Stage names:
Morita Kan'ya XIV
Bandô Shûka III
Bandô Tamasaburô IV
Real name: Morita Yoshiyuki
Guild: Kinojiya
Line number: JÛYONDAIME (XIV)
Existence: 8 March 1907 ~ 28 March 1975
Connections:
Grandfather: Morita Kan'ya XII
Adopted father: Morita Kan'ya XIII
Adopted son: Bandô Tamasaburô V
Career:
July 1914: he makes his first appearance on stage, at the Kabukiza, where he receives the name of Bandô Tamasaburô IV, playing in the drama "Tengajaya".
January 1926: Bandô Tamasaburô IV takes the name of Bandô Shûka III at the Imperial Theater, playing the role of Ushiwakamaru in the dance "Kuramayama".
16 June 1932: his adopted father Morita Kan'ya XIII dies.
1932 ~ 1937: he is a regular member of a troupe of young actors, called "Seinen Kabuki", which performs at the Shinjuku Daiichi Gekijô.
January 1935: Bandô Shûka III takes the name of Morita Kan'ya XIV at the Kabukiza, playing the role of Konishi Yukinaga in the drama "Mikka Taiheiki".
1947 ~ 1953: Kan'ya spends a lot of time in the cinema world, acting in movies like Itô Daisuke's "Surônin Makaritôru" (1947), "Otomi to Yosaburô" (a movie adaptation of the Kabuki drama "Kirare Yosa") and Nakagawa Nobuo's "Edo no Hanamichi" (1953).
February 1955: Izumi Kyôka's drama "Tenshu Monogatari" is staged for the first time with Kabuki actors, at the Kabukiza; Kan'ya plays the role of Zushonosuke [casting].
December 1965: Kan'ya and his adopted son Bandô Tamasaburô V achieve a great success at the Kabukiza by playing the roles of Tonase and her daughter Konami in the michiyuki "Michiyuki Tabiji no Yomeiri".
December 1966: second month of the opening ceremony of the National Theater with the full length performance of the classic "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; Kan'ya plays the role of Takebe Genzô [casting].
March 1967: revival at the National Theater of Tsuruya Namboku IV's masterpiece "Sakura Hime Azuma Bunshô", which is supervised by Gunji Masakatsu; Kan'ya plays the role of the priest Seigen [casting].
May 1968: revival at the National Theater of "Ura Omote Sendai Hagi"; Kan'ya plays the role of Hosokawa Katsumoto [casting].
December 1974: Kan'ya appears on stage in Tôkyô for the last time, playing the role of Yuranosuke in the nineth act of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", which is staged at the National Theater.
January 1975: Kan'ya appears on stage for the last time, in Nagoya at the Chûnichi Gekijô, where he plays the role of Matsuura Shizunobu in the drama "Matsuura no Taiko".
28 March 1975: Kan'ya dies.
Comments:
Morita Kan'ya XIV was a talented tachiyaku actor, excelling in nimaime roles and who was deeply influenced by the pre-WW2 star Ichimura Uzaemon XV. Instead of the usual kata deviced by Onoe Kikugorô VI for the roles of Sanemori ("Sanemori Monogatari") or Benten Kozô ("Shiranami Gonin Otoko"), he preferred to use Ichimura Uzaemon XV's ones and, therefore, helped to their preservation. He was able to play a broad range of roles: if we take the example of the classic "Kanadehon Chûshingura", he had the opportunity to play during his career the roles of En'ya Hangan (act 1), Kô no Moronô (act 1), Momoi Wakasanosuke (act 3), Hayano Kampei ("Ochiudo", act 5, act 6), Bannai ("Ochiudo"), Sadakurô (act 5), Fuwa kazuemon (act 6), Senzaki Yagorô (act 6), Teraoka Heiemon (act 7), Tonase (act 8), Kakogawa Honzô (act 9), Yuranosuke (act 9) or Hattori Itsurô (act 11). At the end of his career, he often took part in rare revivals produced at the National Theater.
Morita Kan'ya XIV's best roles: Kataoka Naojirô ('Naozamurai"), Sakuramaru ("Ga no Iwai"), Yosaburô ("Kirare Yosa"), Einojô ("Kagotsurube"), Yoemon ("Kasane"), Hayase Iori ("Tengajaya").
Morita Kan'ya XIV playing the role of Tadanobu in the dance "Yoshinoyama" (print made by Natori Shunsen in 1952)
The Morita Kan'ya line of actors and theater managers