LS+Assignment+2

Takarazuka is the one type of Japanese theatre that could be compared most closely to Western theatre, yet still possesses a uniquely Japanese feeling. Zeke Berlin compares Takarazuka’s stylization of Western theatre in his article, while also offering a very general overview and history of the troupe. Takarazuka, as Berlin explains, takes its material from many different places: typically American or European plays, musicals and books, plays from other types of Japanese theatre such as kabuki or noh, or on occasion produces original productions. The performances have been likened to opera, which is fitting since the troupe began its life by performing fairy tales in an opera style. An all-female cast acts out each production, having been divided into playing the male and female parts. Interestingly, Berlin notes that despite the female cast and overwhelmingly female audience, the shows are often produced by men and rarely deal with feminist themes. Instead, the shows are often garishly romantic, utilizing the archetypes of the strong, handsome man and the beautiful flower of a woman. Berlin uses detailed descriptions of scenes from certain plays to convey the difference and style of a Takarazuka production, providing a clear picture of what attending one might be like. However, several of his paragraphs seem to boil down to simply listing plays and books that Takarazuka have adapted without going into further detail of most of them. An extended or more in-depth history of the troupe itself would also have proved interesting, for as it stands Berlin’s article is a short but tantalizing look into the world of Takarazuka.
 * The Takarazuka Touch. ** By Zeke Berlin. __ATJ.__ Spring 1991. 8.1. 13 pp.