Monday, February 25, 2013

Kabuki!

The Shinmachi Kabuki Troupe is the often overlooked side of our Second Life group. It's probably because the oiran and tayuu side is the most obvious part; there's a well developed training program and opportunities for RP and performance on a daily basis. Plus, you're more likely to recognize a courtesan as she wanders the paths of Maruyama and Kurogawa Machi than an actor (whom is typically not wearing a full costume or the distinguishable kabuki makeup).

Our kabuki troupe has a less formalized training regiment and fewer performances. But, the kabuki and noh productions the directors develop far exceed the regular, bi-weekly shows for courtesans.


So what makes them so special? Our regular shows typically take two or three weeks to prepare. The kabuki and noh productions can take several months. There's a lot more detail to consider, beyond the regular requirements of a show. The combination of mood, music, dialogue, costume, stage design - all are given greater consideration. The script alone will take at least a month to perfect and it often changes during rehearsals.


That's right, rehearsals. As in more than one. Most of our courtesan performances have one run through, which tends to be rather informal. One of our kabuki will have multiple practice sessions, ranging from the initial informal to the final full dress rehearsal. And its a little hard to coordinate these with RL schedules, which slows down the production process. While the kabuki arm of Shinmachi may be quiet, they're typically hard at work behind the scenes bringing fantastic shows to SL.

You can see all of our kabuki and noh productions in our repertoire on our website and we currently have a brand new kabuki in production right now. We can't wait to bring it to you!

Monday, February 18, 2013

Fox and the Tanuki

Yesterday evening we had our first performance of our youkai, yurei and other supernatural beings series. We decided to kick things off with a cute show that pitted the tricky fox against a cunning tanuki. Aikiki-chan, the fox, and Medusa-chan, the tanuki, did their best to resemble the magical beings with appropriate ears and tails. You can check out the pictures below!


I thought holding a show late in the evening (7:30pm slt, which is 10:30pm eastern time) would result in a small audience, so we performed in the Yukaku Ryukin at Aosagi. I was mistaken - the place was so crowded I had to rez several extra cushions! I guess it was because of the holiday... There are a few people off to the right who sat on the bench, too!


Aikiki-chan played the fox (on the left) and Medusa-chan was the tanuki. The basic plot of the story was that the two were trying to see who was the best at transforming.

A shot of Aikiki-chan doing her best to bring home a win for Team Fox. 

 A closeup of Medusa-chan (and her tail) trying to win for Team Tanuki. 

It was a pretty fun show and we're looking forward to continuing the series in two weeks. Hope you can join us then. Thanks once again to everyone who came to enjoy our evening show ^_^

Monday, February 11, 2013

Spring already?!

Spring has always been a season of renewal for Shinmachi. In the four years its been around, we've always been quiet once the first snow fell. But when the ice begins to melt and those first flowers bloom, the group becomes more active and invigorated. And I, for one, am excited to start wearing my spring kimono!

Okay, so it may not be spring in North America or Europe, where most of our members are from; but we use an old Japanese calendar for our group. This lunar based one was introduced in the middle to late 1600s and was used until the late 1800s. We've never been really strict on the era we focus on with our courtesan and actor role playing, except to say it encompasses a few hundred years ranging from the early 1600s to the middle 1800s. 

Roughly 200 hundred years is a lot to cover in a RP group, but there's a method to our madness. The abilities, appearances, and artistic accomplishments of courtesans differed greatly from era to era. People join Shinmachi for a variety of reasons; some really enjoy the tayuu and kabuki connection, so that's why we begin in the early 1600s, when the courtesans performed on stage. That's about the time the real Shinmachi opened, so it makes sense.

Many students join to wear oiran kimono and hair; the yoko hyogo style with all of the hair combs and long, dangling chains and the large box obi are preferred to the less ornate style of the tayuu. These early keisei had simpler hair, smaller obi and less extravagant kimono. So, we stretch our focus to include the years when those were popular, namely the 1800s.

Shinmachi focuses on the 1600s - 1800s for our RP, which fits really well with the use of the lunar calendar. While you may think its winter (or summer, depending on your hemisphere), we're basking in the rejuvenating warmth and beauty of spring in SecondLife. Why don't you join us?


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Debut of a Furisode Shinzo

With several of our hikikomi kamuro preparing to debut as a furisode shinzo in the next few weeks and months, I thought it appropriate to post about what we do to celebrate and why.

Furisode (long sleeves) and shinzo (newly launched boat) were hopeful tayuu/oiran and courtesans in their own right. This statement applies mostly with the period we are focusing on, as the ranks and responsibilities of courtesans changed from decade to decade. The debut process we use loosely reflects what J.E. De Becker reported in The Nightless City.

We start off relatively simple and match a younger sister to an older one. Until this point, the apprentice has received training from the leaders of the house and though she will continue to attend formal lessons offered by sensei, she will now receive informal training and guidance from her elder sister. Working together with the sensei, the elder sister will develop a new name for the furisode. The name will be something innocent sounding, especially with regards to the work the new courtesan will be involved in. The name does not have to be derivative of her older sister's, as this came into style in a later era than our focus. Typically, the debutante would have received a new name as soon as she entered the house, but in Second Life it seems a little sudden to start renaming people as soon as they join the group.

The new furi-shin learns her name at her private presentation, which is our version of receiving "congratulatory presents from her friends" and sister courtesans (De Becker, p. 57). We extend invitations to all of the courtesan houses we are on friendly terms with and welcome them to see who new furisode. At this point, the debutante is still dressing as a hikikomi kamuro; hopefully, she will receive a few gifts like courtesan kimono, hair ornaments and makeup to use once she officially becomes a furisode.

The last part of the debut, the formal presentation, is less historical and more practical. By De Becker's accounts, the new furisode should spend a week parading down the central boulevard (p. 57). We save the parade for new oiran, to make their debut a grand spectacle. The big event for a new furisode is a performance and ozashiki with she and her elder sister as the focus. This allows patrons to see the new girl and offer their congratulations and gifts.

Of course, there is more to the debut of a new furisode than what has been presented here, but some things should be left quiet, ne?