Hanamichi
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The is an extra stage section used in Japanese kabuki theater. It is a long, raised platform that runs, left of center, from the back of the theater, through the audience, to connect with the main stage. Generally it is used for characters' entrances and exits, though it can also be used for asides or scenes taking place apart from the main action.
The hanamichi was first used in 1668 in the Kawarazakiza, in the form of a simple wooden plank which was not used in performances, but which allowed actors to step into the audience after a performance to receive flowers. The modern style of hanamichi, sometimes called honhanamichi ("main flower path"), has standard dimensions and was first conceived in 1740. Some theaters have since begun to make use of a secondary hanamichi, on the right side of the audience, which is half the width of the honhanamichi on the left.
Though it is rarely used for the main action of a play, much of the more dramatic or famous character moments occur during entrances or exits along the hanamichi, and since it runs through the audience, it allows for a closer experience for the spectator than might normally be allowed by other forms of traditional theater.
Reference
- Hanamichi (2001). [Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System (JAANUS)]. Accessed 30 July 2005.
See also
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