Stage names:
Onoe Koisaburô I
Onoe Shinshichi I
Onoe Shichisaburô
Onoe Harugorô
Onoe Sanosuke
Other names:
Nambuya Magobei
Onoe Fujaku I
Guilds: Nambuya, Otowaya
Line number: SHODAI (I)
Poetry name: Fujaku (1)
Existence: 1745 ~ 9 March 1809
Connection:
Master: Onoe Kikugorô I
Son: Onoe Koisaburô II
Disciples: Onoe Shinshichi II, Onoe Fujaku III, Onoe Kuraemon, Onoe Toramatsu
Career:
1745: born in Edo. He becomes a disciple of the actor Onoe Kikugorô I at an early age, receving the name of Onoe Sanosuke.
November 1755: Sanosuke makes his first stage, at the Ichimuraza, performing as a koyaku in the kaomise drama "Kashiwagatôge Kichirei Sumô".
November 1760: Onoe Sanosuke takes the name of Onoe Harugorô.
Fall 1764: Harugorô goes to Ôsaka.
November 1764: Onoe Harugorô takes the name of Onoe Shichisaburô at the Kado no Shibai, playing in the kaomise drama "Momotarô Obako Banashi", which celebrates the shûmei of Yoshizawa Ayame III.
Fall 1766: Shichisaburô goes to Kyôto.
November 1766: Onoe Shichisaburô takes the name of Onoe Shinshichi I at the Minamigawa no Shibai, playing in the kaomise drama "Yuki no Asa Daimonjitsu Miyako no Fuku", which is produced by Yamashita Kyônosuke and Ichiyama Sukegorô.
March ~ May 1771: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin", produced by Mimasu Tokujirô I at the Kitagawa no Shibai; Shinshichi plays the role of Fujiwara no Kamatari [casting].
January 1777: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of the drama "Keisei Tonoi Zakura", whose plot is very close to Nagawa Kamesuke I's drama "Igagoe Norikake Gappa"; Shinshichi plays the roles of Sasaki Tan'emon, Honda Dainaiki and Uesugi Ieyori Shuzen [casting].
Fall 1777: Shinshichi goes to Ôsaka after 11 seasons spent in Kyôto.
November 1777: Shinshichi plays at the Kado no Shibai the role of the wakatô Shimpei, in reality Anado Taisuke, in the kaomise drama "Ôiri Kabuki no Tsuitachi", sharing the stage with his master Onoe Kikugorô I.
Fall 1779: Shinshichi goes to Kyôto.
November 1779: Shinshichi plays the role of Yusa no Kunisuke in the kaomise drama "Miyako Han'ei Nanshi no Hiraki Hajime", which is produced by Nakayama Ihachi I at the theater of Kameya Kumenojô and Hayagumo Chôdayû.
January 1783: Shinshichi's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent).
29 December 1783: his master Onoe Kikugorô I dies.
January 1784: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohei's drama "Keisei Yamato Zôshi"; Shinshichi plays the roles of Kitabatake Kazue-no-Kami and the rônin Yôsuke [casting].
May 1784: the play "Katsuragawa Renri no Shigarami", which was originally written in October 1776 by Suga Sensuke for the puppet theater, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time by Namiki Gohei, and staged in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai; Shinshichi plays the role of Obiya Chôemon [casting].
January 1788: Shinshichi's rank in the Ôsaka hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is shi-jô-jô-kichi (unique - superior - superior - excellent).
February 1794: premiere at the Naka no Shibai of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Shima Meguri Uso no Kikigaki"; the last scenes are a sewamono drama, which will be staged independently in May 1794 under the title "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Shinshichi plays the role of Katsuma Gengobei [more details].
April ~ May 1794: Shinshichi plays at the Naka no Shibai the roles of Matsuômaru and Terukuni in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami"; the roles of Sakuramaru and Umeômaru are played by Arashi Sangorô II and Nakayama Bunshichi II. Shinshichi leaves Ôsaka before the end of the productions (in June) and goes to Kyôto.
May 1794: Shinshichi plays at the Nishi no Shibai (Kyôto) the roles of Rokuyata and Midaroku in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
May 1794: premiere at the Nishi no Shibai (Kyôto) of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Godairiki Koi no Fûjime"; Shinshichi plays the role of Katsuma Gengobei [casting].
January 1796: Shinshichi's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is hakudai-jô-jô-kichi (almost grand - superior - superior - excellent).
November 1796: Onoe Shinshichi I takes the name of Onoe Koisaburô I in Kyôto at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater, playing the role of Matsunoo no Naiki in the kaomise drama "Yama Katsura Asahi no Menbako"; the same kaomise program with the same casting is staged from the 18th of November in Ôsaka at the Kado no Shibai; Koisaburô's stage partners are Arashi Sangorô II, Arashi Hinasuke II, Arashi Kichisaburô II, Seki San'emon, Yamamura Giemon, Arashi Mitsuemon I, Sawamura Kunitarô I, Yoshizawa Iroha I, Azuma Tôzô III and Nakayama Bungorô I.
December 1796: Koisaburô plays the roles of Hashimoto Jibuemon and Nampô Jûjibei in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki", which is produced by Fujikawa Hachizô III at the Kado no Shibai; the same play is staged with the same casting in April 1797 in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai.
January 1799: Koisaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is dai-jô-jô-kichi (grand - superior - superior - excellent).
September 1801: premiere at the Kitagawa no Shibai of Shiba Shisô's drama "Hakone Reigen Izari no Adauchi"; Koisaburô plays the roles of Sassa Narimasa, Tsukumo Shinzaemon and Omuro Yosenami [casting].
January 1802: Koisaburô's rank in the Kamigata hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is shin-jô-jô-kichi (truly - superior - superior - excellent).
October 1802: Koisaburô does his isse ichidai performance, playing the role of Mushanosuke in the drama "Katakiuchi Ganryûjima", which is produced at the Kado no Shibai by Anegawa Kamesaburô; he retires, takes the name of Nambuya Magobei and opens a face powder shop in the district of Gion (Kyôto).
March 1804: Koisaburô is back on stage, playing at the Naka no Shibai in the drama "Onna Fûzoku Monzen".
March 1805: Koisaburô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Daihanji no Kiyosumi in the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".
March 1806: Koisaburô plays at the Kitagawa no Shibai the role of Tsunemori, Kumagai Jirô Naozane and Rokuyata in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki".
March 1807: Koisaburô appears on stage for the last time, in Kyôto at the Kitagawa no Shibai, playing the the roles of Hashimoto Jibuemon and Nampô Jûjibei in the drama "Futatsu Chôchô Kuruwa Nikki"; he suddenly falls ill and definitively retires.
9 March 1809: Koisaburô dies.
Comments:
Onoe Koisaburô I was prominent tachiyaku actor, who won fame for himself in Kamigata although he was born in Edo. He reached the jô-jô-kichi rank in 1783, dai-jô-jô-kichi in 1799 and shin-jô-jô-kichi in 1802. He was short-sized but his bearing on stage was outstanding. He excelled in wajitsu and budôgoto roles.
Onoe Koisaburô I playing the role of the warrior Kumagai Jirô Naozane in the drama "Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki", which was staged in March 1806 at the Kitagawa no Shibai
The Onoe Fujaku line of actors
The Onoe Shinshichi line of actors
The Onoe Koisaburô line of actors