NATORI SHUNSEN (名取春仙) 

 1954

                   
Ichikawa Sadanji III (市川左団次; 市川左團次) as
Azuma Yoshirô (吾妻與四郎; 吾妻与四郎)

Play:  Modori Kago Iro ni Aikata (戻駕色相肩)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 01/1954
Series: Shinpan Butai no Sugata-e
[New Version of Figures on the Stage]
(新版舞台之姿絵)
Image courtesy of the Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum

Note: I can find no record of Sadanji III performing this
role.  He did portray Yoshirô under his previous name of
Ichikawa Omezô IV (市川男女蔵) at the Tokyo Gekijô in
April 1949.  It is possible that the painting study for this
print was done at that time, but with Sadanji III's
intervening name change prior to the publication of the
print, a decision was made to use Sadanji III's current name.  
Or perhaps the print was based on some performance that
Sadanji gave outside of Tokyo.  The print itself resembles a
photograph from a production at the Ichimura-za in
September 1915 when he performed the role under the
name of  Ichikawa Otora IV (市川男寅).
 
 
   

                   
Onoe Shôroku II (尾上松緑) as
Musashibô Benkei (武藏坊辨慶; 武蔵坊弁慶)

Play:  Hashi Benkei (橋辨橋; 橋弁慶)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 04/1954
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)

Note: The first record I could find of Shôroku II
performing this role was at the Kabuki-za in May
1956.  Either the print reflects a performance outside
of Tokyo or it depicts Benkei in a different play.
 
 
 

                   
Nakamura Ganjirô II (中村鴈治郎) as
Manno (万野)

Play:  Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba
(伊勢音頭戀寝刃; 伊勢音頭恋寝刃)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 08/01/54
Print Date: 09/1954
Series: Shin Yakusha-e [New Actor Prictures] (新役者絵)
Personal Collection

                   
Nakamura Ganjirô II (中村鴈治郎) as
Manno (万野)

Play:  Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba
(伊勢音頭戀寝刃; 伊勢音頭恋寝刃)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 08/01/54
Print Date: 09/1954
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)
Personal Collection
 
 
 

                   
Ichikawa Ebizô IX (市川海老蔵) as
Togashi Saemon (富樫左衛門)

Play:  Kanjinchô (勧進帳; 勸進帳)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 09/01/54
Print Date:  03/1957
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)
Personal Collection
 
 
  

                   
Hanayagi Jusuke II (花柳寿輔; 花柳壽輔) as Myôjin (明神)

Play:  Kokaji (小鍛冶)
Performance Place: ?
Performance Date: ?
Print Date: 10/1954
Series: Shin yakusha-e [New Actor Prictures] (新役者絵)
Personal Collection

Note: Dance Master Jusuke II was the choreographer for the
original performance in Tokyo at the Meiji-za in September 1939. 
The print may depict Jusuke II's performance at some Noh
theatre, as I can find no record of him performing it in a Kabuki
theatre.
 
 
 

                   
Nakamura Utaemon VI (中村歌右衛門) as
Ôgiya Yûgiri (扇屋夕霧)

Play: Kuruwa Bunshô (廓文章)
Performance Place: Kabuki-za, Tokyo
Performance Date: 11/02/54
Print Date: 12/1956
Medium: Hand-colored keyblock print (版画源画)
Personal Collection