Sadanori Sudo

Actor. Born in Okayama. After serving as a policeman in Kyoto, he became a reporter for the Shinonome Shimbun in Osaka and was active as a Liberal Party hero, but after being suggested by Nakae Chomin and Kurihara Ryoichi, he decided to try to enlighten the masses through theater. In December 1888 (Meiji 21), he held a performance at the Shinmachiza Theater in Osaka to launch the "Dai-Nihon Soshi Kairyo Drama Association" and performed "Koraeno Shosei Teiso Kajin" (The Beautiful Student of Patience and Virtue) and "Kinnoubidan Ueno no Akebono (The Tale of Loyalist Ueno Dawn)," both of which are believed to have been written by Kakuto. These were later called the beginning of Shinpa theater. After that, he toured Western Japan and came to Tokyo in 1894 with "Kaianji" (The Perfect Man), but since Shinpa theater by Kawakami Otojiro and others had already established itself, it did not gain much popularity. He died in his dressing room at the Daikokuza Theater in Kobe while on tour.

[Noriko Matsumoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

俳優。岡山に生まれる。京都で巡査を勤めたのち、大阪で『東雲(しののめ)新聞』の記者となり、自由党壮士として活動していたが、中江兆民(ちょうみん)、栗原亮一(りょういち)の示唆により演劇を通じて大衆の啓蒙(けいもう)を試みることを決意した。1888年（明治21）12月に、大阪の新町座で「大日本壮士改良演劇会」の旗揚げ公演を行い、角藤の作になるとみられる『耐忍之書生貞操佳人(こらえのしょせいていそうかじん)』と『勤王美談上野曙(きんのうびだんうえののあけぼの)』を上演、のちにこれが新派劇の嚆矢(こうし)といわれた。その後西日本を巡業し、94年に『快男児』をもって上京したが、すでに川上音二郎らの新派劇が定着したあとで、あまり評判にならなかった。巡業先の神戸・大黒座の楽屋で没した。

［松本伸子］

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