Minamiza’s roots go all the way back to the legendary founder of kabuki, a dancer named Izumo no Okuni. According to the Tōdaiki, a historical document compiled in the early seventeenth century ...

Kabuki’s untold story is that it was in fact founded by a woman: Okuni. Though centuries separate us from 16th-century Japan, Okuni’s life sets in motion questions that speak to our present ...