Izumo no Okuni
Okuni's troupe was exclusively female. Thus, she required her actresses to play both male and female roles. In particular, Okuni herself was best known for her roles as samurai and Christian priests. As her group gained fame, she was copied by many others, particularly brothels. They offered such shows to amuse wealthy clients, and get prostitutes who had marketable acting and singing skills. This new style of exclusively female groups became known as shibai, onnakabuki, (from onna, the Japanese word for "woman" or "girl") and Okuni kabuki.