A bridge between kyogen and the world, Don Kenny dies at 88

The world of kyogen is mourning the loss of Don Kenny, an American who dedicated his life to performing and disseminating the traditional style of theater in English. He died in September at the age of 88.

Kenny was also known to longtime Japan Times readers through three theater- and movie-related columns he authored in the newspaper since 1969: Theater Off Ginza, On Stage and Recommended Revivals. In 1971, he began writing film reviews for the Times, with his articles appearing on and off through the mid-1980s.

But Kenny’s true passion was for the stage. Born in 1936, he came to study music and dance at Phillips University in Oklahoma. His life’s path delivered a slight detour, however, with the U.S. military presence in postwar Japan — Kenny would eventually arrive in Japan as an American soldier stationed at Atsugi Air Base in Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1959, shortly after he arrived, he happened to catch a kyogen production and found himself completely captivated by the actors’ performances. With that, his life was back on its theatrical path.

Kyogen is a style of classical Japanese comedy with a history that dates back more than 600 years. Its kanji literally translates as “mad words,” and it was often performed during breaks between noh productions.

Kenny embraced the art form and was accepted to Waseda University in Tokyo to study under noted kyogen performer Mansaku Nomura, one of Japan’s Living National Treasures. In a final exam of sorts, overseen by Nomura, Kenny was tasked with performing a one-man okuden kyogen. “Okuden” refers to the performance of an extremely difficult piece, a mandatory requirement for any would-be professional kyogen performer.

Kenny’s okuden kyogen was “Nasu no Yoichi,” about a samurai of the same name who fought for the Minamoto clan in the 1180-85 Genpei War. In the test set out by Nomura, Kenny used both Japanese and English to pass and remains the only person to ever complete the performance in two languages.

Utilizing his bilingualism further, Kenny went on to translate more than 200 kyogen scripts into modern English, thus opening the doors of this style of performance to the world. As a result, people from around the world came to Japan to learn kyogen directly from Kenny. He formed a theater troupe with some of these acolytes — Kenny and Ogawa Kyogen Players — and began performing English-language kyogen from 1976, touring a reported 33 different countries and becoming a leader in the art form’s international dissemination in the process. As he was literate enough to read ancient Japanese texts with ease, he leaves behind a wealth of English translations of kyogen as well as other aspects of Japanese culture.

Don Kenny performs kyogen in English at Yarai Noh Theater in Tokyo during the late-1980s. | COURTESY OF RINTARO DAINICHI

His greatest achievement wasn’t just translating and talking about the art, however, it was in demonstrating it himself. Kenny continued to perform on stage until 2013, when he was 77 years old.

During his time in Japan, Kenny was also fortunate enough to meet some of the country’s most creative people. He was a close friend of director Shoichiro Sasaki, who critics regarded as a strong rival of the well-known British director Ken Loach. Sasaki is credited with revolutionizing the way television dramas in Japan were made, such as “Dream Island Girl.” His efforts were chronicled by Tai Kawabata in the pages of The Japan Times, and the director died in June at the age of 88, the same age as Kenny was when he died.

Kenny also survived the passing of his partner in kyogen and life, Shichiro Ogawa, who died in 2011. One can’t help but mourn the passing of not only a trailblazer like Kenny but increasingly of the generation to which he belonged.