Русский “I’ve never felt even the slightest desire to be a trailblazer in my field.” So says Ebizō, the kabuki star who now heads the storied Ichikawa family—and whose popularity on the stage and willingness to take his art in new directions has marked him as a pioneer in the eyes of many. Ichikawa Ebizō XI has unquestionably been pressed into the role of a pioneer, however, by a crisis threatening the future of kabuki. As he admits, “There’s a nonzero chance that kabuki could founder if things continue as they are. When Tokyo’s Kabukiza theater was relaunched in its brand-new building in 2013, people were convinced that the art was secure—that it would be just fine for hundreds of years to come in this new home. But all it took was this one coronavirus pandemic to push the kabuki world right to the edge. It feels like we’re riding on the