What do these four photos represent? No, I'm not auditioning for a part in an 80's metal band and I'm not trying out for the World Wide Wrestling Federation. These are student interpretations of Kabuki theatrical make-up which is called Kumadori .
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, Kabuki theater has important elements in both the costume and make-up. Kumadori is the theatrical make-up used to underline and enhance certain qualities of a kabuki role for the audience. This helps the audience understand the personality or attributes of specific characters even before they speak.
Both the pattern of a make-up and the colors have certain meanings. The pattern is never changed for a specific role.
Red - strength, passion. Bright red stripes indicate a powerful hero role. Red symbolizes virtue and power.
Indigo blue-black - worn by villains and demons. Blue represents negative emotions such as jealousy or fear.
Green - ghosts, supernaturals
Purple - nobility
Villains are often depicted with a design of black beard, purple veins, and dark blue antler-like eyebrows.
Now it's your turn. Which of these four student-designs do you think best conveys the spirit of Kabuki? The winning artist will give me a Kabuki make-over Thursday at lunch. Vote today! For voting, the top photo is number one and the bottom one is number four.
For more information regarding Kabuki theater read yesterday's post.
