical romances) and 24 are sewamono (世話物) (domestic tragedies). The domestic plays are today considered the...
short dance pieces, period plays (jidaimono), contemporary genre pieces (sewamono), tragedies and comedies, as well as adaptations of foreign (Western) stories...
(Shinjū Ten no Amijima or Shinjūten no Amijima 心中天の網島) is a domestic play (sewamono) by Japanese playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon. Originally written for the...
productions. The three main categories of kabuki are jidaimono (historical), sewamono (domestic) and shosagoto (dance pieces). Somewhat similarly, Noh distinguishes...
choreography. Types of kabuki play include jidaimono (historical plays) and sewamono ("contemporary" plays), as well as shosagoto ('dance-drama') plays primarily...
and characters, often famous samurai battles. These are in contrast to sewamono (世話物), contemporary plays, which generally focus on commoners and domestic...
Sonezaki was Chikamatsu's first "domestic tragedy" or "domestic play" (sewamono) and his first love-suicide play (shinjūmono). Until this play, the common...
Year 1860. It is popularly known as Sannin Kichisa, and belongs to the sewamono and shiranamimono genres. The play was not well-received; thirty years...
during the same period. Kabuki plays in contemporary settings were known as sewamono. Some works span multiple media. The Mito Kōmon Man'yūki (水戸黄門漫遊記) has...
three genres of kabuki, together with jidaimono (historical plays) and sewamono (contemporary plays). A central element of kabuki since its origin in 1603...
The Uprooted Pine (Nebiki no Kadomatsu) is a play by Chikamatsu. It is a sewamono play (based on a real incident) like The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, written...
Imperial Palace. Act Two features combat. Act Three is something of a sewamono insertion into the jidaimono tale, turning away from the affairs of warriors...
Palace. Act Two features combat and murder. Act Three is something of a sewamono insertion into the jidaimono tale, turning away from the affairs of warriors...
Villains. He was, however, also credited with the ability to deliver subtle sewamono (世話物) dramatic performances, particularly in fukeyaku (老役) elderly man...
and served him well, however, as it suited perfectly the mood of certain sewamono roles and plays. Gadō played a young Minamoto no Yoshitsune (known as Ushiwakamaru...
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