Abstract:

Betsuyaku Minoru was one of the leading postwar dramatists when he passed away in 2020. This special section looks at Betsuyaku’s career from his early 1960s plays to his monumental 2007 work Yattekita Godot (Godot Came). The essays look at Betsuyaku’s relationship with the Theatre of the Absurd, both in Japan and in the West. This is especially true when one looks at the influence of Beckett and how Beckett was received in Japan. In this introductory essay, I argue that the perception of absurdism, inimically linked with tragedy, missed the connection to comedy, especially entropic comedy. Betsuyaku’s works are filled with this comic form wherein bodies, identities and social structures fall to decay and dissolution. Even as these bodies and structures decay, however, a dark humor pervades in Betsuyaku’s work; seeing his work through this comedic lens allows for greater understanding and appreciation of this major playwright.

摘要：

别役稔于 2020 年去世，是战后领先的剧作家之一。本特别章节将探讨别役稔的职业生涯，从 1960 年代初的戏剧到 2007 年的不朽作品《戈多来》。这些文章探讨了别役与日本和西方荒诞派戏剧的关系。考虑到贝克特的影响力以及贝克特在日本的受欢迎程度，这一点尤其正确。在这篇介绍性文章中，我认为荒诞主义的观念与悲剧有敌意的联系，而忽略了与喜剧，尤其是熵喜剧的联系。别役的作品充满了这种喜剧形式，其中身体、身份和社会结构逐渐腐烂和瓦解。然而，即使这些身体和结构正在腐烂，别役的作品中仍弥漫着黑色幽默。通过这个喜剧镜头来观看他的作品可以让我们更好地理解和欣赏这位重要的剧作家。