In preparation for the upcoming exhibition of authentic Kabuki costumes from Shochiku Co. in Tokyo, this lecture and demonstration will provide a context for understanding Kabuki, one of the great Japanese performing arts traditions in Japan, with a lecture by Professor Laurence Kominz, PSU followed by a kimono dressing demonstration by kimono expert Toshimi Tanaka.

Professor Kominz teaches Japanese Literature, with a specialization in Kabuki, Noh and Kyogen. He is among the top experts on Japanese performing arts in the world. His lecture will set the stage for the exhibition Kabuki: A Revolution in Color and Design, which opens at the Garden on July 29 and runs through September 3. Professor Kominz’s lecture will be followed by a demonstration by Toshimi Tanaka, who has more than 30 years of experience in kimono dressing, to show how kabuki actors are dressed in the multi-layered costumes they wear.