Soganoyageki - The drama of the Sogano family

Japanese: 曾我廼家劇 - そがのやげき

The name of a comedy style started by Soganoya Goro (1877-1948) and Soganoya Juro (1869-1925). The two were originally lower-ranking Kabuki actors, but when Goro gave up on Kabuki, he was inspired by a performance of Tsuruya Danjuro's "Niwaka" (reformed stunt) at the Kairyoza theater in Sennichimae, Osaka, and invited Juro, who had retired from performing, to form a "Shinkigeki" (new comedy) troupe in 1903 with the aim of putting on plays that would make people laugh. This was the first troupe in Japan to have the word "comedy" in its name, but eventually both men took the surname Soganoya in honor of the Soga brothers, and in February 1904, they launched the Soganoya Brothers Troupe at the Naniwaza theater in Osaka with Goro's own play "Muhitsu no Gaisho," which was based on the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

曾我廼家五郎(1877‐1948)と曾我廼家十郎(1869‐1925)によって始められた喜劇の名称。もと2人は歌舞伎の下級俳優だったが，歌舞伎に見切りをつけた五郎が大阪千日前の改良座で見た鶴屋団十郎の〈改良俄（にわか）〉(にわか)に触発され，廃業していた十郎を誘って笑わせる芝居を目ざして1903年に〈新喜劇〉の一座を結成した。これは日本で初めて〈喜劇〉の語を冠した一座であったが，やがて曾我兄弟にちなんで両名とも曾我廼家姓を名のり，04年2月，大阪浪花座で日露開戦に材を集めた五郎自作の《無筆の号外》をもって曾我廼家兄弟一座を旗揚げした。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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