Zenshinza - Advance

Japanese: 前進座 - ぜんしんざ

Name of the theater company. Unsatisfied with the feudal system of the kabuki world, actors Kawarasaki Chojuro, Nakamura Kan'emon, and Nakamura Kamematsu (later Tsuruzo) each tried their hand at several things before forming the company in May 1931. Proletarian theater actors Murayama Tomoyoshi and Ono Miyakichi also participated under pseudonyms. The company's mission was to "create theater that meets the widespread progressive demands of the masses" under democratic theater management. In June of the same year, the company launched with plays such as "Kabuki Kingdom" written by Murayama and directed by Hijikata Yoshi, but it was not a commercial success at first, and some members left the company. After the performance of "Kanadehon Chushingura" in 1957, the critical continuation of kabuki became one of the main pillars of the company's performance activities, and continues to this day. Although they lost their base of performance activities when the non-Shochiku Ichimura-za burned down, they soon moved to the Shinbashi Enbujo Theater, and the foundation was established when the female actor Ichikawa Emiya took on the stage name Kawarazaki Kunitaro V. They also began to attract attention when they appeared in films with their entire theater company in partnership with Nikkatsu and Toho, such as "The Tattooed Man in the City" (1935) directed by Yamanaka Sadao and "The Abe Clan" (1938) directed by Kumagai Hisatora (1904-1986). As a result, in 1937, they built the Zenshinza Theater and Film Research Institute in Kichijoji, Tokyo (now Musashino City), which had a rehearsal space and an apartment building, and they began to operate a groundbreaking system of communal living. During the Second World War, an attempt was made to stage a systematic rendition of Mayama Seika's Genroku Chushingura, but the play also had to be performed on a "current affairs piece."

Immediately after the Second World War, the company restarted with "The Port of Toulon" and "Narukami". In 1948 (Showa 23), it received the Asahi Culture Award for its contributions to the "Youth Theater Movement" with productions such as "Les Miserables" and "The Merchant of Venice", which mainly toured the country. In 1949, many of the company's members and their families joined the Communist Party, which caused quite a stir. This led to increased pressure from the education and entertainment industries, which put the company in a difficult position, but the company actively attempted local tours and developed a popular support base. In 1952, Gan'emon was pursued by the police and went to Beijing, where he hid for three years, but gradually it became possible to perform at large theaters, and the company became active in many areas, centering on kabuki performances such as "Kanjincho" and "Shunkan", as well as new historical dramas and TV drama appearances. To mark the 50th anniversary of the company's founding, in 1982, Zenshinza Theater was built on the site of the rehearsal hall in Kichijoji. During this time, Chojuro had ideological conflict with the entire theater company and was expelled in 1968.

After Ganemon's death in 1982, Kunitaro demonstrated the artistic power of the troupe by presenting fresh performances such as "Osome no Shichiyaku," a hit play from before the Second World War. In tandem with the success of this founding generation, their children's generation also grew, and Ganemon's eldest son Nakamura Umenosuke inherited the troupe's legacy, such as domestic dramas inherited from his father and Chojuro's "Kanjincho," and played an active role as a leader. In addition to the same generation of actors such as Arashi Yoshisaburo VI (1935-) and Arashi Keishi (1940-), the third generation of young actors such as Umenosuke's son Baijaku (1955-) also began to play an active role. The troupe has an unshakable position in the theatrical world by performing a combination of traditional kabuki, new kabuki, and historical dramas leaning toward new theater. However, as the company celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2001, it is now facing the challenge of attracting new audiences and creating new contemporary plays to cater to them.

[Shoji Sobue]

Nakamura Ganemon, "Fifty Years of the Theater Company: My History of Zenshinza" (1980, Miraisha) ▽ Matsuyama Shigeko, "My Dad is an Onnagata Kunitaro" (1987, Shinchosha) ▽ Imamura Izumi, "Full of Dreams, Full of Effort: Theater, Me, and Zenshinza" (1993, Shinnihon Shuppansha) ▽ Ozasa Yoshio, "History of Modern Japanese Theater: Showa Wartime Volume III" (1995, Hakusuisha) ▽ Arashi Yoshisaburo, "An Actor's Note: Onnagata Acting Notes" (Iwanami Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

