Society
The earliest Kabuki performers were women, typically offering prostitution to the men who came to see the shows, this caused many men to fight over the actresses (What Life was Like). Later on, the government banned women from the stage due to this act and men took over all roles in kabuki theater. At first, the “Wakashu” young men played female roles, but were later banned due to prostitution. “Onnagata” men took over to play female roles and the plays became increasingly deeper and richer in plot (What Life was Like).
The authorities and aristocrats strongly looked down on the actors and playwrights, giving them almost no civil rights and respect. For example, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, a famous playwright, was born into an aristocratic family and was later disowned when he decided to start a career in theater (What Life was Like). Commoners and townspeople, however, had an opposite viewpoint of the actors, they saw them as heros, celebrities, and idols (The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre).
The authorities and aristocrats strongly looked down on the actors and playwrights, giving them almost no civil rights and respect. For example, Chikamatsu Monzaemon, a famous playwright, was born into an aristocratic family and was later disowned when he decided to start a career in theater (What Life was Like). Commoners and townspeople, however, had an opposite viewpoint of the actors, they saw them as heros, celebrities, and idols (The Oxford Illustrated History of Theatre).