| SAWAMURA OTOEMON II |
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Guild: ??? Line number: NIDAIME (II) Poetry names: Katsuro, Chôshichi Existence: ??? Connection: Master: Sawamura Sôjûrô I Son: Sawamura Yodogorô II Disciples: Sawamura Kinzô, Sawamura Koichi, Sawamura Koharu Career: Before 1733: born in Ôsaka; he settles in Edo at unknown time. 1733: he starts his career as a wakashugata iroko, performing under the name of Somekawa Sakinosuke. 11th lunar month of 1733: Sakinosuke performs at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Nagi no Hana Asahi Genji", which celebrates the shûmei of Arashi Otohachi I. 11th lunar month of 1735: he changes the writing of his first name (old --> new); he performs at the Nakamuraza in the kaomise drama "Tono Zukuri Shinoda Zuma". Fall 1738: he becomes a disciple of the actor Sawamura Sôjûrô I. 11th lunar month of 1738: he becomes tachiyaku and receives the name of Sawamura Yodogorô I at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Ume Yakata Inaba no Matsu", which celebrates the arrival in Edo of the Kamigata actor Tatsuoka Hisagiku. 1739 ~ 1748: he settles in Kamigata and joins different travelling troupes; his different stage names (in the right order) are Ôshima Kujûrô, Ôshima Yodogorô, (back to) Ôshima Kujûrô again and Kirinoya Gonzô (relationship to the Kirinoya clan unknown). 11th lunar month of 1748: he takes the name of Sawamura Shinji in Ôsaka at the Naka no Shibai, performing in Namiki Shôzô I's kaomise drama "Fuyugomori Tsumagoi Ikusa", which is produced by Bandô Toyosaburô I. Fall 1750: Shinji goes to Kyôto. 11th lunar month of 1750: Shinji plays in Kyôto at Ebisuya Kichirôbê's theater the role of Shigaraki Jônosuke in Fujikawa Sakoku's kaomise drama "Taira no Miyako Onna Ezôshi", which is produced by Sakakiyama Shirotarô II. 1st lunar month of 1751: Shinji plays in the same theater the role of Satomi Sagoemon in Fujikawa Sakoku's ni-no-kawari drama "Keisei Kane-ga-Fuchi". 11th lunar month of 1752: he becomes jitsuaku and takes the name of Sawamura Otoemon II at Hoteiya Umenojô's theater (Kitagawa no Shibai), playing the role of Nagasaki Kageyu Saemon in the kaomise drama "Tenka Taiheiki", which is produced by Arashi San'emon IV. Fall 1753: Otoemon and Sawamura Kijûrô I go together to Edo. 11th lunar month of 1753: Otoemon performs at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Masakado Kokyô no Nishiki", which celebrates the shûmei of his master Suketakaya Takasuke I and Ichikawa Sôzaburô II. 3rd day of the 1st lunar month of 1756: his master Suketakaya Takasuke I dies. 11th lunar month of 1757: Otoemon performs at the Moritaza in the kaomise drama "Ikioi Wada Gassen". 5th lunar month of 1758: the play "Gion Sairei Shinkôki" is staged for the first time in Edo, at the Moritaza; Otoemon plays the role of Matsunaga Daizen [casting]. 11th lunar month of 1764: Otoemon plays at the Ichimuraza the role of Tokisada in the kaomise drama "Wakaki no Hana Suma no Hatsuyuki", which celebrates the shûmei of Yoshizawa Sakinosuke III; this is his last kaomise. 1st lunar month of 1765: Otoemon appears on stage for the last time, at the Ichimuraza, where he plays the roles of Yokoyama Gonnokami and Akazawa Jûnai in the new year sogamono drama "Iro Jôgo Mikumi Soga". He retires fom the Kabuki world and calls himself Ôtake Yashichi. We don't know what happens to him afterwards for he disappears from the records. Comments: Sawamura Otoemon II was a good 18th century actor, born in Kamigata but trained in Edo, who was able to play both jitsuaku and tachiyaku roles. He was better in sewamono than in jidaimono. His last rank in the Edo hyôbanki, jitsuaku section, was one black stroke above jô-jô-(hanshiro)kichi [visual].
Sawamura Otoemon II (left) and Arashi Wakano II (right) playing the roles of Ômi no Kotôta and Manju-no-Mae in the new year sogamono "Sono Sugata Ariake Soga", which was staged at the Moritaza in the 1st lunar month of 1755 The Sawamura Yodogorô line of actors The Sawamura Otoemon line of actors |
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