Living on Stage: The Realities of "Geishas" Who Don't Appear on TV (1974)

Living on Stage: The Realities of "Geishas" Who Don't Appear on TV (1974)

In 1974, Japan was in the final stages of its rapid economic growth and was reeling from the aftermath of the first oil crisis. Prices soared, corporate earnings slowed, and the air of recession hung in the air. Television had already permeated households, taking over from radio and movies as the main source of entertainment. The masses began to consume variety shows that made them laugh according to a script in their living rooms, and the profession of "comedian" polarized into two categories: TV stars and unknown comedians.

In this environment, comedians living on stage were in a different world. They performed in theaters in hot spring resorts, in strip joints at the end of the street, and in the "interval" of local yose (a type of theater). They never appeared on television or in the entertainment section of newspapers. But they continued to perform on stage every night. Whether there were 10 or 100 people in the audience, they would repeat the same material. However, no two performances were ever the same. The reaction of the audience, the flow of the air, and the drunken jeers of the audience are all variables, and the game is decided on the spot and at the moment.

As one comedian said. Whether or not the audience likes it is more a matter of atmosphere than rehearsal. Television can be edited, but the stage is a live performance. Another said, "If I don't hear the audience laughing, I don't feel like I'm living. The fee?　Three thousand yen, but what does that matter?

The remuneration is low, the dressing room is small, and they have to wear their own costumes. They have only a handful of material, but when the audience gets tired of it, they are immediately cut from the act. Even so, they enter the dressing room every day, put on makeup, and go on stage to the sound of clappers. Why?　One reason: they want to be comedians.

In the entertainment industry at that time, the dream of "appearing on TV" was almost a fantasy for comedians who did not belong to major companies such as Yoshimoto Kogyo or Shochiku Entertainments. Television programs demanded sponsor-driven trendy material, and extreme productions and competition for ratings swamped the essence of the art form. Stage performers were at the opposite end of the spectrum of televised "art.

Even so, there was something refreshing about the way they told their stories. We live to make people laugh. Television is what it's all about. It was as if they were returning to the roots of the comedian's existence.

In 1974, there was indeed "another kind of entertainment" that survived on the strength of laughter, even though it seemed to be a loser. There was no pretense, just sweat, voices, and applause. This is where the true "comedians" that television does not show were to be found.

There were also those who made their mark on the world.

Itoshi and Koishi - Kansai's leading manzai (comic duo). They do not appear on TV very often, but perform mainly at yoses in Osaka. Koishi, the younger brother, said, "I feel more comfortable making people laugh in front of the audience than on TV.

Koro Seimei and Sachiko Ikue are experts in "blurted-out manzai" (comic monologue). Although they excel at satirizing current events, they are not suited for television and have honed their craft on stage. Koro Seimei said, "Manzai grows only on stage," and talked about the difficulty and pleasure of reading subtle changes in the "atmosphere.

The three members of Retsugo Sanzai, Jun, Ichi, and Kiyoshi, put more emphasis on their local business and their performances at Yose than on television. They maintained a hands-on approach, saying, "The TV doesn't decide what kind of laughter we make, but we decide what kind of laughter we make.

They all believed in the touch of "laughter. The number of applause, the sound of the audience, the color of the audience's faces. They read everything on the spot and turned it into their art. This was the pride of stage performers, a "live performance" that could not be reproduced on television.