As arundelo notes, it’s a trope. I think it’s meant to evoke the extremely stylized, not at all realistic nature of the art form… that is, it’s not that the audience is being tricked into thinking something is going on, it’s that the audience is willingly going along with the story being told.
Theater, certainly; in the sense of staging an elaborate show for the public (see also “security theater”) — but why kabuki specifically?
As arundelo notes, it’s a trope.
I think it’s meant to evoke the extremely stylized, not at all realistic nature of the art form… that is, it’s not that the audience is being tricked into thinking something is going on, it’s that the audience is willingly going along with the story being told.
It’s a common usage in some circles. Jon Lackman wrote a Slate article criticizing it.
Okay, so it’s like “Chinese fire drill”. Got it.