Question: what are the two general categories of kabuki plays?
Answer: The three main categories of kabuki play are jidaimono (時代物, historical, or pre-Sengoku period stories), sewamono (世話物, domestic, or post-Sengoku stories) and shosagoto (所作事, dance pieces). Jidaimono, or history plays, are set within the context of major events in Japanese history.