Art Theatre

(1) Name of the theater company. Founded in 1913 (Taisho 2) by Shimamura Hogetsu, who had left the Literary Association, and actress Matsui Sumako, the company launched with a play by Maeterlinck. At first, the company struggled financially, but in 1914, the production of Tolstoy's novel "Resurrection" at the Imperial Theater became a huge hit, along with the song "Katyusha's Song." From then on, the company adopted the "dual path" of simultaneously performing large theater performances that would appeal to the masses and small theater performances that were purely artistic, as Hogetsu had been thinking about for a long time. In 1915, the company completed a small theater called "Art Club" in Kagurazaka, and its research theater performances there were well received. In 1918, in an attempt to further stabilize its financial base, the company partnered with Shochiku. Just as Hogetsu was about to embark on the path he had longed for, Hogetsu suddenly died of a cold at the end of the same year, and in January of the following year, Sumako followed suit and committed suicide, and the theater company was dissolved. The Geijutsuza Theater was one of the earliest new theater theaters to hold performances in Asakusa, and was strongly influenced by the popular art movement of the time. As a result, some criticized the theater for degenerating into new theater, but it played a major role in popularizing new theater.

In 1924, Chikushi Mizutani, a former member of Geijutsuza, founded the Second Geijutsuza with his sister-in-law Yaeko Mizutani. Even after Yaeko joined Shinpa, the group continued to hold solo performances until just before Japan's defeat in 1945 (Showa 20).

[Yoshio Ozasa]

(2) Theater name. Taking over the name of Geijutsuza, which had been in the care of Yaeko Mizutani, the theater was established in 1957 on the 4th and 5th floors of the Toho Kaikan in Hibiya, Tokyo. It was built at the request of Kazuo Kikuta, who had been invited by Ichizo Kobayashi to become a senior executive in charge of theater at Toho, and was a theater for the performance of new popular plays. Kikuta aimed to perform contemporary plays for women, primarily featuring actresses, and wrote, directed and produced them himself, producing hits such as "Greedy Guy," "Noren," and "Horobiki," and also establishing the affiliated Toho Gendai Geki, an actor training organization. This line has continued even after Kikuta's death. Seats 754.

[Kiyoshi Mizuochi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

(1)劇団名。文芸協会を脱退した島村抱月(ほうげつ)と女優の松井須磨子(すまこ)を中心に1913年（大正2）に結成され、メーテルリンクの作品で旗揚げした。当初は経営的に行き詰まったが、14年に帝国劇場で上演したトルストイ原作『復活』が、劇中歌「カチューシャの唄(うた)」とともに大ヒットした。以後かねて抱月が考えていた大衆受けのする大劇場公演と純芸術的な小劇場公演を併行させようという「二元の道」を経営方針とした。15年には神楽坂(かぐらざか)に小劇場「芸術倶楽部(クラブ)」を完成、そこでの研究劇公演は好評をもって迎えられ、さらに経済的基盤の安定を図って18年には松竹と提携、抱月念願の道を歩み始めた矢先の同年末、抱月はかぜで急死、翌年1月には須磨子も後追い心中をして劇団は解散した。芸術座は新劇としていち早く浅草公演をもったように、当時の民衆芸術論の影響を強く受け、ために一部から新劇堕落と批判されたが、新劇の普及という面で果たした役割は大きい。

　なお、1924年には、芸術座出身の水谷竹紫(ちくし)が義妹水谷八重子と第二次芸術座をおこし、これは八重子が新派入りしたのちも45年（昭和20）の敗戦直前まで、ときに単独公演をもった。

［大笹吉雄］

(2)劇場名。水谷八重子が預かっていた芸術座の名を譲り受け、1957年（昭和32）東京・日比谷(ひびや)の東宝会館4、5階に創設された。小林一三(いちぞう)に招かれて東宝の演劇担当重役となった菊田一夫(かずお)の希望でつくられた、新しい大衆劇上演のための劇場。菊田はここで女優中心の女性向き現代劇の上演を図り、自ら劇作、演出、製作し、『がめつい奴』『暖簾(のれん)』『放浪記』などのヒット作を生み、また付属の俳優養成組織東宝現代劇を設立した。菊田没後もその路線が踏襲されている。客席数754。

［水落　潔］

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