Sumako Matsui

Actress. Real name Kobayashi Masako. Born March 8, 1886 in Matsushiro, Nagano Prefecture. At the age of 17, she moved to Tokyo relying on her older sister, and after her first marriage was torn apart, she remarried Maezawa Seisuke, an English teacher at the Tokyo Acting School. In 1909 (Meiji 42), she became a member of the first class of the Literary Arts Association's Dramatic Research Institute, but divorced in order to concentrate on acting. Her performance as Ophelia in the Literary Arts Association's first performance of Hamlet at the Imperial Theater in May 1918 was better than expected, and her role as Nora in the Japanese premiere of A Doll's House (written by Ibsen, translated and directed by Shimamura Hogetsu) at the Literary Arts Association's rehearsal hall in September of the same year was reminiscent of the emergence of a new actress, and her performance of the play at the Imperial Theater in November of the same year solidified her reputation. The following year, her performance as Magda in "Hometown" (written by Sudermann) was also well received, but her romance with Hogetsu violated the strict rules of the Literary Arts Association, forcing her to leave the association. In 1913 (Taisho 2), she formed the Geijutsuza with Hogetsu, who had resigned as secretary of the association, and over the next few years she starred in such plays as "Monna Banna," "Resurrection," "Salome," "Carmen," and "The Power of Darkness." In particular, her performance of "Resurrection" (based on a Tolstoy novel) at the Imperial Theater in 1914 was a huge hit, along with the theme song "Katyusha's Song," and her popularity grew among the general public. At the same time, she also received considerable praise for her performances in original plays such as Nakamura Kichizo's "Meal." When Hogetsu suddenly died of the Spanish flu in November 1913, Sumako followed him to death by hanging backstage at the Arts Club on January 5, the following year (Taisho 8). She was 32 years old.

[Noriko Matsumoto]

"The Tragedy of Shoyo, Hogetsu, and Sumako" by Shigetoshi Kawatake (1966, Mainichi Shimbun)" ▽ "Sumako Matsui" by Koji Toita (Bunshun Bunko)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

女優。本名小林正子。明治19年3月8日、長野県松代(まつしろ)に生まれる。17歳のときに姉を頼って上京、初婚に破れてのち、東京俳優学校の英語教師前沢誠助と再婚。1909年（明治42）に文芸協会演劇研究所第一期生となり、演劇に専心するため離婚した。11年5月、帝国劇場での文芸協会第1回公演『ハムレット』で演じたオフィーリアは予想以上の評判をとり、ついで同年9月、文芸協会試演場での本邦初演の『人形の家』（イプセン作、島村抱月(ほうげつ)訳・演出）におけるノラは、まさに新しい女優の出現を思わせるもので、同年11月の帝劇での同劇の公演は彼女の名声を決定的なものとした。翌年の『故郷』（ズーダーマン作）のマグダの演技も好評だったが、抱月との恋愛が文芸協会の厳しい戒律に触れて退会を余儀なくされた。13年（大正2）、協会幹事を辞した抱月とともに芸術座を組織し、以後数年間、『モンナ・バンナ』『復活』『サロメ』『カルメン』『闇(やみ)の力』などに主演。とくに14年の帝劇公演『復活』（トルストイ原作）は、劇中の主題歌「カチューシャの唄(うた)」とともに大ヒットし、彼女の人気は大衆の間にも高まり、一方では中村吉蔵(きちぞう)の『飯(めし)』など創作劇における演技でもかなりの評価を得た。18年11月に抱月がスペイン風邪(かぜ)で急逝すると、須磨子は翌年（大正8）1月5日、芸術倶楽部(クラブ)の舞台裏で縊死(いし)し、その後を追った。32歳。

［松本伸子］

『河竹繁俊著『逍遙、抱月、須磨子の悲劇』（1966・毎日新聞社）』▽『戸板康二著『松井須磨子』（文春文庫）』

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