A long line of grave stones

  • 2012/2013 Season
  • Performed in Japanese
  • THE PIT

The New National Theatre, Tokyo's NNTT Drama Studio opened in 2005. As of 2012, the Drama Studio has enrolled seven classes of students, and graduates of the program have gone on to appear in a wide variety of productions.
Artistic Director Miyata Keiko, who also serves as a Drama Studio instructor, has created a special series in which veteran actors will team with program graduates to mount intellectually provocative works. The first installment in the series will be Fukuda Yoshiyuki's Nagai Bohyouno Retsu.
Nagai Bohyouno Retsu is based loosely on historical events: namely, the Japanese government's move to ban the sale of writings by Kawai Eijiro, an economics professor at the University of Tokyo, in what became known as the Kawai Eijiro Incident. The play was premiered in 1955 by Sodai Gekiken (the Waseda University Theatre Circle). A revised version was then staged by the Budou no Kai theatre company in 1958. We can see the spirit of the playwright in the ANPO opposition movement, which was fueled by anger over the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty of 1960.
A number of theatre companies have staged Fukuda's early plays in recent years, including Sanada Fuunroku and Hakamadare wa Doko Da, as well as Nagai Bohyouno Retsu. These multiprotagist dramas are characterized by a cold objectivity, yet their stories are told with great passion; and all still have something profound to say to us living in today's world.

SYNOPSIS

It is the fall of 1938. Japan is ruled by a military-led government, and fascism is on the rise. Swept along on the tides of nationalism and totalitarianism, the universities are in danger of losing their autonomy and academic freedom.
Economics professor Yamana, a liberal, is the lone voice arguing against his reformist colleagues, who support the Ministry of Education's restrictions on university autonomy. Yamana's former students, including assistant professor Kinosaki, an assistant named Hanazato, and Chiba (who is now a reporter) wait with breathless interest to see what becomes of Yamana.
Yamana wins the battle; but Chiba points out that the victory may result in his being forced out of the university, and that he may have put himself in personal danger. Chiba suggests that Yamana renounce his views, but Yamana refuses.
The government immediately bans Yamana's writings, and he is pressured to resign. Murakami, dean of the department, asks Yamana to resign on his own accord, for the sake of university autonomy; the paradox is not lost on him. But Yamana refuses, countering that to betray his beliefs would be to betray his very humanity.
Kinosaki and Hanazato receive word of Yamana's suspension. The two submit their resignations to the university, but have a change of heart and decide to go back to their jobs. Yamana is stunned to learn of the men's betrayal.
Move forward to 1944. Amid the ominous wail of air-raid sirens, the now-jobless Yamana spends his days glued to his desk, engaged in his studies like a man possessed. As he predicted, the situation in the country has gotten steadily worse. One day Kinosaki arrives. He is now a full professor. He tells Yamana that Hanazato has been killed in action. With his mind failing, Yamana presses Kinosaki on his beliefs on libertarian socialism.

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