Women in Kabuki and Noh

Growing up, I never thought to question whether a women could be part of a play’s cast or not. Hollywood always made the lifestyle of an actress seem so glamorous and lavish that I did not take the time to question the bounds and limits to this type of lifestyle. As I have had no previous coursework in theater, my first educational exposure to a woman’s limitation in the theater (due to her gender) was in our class. In our segment of Japanese theater, I found the history of women and the evolution of Noh and Kabuki dramas to be especially interesting.
    Noh theater developed as an all-male art form, although it was not explicating stated that women could not participate. Due to the nature of training, most families would have their sons attend programs, as it was more practical for the daughters to focus on matters helpful to becoming a good wife and mother. As the slow-moving mode of Noh dramas were designed to entertain the elite class, a group of women formed to created a type of theater that could entertain the mass public. This theater is the now very popular, Kabuki. However, in 1619 the Japanese government stepped in and band women from participating in all forms of theater, even Kabuki. This decision was based in the idea that the dramas were too sexual and scandalous for women, as they should not be seen in public acting with such morals. Thus, the government intervened and made a decision to excluded women from their performances, since it was for the benefit of the general population.
    Given the time period, the ban of female actors may have been necessary and acceptable; however, as the role of the modern Japanese woman is changing, there could be thoughts to allow women actors in ancient forms. This lead me to another question, should the traditions and history of ancient Japanese theater be tossed aside as the the role of Japanese women changes and becomes more modern? This is a difficult position to argue, as so many Asian cultures pride themselves of their history and respect for tradition. It will be interesting to see how the role of women changes in not only Japan, but in other areas of the world as the gap between men and women disappears.