Onnagata (女形/女方, lit. 'female role'), also oyama (女形), are male actors who play female roles in kabuki theatre. [1] It originated in 1629 after women were banned from performing in kabuki performances. [2] There are many specific techniques that …

Onnagata forms the female aspect of kabuki theater but also becomes a bridge between that aspect and the male one. By portraying female characters so well, onnagata provides a vital part to explain the popularity of kabuki theater.

Being a onnagata, or oyama as used by others, can be considered as a separate art in itself, due to the actors’ embodiment of the feminity of an ideal lady, starting from the manner of speaking up to the grace in their gestures. But why don’t they just hire female performers? There used to …

…special group of actors, called onnagata, emerged to play the female roles; these actors often became the most popular of their day. Read More

本来の語義からいえば、女形を務める役者は男性とは限らないが現在では「男が女を演じる」と解釈される場合が多い。 歌舞伎より転じて大衆演劇などにおいて男性俳優が女性を演じることをも称するようになった。. ガタは「方」つまり、能におけるシテ方、ワキ方などと同様、職掌、 …

It may be difficult to tell, except from the literary context, whether a particular image is meant to portray an oiran, an onnagata, or a literary character who combines aspects of both. Although the sex of the “geisha dolls” is usually assumed to be female, it might be helpful to imagine them rather as belonging to this cross-gendered ...

The basics of Onnagata acting was established by Yoshizawa Ayame 1st and others during the Genroku period. Ayame organized instructions for Onnagata in her commentary called “Ayamegusa”. Some Onnagata actors perform Tachiyaku (male roles), but there are also actors called “Maonnagata” who only act female characters.

2016年1月1日 · The onnagata, usually male actors who perform the roles of women, have been an important aspect of kabuki since its beginnings in the 17th century. In a “labyrinth” of gendering, the practice of men playing women’s roles has affected the manifestations of femininity in Japanese society.

Onnagata were male kabuki actors who performed the roles of women. Some actors specialized exclusively in women's roles, while others played both men's and women's parts. The onnagata wears a cloth called a murasaki-bôshi ("purple cap"), a silk headcloth used to cover the shaved forelock. It was used both during performances in female roles ...

However, Kabuki onnagata show their faces and create a unique image of a woman by using ingenious gestures and vocal tricks, as well as wearing makeup, costumes, and wigs.