Q2: Does the use of the hanamichi in Kabuki create a closer or more distant relationship between the audience and the performer? Between the performer and the character?

Q2: Does the use of the hanamichi in Kabuki create a closer or more distant relationship between the audience and the performer? Between the performer and the character?

Hanamichi, a raised runway that runs through the audience as an extension of the main Kabuki stage, has been used for different purposes through the history of Kabuki. Although Kabuki performers do perform on the hanamichi the primary action of the story generally takes place on the main stage, leaving the hanamichi to be used only in specific moments. As Haruo explained in the article "The birth of Hanamichi", the origins of the hanamichi can be traced back to the use of the extension of the stage for the performers to enter the audience while audience members offered performers money or flowers as gifts. The word “hanamichi” actually means “flower path”. The hanamichi was not used during the performance, but rather served as a way for the performers to address the audience after the show. This use of the hanamichi allowed the audience to connect with the performers, show their appreciation, and offer gifts, which the author noted were a major source of support for Kabuki.

As performers began to use the hanamichi for exits, entrances and to directly address the audience, as in an aside, its use allowed for increased connection between the audience and the character. The performers are not only in closer physical proximity to the audience while on the hanamichi, but can also offer the audience a deeper look into the characters they portray. For the audience, the use of the hanamichi can enhance both the feeling of closeness to the characters in the drama as well as the awareness of the performer who performs the character.

For the performer, the use of the hanamichi also increases closeness between performer and character. Use of hanamichi allows performers to bring their character to life for the audience, thus increasing the sense of closeness between the performer and the character. This is sometimes accomplished through dramatic monologues particular to each character, delivered on the hanamichi.

Most of us have probably experienced similar things in live performances we have attended. Performers sometimes leave the stage and move among the audience or speak directly to an audience member while remaining in character. Asides are another example often seen in Western performances, which allow the audience a glimpse into the character’s thoughts. Techniques such as these allow the performers to connect with the audience while enhancing the characters they portray on stage.

By allowing the performers to move off of the main stage and move among the audience, the use of the hanamichi in Kabuki brings both audience and performers closer to the characters coming alive on stage.  The interaction between the audience and the performers creates a different experience than traditional theater. I personally think the use of similar techniques I have seen used in performances creates an experience of being a member of the audience, rather than simply an observer of the action taking place on stage. 

Jenna Barclay