The Acoustics of Kabuki Theaters

Abstract

The study presents a room acoustical investigation of a representative sample of eight Kabuki theaters as the most important public performance venues of pre-modern Japan. Room acoustical parameters according to ISO 3382 were measured for the unoccupied and simulated for the occupied condition. In comparison with European proscenium stage theaters, they have lower room heights in the auditorium, with usually only one upper tier, and no high stage house for movable scenery. The lower volume per seat results in lower reverberation times, The wooden construction and the audience seating arrangement on wooden straw mats on the floor instead of upholstered seats leads to a mostly flat frequency response up to 4 kHz, resulting in an excellent speech intelligibility, as documented by values for definition (D50) and the speech intelligibility index (STI). The acoustical conditions support the dynamic acting space created by pathways extending the stage from the front through the audience to the rear of the auditorium. They allow great contrasts in the perceived acoustical proximity depending on the selected acting position, and support a high degree of immersion of the audience into the dramatic action.