Stage names:

Onoe Shôroku I
Onoe Matsusuke I
Onoe Tokuzô

Guild: Otowaya

Line number: SHODAI (I)

Poetry names: Jusen, Sanchô, Shôroku

Existence: 1744 ~ 16th day of the 10th lunar month of 1815

Connections:

Master: Onoe Kikugorô I

Adopted son: Onoe Kikugorô III

Career:

1744: born in Edo. He becomes a disciple of the actor Onoe Kikugorô I at an unknown date.

11th lunar month of 1755: he makes his first appearance on stage at the Ichimuraza, where he receives the name of Onoe Tokuzô.

11th lunar month of 1764: Onoe Tokuzô becomes wakaonnagata and takes the name of Onoe Matsusuke I at the Ichimuraza.

11th lunar month of 1766: Matsusuke becomes tateonnagata at the Moritaza.

11th lunar month of 1768: Matsusuke plays at the Moritaza the role of Tsutaya no Omatsu in the kaomise drama "Mutsuchidori Meika no Yumitori".

2nd lunar month of 1769: the play "Sekitori Senryô Nobori", which was originally written for the puppet theater and staged for the first time in the 8th lunar month of 1767 in Ôsaka at the Takemotoza, is adapted for Kabuki for the first time, in Edo at the Moritaza; Matsusuke plays the roles of Senbagawa's wife Oyotsu and the courtesan Fujie [casting].

11th lunar month of 1770: Matsusuke becomes tachiyaku at the Ichimuraza, playing the role of Yawata no Saburô in the kaomise drama "Meoto Giku Izu no Kisewata", which welcomes in Edo the Kamigata star Arashi Sangorô II and celebrates the shûmei of Bandô Hikosaburô III, Bandô Sanpachi II and Segawa Kichiji III.

Fall 1774 ~ Summer 1778: long stay in Kamigata; Matsusuke falls ill when he is back in Edo and has to rest for several months.

2nd lunar month of 1779: Matsusuke plays at the Moritaza the role of Akoya in the drama "Dan no Ura Kabuto Gunki"; the roles of Iwanaga Saemon and Shigetada are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô V and Nakamura Nakazô I.

11th lunar month of 1781: premiere of the dance-drama "Waga Sekogakoi no Aizuchi" (commonly called "Kumo no Hyôshimai") at the Nakamuraza, which is performed within the kaomise program "Shitennô Tonoi no Kisewata"; the roles of the spirit of the spider, Minamoto no Raikô, Sadamitsu and Sakata Kintoki are played by Segawa Kikunojô III, Sawamura Sôjûrô III, Matsusuke and Ichikawa Danjûrô V.

7th lunar month of 1804: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Tenjiku Tokubê Ikoku Banashi"; Matsusuke plays the roles of the sendô Tenjiku Tokubê, Dainichimaru, the zatô Tokuichi and Tsukiwakamaru's wet nurse Iohata [casting].

11th lunar month of 1804: premiere at the Kawarasakiza of Katsu Hyôzô I's kaomise drama "Shitennô Momiji no Edoguma"; Matsusuke plays the roles of Tatsuyasha Gozen, the Mount Katsuragi tsuchi-gumo and Sôma Tarô Yoshikado [casting].

6th lunar month of 1808: premiere at the at the Ichimuraza of Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Iroeiri Otogi Zôshi" ^[1]; Matsusuke plays the roles of Kohata Koheiji, Koheiji's wife Otowa (in reality Tetsuzan's sister Asaka), Asayama Shôgen Tetsuzan, Mihara's sister Kôsaki, the sonja Rakan Nakatara, the sendô Tenjiku Tokubê (in reality Dainichimaru) and the kôguya Yahê [casting].

6th lunar month of 1809: premiere at the Moritaza of Katsu Hyôzô I's drama "Okuni Gozen Keshô no Sugatami"; Matsusuke plays the roles of Okuni Gozen, Tosa Shôgen Mitsunobu, Ukiyo Matahei, Chikujô Gedô and Jûroku Rakan [casting].

11th lunar month of 1809: great shûmei at the Ichimuraza for the Otowaya guild; Onoe Matsusuke I and Onoe Eizaburô I take the respective names of Onoe Shôroku I and Onoe Matsusuke II, performing in Katsu Hyôzô I and Sakurada Jisuke II kaomise drama "Misao no Hana Toba no Koizuka"; Shôroku plays the roles of the azusa miko Mayumi and the ghost of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, Kazusa Gorobê Tadamitsu [more details].

1st lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Tsuruya Nanboku IV and Sakurada Jisuke II drama "Kokoro no Nazo Toketa Iroito"; Shôroku plays the role of Kaze-no-Kami Kizaemon [casting].

5th lunar month of 1810: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Katsu Hyôzô I and Sakurada Jisuke II drama "Ehon Gappô-ga-Tsuji"; Shôroku plays the roles of the widow Satomi and Bungozaemon [casting].

1st lunar month of 1811: Shôroku plays at the Nakamuraza the role of Kudô Saemon Suketsune in the new year sogamono drama "Sakaichô Maizuru Soga"; the roles of Soga Gorô Tokimune and Soga Jûrô Sukenari are played by Onoe Matsusuke II and Sawamura Gennosuke I.

16th day of the 10th lunar month of 1815: Shôroku dies in Edo.

Comments:

Onoe Shôroku I started his brilliant career as an onnagata but became famous as an amazing tachiyaku. He was a great jitsuaku in his latter years. His forte were ghosts plays and hayagawari techniques.

Onoe Shôroku I was also a talented musician and the owner of a cosmetics shop in the district of Fukiya-Chô in Edo.

[1] Another possible reading for the title was "Eiri Otogi Zôshi".

The actors Onoe Shôroku I (front) and Sawamura Tôzô II (at the window) playing the roles of the female fox Kuzu-no-Ha and Abe no Yasuna's son in the kaomise drama "Gohiiki Tsunagi Uma", which was staged in the 11th lunar month of 1813 at the Moritaza (print made by Utagawa Kunisada I)

Prints & Illustrations

Caricature 1780

Print made by Katsukawa Shunjô in 1781

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1808

Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1811

The Onoe Matsusuke line of actors

The Onoe Shôroku line of actors