劇団名。歌舞伎(かぶき)界の封建制に飽き足らぬ河原崎(かわらさき)長十郎、中村翫右衛門(かんえもん)、中村亀松（のち鶴蔵）らの俳優が、それぞれいくつかの試みを経て、1931年（昭和6）5月結成。プロレタリア演劇の村山知義(ともよし)、小野宮吉らも変名で参加した。民主的な劇団運営のもとに「広汎(こうはん)な民衆の進歩的要求に適合する演劇の創造」を課題とした。同年6月に村山作・土方与志(ひじかたよし)演出『歌舞伎王国』などの演目で旗揚げしたが、当初は興行的に成功せず、脱退者も出た。32年『仮名手本忠臣蔵』の上演以後、歌舞伎の批判的継承を公演活動の主軸の一つとするようになり今日に至っている。非松竹系の市村座の焼失で公演活動の拠点を失ったが、やがて新橋演舞場へ進出し、女方(おんながた)の市川笑也(えみや)が5世河原崎国太郎を襲名するなど、基盤も整備された。また山中貞雄(さだお)監督『街の入墨者』（1935）、熊谷久虎(くまがいひさとら)（1904―86）監督『阿部一族』（1938）など、日活、東宝と提携した劇団ぐるみでの映画出演も注目されるようになった。この結果、37年東京府下吉祥寺(きちじょうじ)（現武蔵野(むさしの)市）に稽古(けいこ)場と集合住宅棟をもつ前進座演劇映画研究所を建設、画期的な集団生活体制を営むようになった。第二次世界大戦中は真山(まやま)青果作『元禄(げんろく)忠臣蔵』の系統的上演を試みたが、「時局物」も上演せざるをえなかった。

　第二次世界大戦後、ただちに『ツーロン港』『鳴神』で再出発。地方巡演を主とした『レ・ミゼラブル』『ヴェニスの商人』などの「青年演劇運動」の功績で1948年（昭和23）朝日文化賞を受賞。49年座員と家族の多くが共産党に入党し話題をよんだ。これによって教育界、興行界からの圧力が強まり苦境にたたされたが、積極的に地方巡演を試み大衆的な支持基盤を開拓していった。52年には翫右衛門が警察に追われて北京(ペキン)に渡り、3年間身をひそめるという事件もあったが、しだいに大劇場での上演も可能になり、『勧進帳』『俊寛』など歌舞伎の上演を軸に、新しい歴史劇の上演、テレビドラマへの出演など、多面的に活躍。創立50周年を機に、82年吉祥寺の稽古場の地に前進座劇場を建設するまでに至った。この間、長十郎が劇団全体と思想的に対立し1968年に除名されるという事件もあった。

　1982年の翫右衛門の没後は、国太郎が第二次世界大戦前からの当り芸『お染の七役』などでみずみずしい舞台を見せ、この劇団の芸術的な力を発揮した。この創立世代の活躍と連携し、彼らの子弟の世代も成長し、翫右衛門の長男中村梅之助が、父譲りの世話物や長十郎の『勧進帳』など劇団の遺産を継承し、リーダーとして活躍。同世代の6世嵐芳三郎(よしさぶろう)（1935―　）、嵐圭史(けいし)（1940―　）らに加えて、梅之助の息子の梅雀(ばいじゃく)（1955―　）のような第三世代の若手も活躍し始めた。伝統的な歌舞伎、新歌舞伎、新劇寄りの歴史劇等を組み合わせた演目を上演することで、演劇界にゆるぎのない位置を占めている。しかし、2001年に創立70年を迎え、新しい観客と、それに対応する新しい現代劇の創造が課題になっている。

［祖父江昭二］

『中村翫右衛門著『劇団五十年――わたしの前進座史』（1980・未来社）』▽『松山重子著『おとうちゃんは女形国太郎』（1987・新潮社）』▽『いまむらいづみ著『夢いっぱい、精一杯――芝居と私と前進座』（1993・新日本出版社）』▽『大笹吉雄著『日本現代演劇史　昭和戦中篇Ⅲ』（1995・白水社）』▽『嵐芳三郎著『役者の書置き――女形・演技ノート』（岩波新書）』