Shozo Sato describes Kabuki acting technique and the training that Kabuki performers, traditionally all male, go through in order to learn how to play male, female, young, and old characters. He demonstrates vocal inflections and actual movements—walking, how the head is held, poses—of various Kabuki characters, including the differences between male and female characters. He also demonstrates the transformation of a female character from her teens to her 30s.
This resource is part of the Japanese Culture collection.
Classroom activities and discussion questions available on PBS LearningMedia.