Stage names:

Sugiyama Kanzaemon I

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Existence: ???

Connection:

Adopted son: Sugiyama Kanzaemon III

Disciple: Sugiyama Kanzaemon II

Career:

1673: he starts his career in Ôsaka, performing as a tachiyaku under the name of Sugiyama Kanzaemon I in Araki Yojibê I's theater.

1692: Kanzaemon plays in Ôsaka in the drama "Sada no Raikôji", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô I; this production is a failure in term of audience.

3rd lunar month of 1693: Kanzaemon plays in Ôsaka in Chikamatsu Monzaemon's drama "Butsumo Mayasan Kaichô", which is produced by Iwai Hanshirô I; this production is a success and a long run (150 days). The same play is simultaneously staged in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater.

11th lunar month of 1693: Kanzaemon plays in Kyôto at Miyako Mandayû's theater in Tominaga Heibei's drama "Budô no Tassha"; his stage partners are Shibazaki Rinzaemon I, Sakurayama Rinnosuke I, Kirinami Senju I, Sodesaki Karyû, Osagawa Jûemon, Adachi Saburôzaemon and Sendai Yagoshichi.

12th lunar month of 1695: Akaneya Hanshichi (son of a sake merchant) and his lover Sankatsu commit suicide together in Ôsaka. This event causes quite a stir and is immediately adapted for Kabuki by Hanshirô, under the title "Akane no Iroba". The roles of Sankatsu and Hanshichi are played by Hanai Azuma and Kanzaemon; this production is a long run (150 days).

1st lunar month of 1700: Kanzaemon plays in Kyôto the role of Hiyô Kanpachi, in reality Fukuyama Ushinojô in the new year drama "Keisei Zen no Tsuna", which is produced by Yamatoya Jinbê II; Kanzaemon's stage partners are Yoshizawa Ayame I, Mizuki Tatsunosuke I, Hayakawa Hatsuse, Onoyama Ujiemon, Onogawa Ugenji, Takenaka Kiyonosuke, Matsunaga Rokuroemon and Fujimoto Heijûrô.

3rd lunar month of 1700: Kanzaemon's rank in the Kyôto hyôbanki, tachiyaku section, is jô-jô (superior - superior) [visual].

1st lunar month of 1701: Kanzaemon plays in Ôsaka the role of Soga Jûrô Sukenari in the new year drama "Hyakunichi Soga", which is produced by Kataoka Nizaemon I (who plays the role of Jûrô's brother Soga Gorô Tokimune); Kanzaemon falls ill and has to be replaced.

Winter 1704: Kanzaemon goes to Edo.

1st lunar month of 1704: Kanzaemon plays at the Nakamuraza in the new year drama "Shinshun Niwatori Soga".

Spring 1707: tour in Ise.

11th lunar month of 1707: Kanzaemon plays in Kyôto at Hayagumo Chôdayû's theater the role of Taruya Heibei in the kaomise drama "Ohiyaki Sannin Musume".

Winter 1711: Kanzaemon goes to Edo.

1st lunar month of 1711: Kanzaemon plays at the Moritaza in the new year drama "Keisei Saka Omodaka"; this is his last-recorded stage performance. We don't know what happens to him afterwards for he disappears from the records.

Comments:

Sugiyama Kanzaemon I was a Kamigata tachiyaku, who was active from the beginning of the 1670s to the beginning of the 1710s. His field of excellence was yatsushigoto and he was the first actor in Kabuki history to perform as a handôyatsushi.

Sugiyama Kanzaemon I in 1693

The Sugiyama Kanzaemon line of actors