Stage names:
Sakakiyama Koshirô III
Sakakiyama Shirotarô II
Sakakiyama Jûtarô I
Sakakiyama Sentarô
Line number: SANDAIME (III)
Poetry name: Senshi
Existence: 1724 ~ 2 July 1767
Connection:
Father: Sakakiyama Sagisuke
Brother: Sakakiyama Koshirô IV
Disciple: Sakakiyama Shirotarô IV
Career:
1730s: he starts his career as a wakashugata, performing under the name of Sakakiyama Sentarô. He later on receives the name of Sakakiyama Jûtarô I.
Fall 1739: Jûtarô goes with his father Sakakiyama Shirotarô I to Ôsaka.
December 1739: Jûtarô plays in the drama "Kewai Musha Ômi Genji", which is produced at the Ônishi no Shibai by Yoshizawa Ayame II.
Fall 1739: Jûtarô goes back with his father to Kyôto.
December 1740: Jûtarô produces at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the drama "Chinpô Sandai Gatana", which stars his grandfather Sakakiyama Koshirô I and his father Sakakiyama Shirotarô I. The title of this drama, literally "the rare treasure - three generations of swords", an allusion to the three generations of actors of the Sakakiyama clan sharing the same stage, has also a different suggestive meaning because the word chinpô is the penis!
August 1741: the play "Shin Usuyuki Monogatari", which was originally written for the puppet theater, is adapted to Kabuki for the first time, in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater; Jûtarô produces it and plays the role of Oren [casting].
15 June 1747: his grandfather Sakakiyama Koshirô I dies.
November 1747: Sakakiyama Shirotarô I and Sakakiyama Jûtarô I respectively take the names of Sakakiyama Koshirô II and Sakakiyama Shirotarô II, playing together in the kaomise drama "Teikin Ôrai Manzoku Kagami", which is produced by Nakamura Matsubei I at the Kitagawa no Shibai; their stage partners are Yamashita Matatarô I, Takenaka Heikichi, Fujikawa Heikurô, Fujioka Daikichi, Nakamura Kiyosaburô I, Nakamura Shirogorô III, Kasaya Matakurô I, Asao Motogorô and Sanogawa Hanazuma II.
November 1749: Shirotarô produces at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater the kaomise drama "Tokitsukazeyasu Keizu".
November 1750: Shirotarô produces at Ebisuya Kichirôbei's theater the kaomise drama "Tokitsukazeyasu Keizu".
November 1751: Shirotarô produces at Miyako Handayû's theater (Minamigawa no Shibai) the kaomise drama "Kyôganoko Asahi no Nishiki".
February 1755: first Kabuki adaptation of the 5 acts puppet theater drama "Ono no Tôfû Aoyagi Suzuri", which is produced by Sawamura Kunitarô I and staged at the Minamigawa no Shibai as a kaomise drama; Shirotarô plays the role of Deba Jirô's wife Sasazuru [casting].
January 1758: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Gion Sairei Shinkôki", which is simultaneously produced at the Minamigawa no Shibai [casting] and the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting]; Shirotarô plays in the former theater the role of Ubajijû.
January 1766: Shirotarô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, is jô-jô-kichi (superior - superior - excellent). He shares this rank with Nakamura Kumetarô I and Nakamura Kiyosaburô I.
November 1766: The actors Sakakiyama Koshirô II, Sakakiyama Shirotarô II and Sakakiyama Jûtarô II respectively take the names of Sakakiyama Sagisuke, Sakakiyama Koshirô III and Sakakiyama Shirotarô III, playing together in the kaomise drama "Umayadogimi Shitennôji Kuyô", which is produced by Edosaka Kyôemon at the Kitagawa no Shibai. The new Koshirô becomes a tachiyaku actor.
January 1767: Koshirô's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô-(shiro)hankichi (superior - superior - (white) half excellent).
2 July 1767: Koshirô dies in Kyôto.
Comments:
Sakakiyama Koshirô III was a Kyôto actor, who achieved fame for himself in the Imperial city as an onnagata, reaching the prestigious jô-jô-kichi rank in 1766. As the heir of the Sakakiyama clan, he had to swith to tachiyaku roles but died a few months after his shûmei.
Sakakiyama Koshirô III (left) and Bandô Manzô (right) playing the roles of Tsukinowa Daihachi and Nisemono no Daihachi in the kaomise drama "Umayadogimi Shitennôji Kuyô", which was staged in November 1766 at the Kitagawa no Shibai
The Sakakiyama Shirotarô line of actors
The Sakakiyama Koshirô line of actors