《和英対照・天声人語》

2010.05.06

《English》 Venerable Tokyo theater sinks out of sight Despite a steady downpour, a long line of people formed in front of Tokyo's Kabukiza on Wednesday to buy tickets for the theater's final performance. The big roof was gleaming black with rain. A banner said: "Thank you. Final day of performance today." The old building has played its final act. Its curtain will come down for the very last time after a closing ceremony on Friday. It will then be torn down, to be replaced by a new theater complex in three years. The current structure, which is the fourth Kabukiza, was rebuilt 60 years ago. Its facade evokes the atmosphere of a playhouse rather than a theater. Postwar Tokyo underwent drastic changes but throughout that turmoil, with a capacity of 2,000, the theater standing solid on a corner of the Higashi-Ginza district has been a reminder of Edo (old Tokyo). The stage is unusually wide at 28 meters. Theater critic Tamotsu Watanabe said it polished the skills of the actors. Of Nakamura Utaemon VI (1917-2001), a renowned female impersonator, he commented, "All the more because he felt at home and was free, he had a sense of tension to put on extraordinary performances." The actors speak of a sense of freedom on Kabukiza's stage, as though they were playing in the comfort of their own homes and being watched by the great actors of their tradition. "When I played a new role, I thought actors who played before me might be hiding somewhere and giving me power. It was a theater that surrounded me with a sense of security," said actor Bando Mitsugoro. The feelings of fans for the theater are just as profound. Shizuo Yamakawa, a former announcer of the Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK), became engrossed in Kabuki when he was a student. He would call out to actors from a third-floor seat, as is traditional among Kabuki aficionados. In his book "Omuko no Hitobito" (People in the gallery) published by Kodansha Ltd., he writes: "The inspiration from excellent performances by celebrated actors was like a feast that could not be replaced by anything else." The audience was mesmerized by so many great performances and the calls from the audience, in turn, nurtured the actors. I heard that aficionados would call out "Towaya!" or "Taya!" to actors who performed under the guild name Otowaya, for example. The buzz of spectators, known as jiwa, permeates Kabukiza's gallery, its hanamichi elevated runway and each and every one of the red lanterns that hang in the building. The theater, imbued with the venerable power it has accumulated over the decades, will sink through the stage trap door and spend the next three years in the naraku basement beneath the boards. (April 29)

《日本語》 さよなら歌舞伎座 　前夜から本降りというのに、当日券を求める列はいよいよ長かった。ぬれて黒光りする大屋根から〈御禮（おんれい）本日千穐樂（せんしゅうらく）〉の幕が垂れる。さよなら公演を終えた歌舞伎座は、建て替えのため明日の閉場式で幕を下ろす。 　今の建物は６０年前に再建された４代目。面構えは劇場というより芝居小屋だ。七変化の戦後東京にあって、東銀座の一角にはこってりと、「定員２千人の江戸」が残っていた。 　間口２８メートルの大舞台である。演劇評論家の渡辺保氏は、役者はこの寸法に合わせて芸の格を高めてきたとみる。「自分の家にいる自由さがあるからこそ、非日常的な芝居へと飛躍する緊張感をもっていた」。名女形、六代目中村歌右衛門への評だ。 　演者は「わが家」の解放感と、歴代の名優たちに見守られる心地よさを口にする。「初役を務める時など、どこかに宿っている先輩方が力を貸してくれるかもしれない。そんな安心感に包まれる劇場でした」。語るのは坂東三津五郎さんだ。 　お客の思いも深い。元ＮＨＫアナの山川静夫さんは学生時代にハマり、３階席から声をかけ続けた。『大向（おおむこ）うの人々』（講談社）に「名優の名演技からいただく感動はなにものにも代えがたい御馳走（ごちそう）でした」とある。あまたの名演に客が酔い、常連の声が役者を育てもした。 　音羽屋なら「トワヤ！」「ターヤ！」といくのが通らしい。桟敷や花道、赤い提灯（ちょうちん）の一つ一つに、ジワと呼ばれる客席のざわめきがしみ込む。積もる時が育んだ場の力、奈落の底をじわりと抜けて、３年の幕間（まくあい）を土中で過ごすことになる。 (04月29日)