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Kabuki Drop Resource
MagicKabukiDrop.com was created to share information on all aspects of the Kabuki Drop for use in theatrical productions, plays, musicals, shows and special events.
If you are a theatrical stage practitioner (on or off stage), a Kabuki Drop can be used to add a dramatic wow-moment to your show or act. It is also a great device for product reveals for corporate events.
What is a Kabuki Drop?
A Kabuki Drop is a stagecraft technique and a release system that drops an open suspended curtain to the floor for a dramatic reveal.
It is often used in theatrical stage performances or special events to reveal a cast of performers, stage set or product.
Photo Credit: Boeing Co. (George Burns Photography)
A curtain or drape is suspended and held open by a specially designed system that holds the cloth securely until it is needed to be released.
The system is generally attached to some kind of overhanging horizontal support structure like a flying bar or lighting truss. The trigger mechanism to release the cloth can be activated either manually or electronically.
Photo Credit: Groove Events
The modern-day Kabuki Drop finds its roots in the historic Japanese dance-drama, Kabuki Theatre. Traditionally, a curtain drop was used as a stagecraft technique to reveal a change of a scene. This technique was known as “Furiotoshi”, which literally means, “shake down to reveal”.
In this comprehensive resource, we will explore the history, techniques, components, workings and systems of Kabuki Drops.
Content
- History of Kabuki Theatre
- Kabuki Stagecraft & Curtain Drop
- Evolution of the Kabuki Drop
- Basic Components of the Kabuki Drop
- Manual Kabuki Drop Systems
- Electronic Kabuki Drop Systems
- Double Kabuki Drop System
- Ideas for Kabuki Drops
- Build, Buy or Rent Kabuki Drops
- References
Researched, compiled & written by J C Sum, Darren Tien & Adeline Ng
Disclaimer: This is a free resource site for educational purposes. To better illustrate points made in the articles, images have been used to accompany the information. Photo credits and links to the source material are given where applicable.
If you are a copyright holder for any of the images and do not want your image used in this resource site, please contact us at info(a)magickabukidrop.com and we will remove the image within 24 hours.
The authors accepts no responsibility for damages or injuries resulting from the fabrication or performance of any of the Kabuki Drop methods described in this website.