Stage names:

Nakamura Gyoraku I
Nakamura Sukegorô II
Sengoku Sukeji

Guild: Sengokuya

Line number: NIDAIME (II)

Poetry name: Gyoraku

Existence: 1745 ~ 29th day of the 10th lunar month of 1806

Connections:

Grandfather: Sengoku Hikosuke I

Father: Nakamura Sukegorô I

Adopted son: Nakamura Sukegorô III

Disciples: Nakamura Gyoraku II, Nakamura Sukezô, Nakamura Senji, Nakamura Mojûrô

Career:

1745 ~ 1761: his father gives him the name of Sengoku Sukeji at an unknown date. They go on tour together in Kamigata and it is said that he most likely did his training there.

11th lunar month of 1761: Sengoku Sukeji becomes katakiyaku and plays at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Misonô Banzei no Hachinoki".

2nd lunar month of 1763: first Kabuki adaptation of the puppet theater drama "Ôshû Adachi-ga-Hara", which is staged at the Moritaza; Sukeji plays the role of the hinin Dobu Roku [casting|illustrations].

13th day of the 7th lunar month of 1763: his father Nakamura Sukegorô I dies.

11th lunar month of 1763: Sengoku Sukeji takes the name of Nakamura Sukegorô II at the Moritaza, playing in the kaomise drama "Ume ya Suisen Izu no Irifune", which welcomes in Edo the Kamigata actors Kiriyama Monji I and Arashi Hinaji.

11th lunar month of 1766: Sukegorô plays at the Ichimuraza the role of the villain Shimamura Danjô in the kaomise program "Higashiyama Dono Kabuki no Tsuitachi".

7th lunar month of 1768: the play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is produced for the first time at the Nakamuraza; Sukegorô plays the role of Danshichi Kurobê [casting].

5th lunar month of 1774: the play "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami" is produced for the first time at the Ichimuraza; Sukegorô plays the role of Tsuribune Sabu [casting].

3rd lunar month of 1776: first Kabuki adaptation of Matsu Kanshi's puppet theater drama "Koi Musume Mukashi Hachijô", which is staged at the Nakamuraza; Sukegorô plays the role of Tsukudaya Kizô [casting].

Summer 1777: the book "Yakusha Sensakuron" ('About actors prying') is published in Edo. It gives some private information on actors. Edo readers learn that Sukegorô lives in the district of Izumi-chô, his wife Oichi is an ex-courtesan from the pleasure quarter of Fukagawa and his yearly salary is 500 ryô.

1st lunar month of 1778: the drama "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Sukegorô plays the roles of Fukashichi and Emiji [casting].

11th lunar month of 1781: Sukegorô plays at the Ichimuraza the roles of the yakko Tanihei and the villain Iwato Saemon in the kaomise drama "Mukashi Otoko Yuki no Hinagata".

11th lunar month of 1790: Sukegorô plays at the Kawarasakiza in the kaomise drama "Daidanna Kanjinchô".

5th lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Kiriza of Sakurada Jisuke I's drama "Katakiuchi Noriai Banashi"; Sukegorô plays the roles of the kanekashi Kasha no Gohê and Shioyaki Tôdayû [more details].

11th lunar month of 1798: Sukegorô plays at the Nakamuraza in Fukumori Kyûsuke I's kaomise drama "Hana no Mimasu Yoshino no Miyuki". He also becomes the tôdori of this theater.

11th lunar month of 1803: Nakamura Sukegorô II and his adopted son Nakamura Sukeji II respectively take the names of Nakamura Gyoraku and Nakamura Sukegorô III; Gyoraku retires and dies a few years later, the 29th of the 10th lunar month of 1806.

Comments:

Nakamura Sukegorô II was a talented katakiyaku, the worthy heir of his father Nakamura Sukegorô I. He was endowed with a great voice and his vocal projection was perfect.

Nakamura Sukegorô II playing the role of Danshichi Kurobê in the drama "Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami", which was staged in the 7th lunar month of 1768 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Katsukawa Shunshô)

Print made by Katsukawa Shunshô in 1768

Prints & Illustrations

The Nakamura Gyoraku line of actors

The Nakamura Sukegorô line of actors