Makoto Satoh (佐藤信): Theater as Political Action

Introduction

Makoto Satoh (佐藤信, born 1943) occupies a unique position in the landscape of modern Japanese theater. As the founder of the Black Tent Theater (黒テント, officially known as Theater Center 68/71), Satoh brought together political commitment and theatrical experimentation in ways that challenged both the mainstream theater establishment and the conventions of political art. His receipt of the 16th Kishida Kunio Drama Award in 1971 for Nezumi Kozō Jirokichi recognized a playwright who was not content merely to reflect the world on stage but sought to use the stage as an instrument for changing it.

Early Life and Career

Born in 1943, Satoh came of age during one of the most turbulent periods in postwar Japanese history. The late 1950s and 1960s saw massive social upheaval in Japan, including the Anpo protests against the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, the rise of the New Left, and the emergence of a counterculture that questioned every aspect of Japanese society.

Satoh was drawn into this ferment through the student theater movement at Waseda University, which served as a breeding ground for many of the most important figures in postwar Japanese drama. It was at Waseda that he developed his conviction that theater must be politically engaged---not in the narrow sense of promoting a particular ideology, but in the deeper sense of challenging the structures of power that shaped everyday life.

In 1968, Satoh co-founded what would eventually become the Black Tent Theater (黒テント). The name itself was a statement of intent: like Juro Kara's red tent, the black tent was a mobile performance space that could be set up anywhere, bringing theater to communities and audiences that the established theater world ignored. But where Kara's red tent was associated with mythic, sensual, and fantastic theater, Satoh's black tent was explicitly political, committed to exploring the connections between art and social transformation.

The Kishida Prize-Winning Work

Nezumi Kozō Jirokichi (鼠小僧次郎吉), the play that won Satoh the 16th Kishida Kunio Drama Award in 1971, takes its name from a legendary Edo-period thief. Nezumi Kozō (literally "Rat Boy") was a real historical figure---a petty thief who operated in early nineteenth-century Edo (Tokyo)---but he had been transformed by popular legend into a Robin Hood-like figure who stole from the rich to give to the poor.

Satoh seized on this legend as a vehicle for exploring questions of class, justice, and the relationship between historical fact and popular myth. His play does not simply retell the Nezumi Kozō story; it deconstructs it, examining how and why certain figures become folk heroes and what social needs such legends serve.

The play employs a fragmented, non-linear structure that was characteristic of Satoh's work. Scenes from different historical periods are juxtaposed, characters shift identities, and the line between performer and role is deliberately blurred. This approach challenges the audience to think critically about the stories they are being told---and about the stories they tell themselves about history, heroism, and social justice.

Nezumi Kozō Jirokichi was praised by the Kishida Prize committee for its innovative dramaturgy and its ability to make political theater that was genuinely theatrical---engaging, provocative, and artistically rigorous.

Theatrical Style and Philosophy

Satoh's approach to theater is grounded in several key principles:

Theater as Collective Creation: Unlike the traditional model in which a playwright writes a script that is then interpreted by a director and actors, Satoh favored a collaborative process in which the entire company contributed to the creation of the work. This reflected his political commitment to collective action and democratic decision-making.

Mobile Performance: The black tent was not merely a practical solution to the problem of finding performance spaces; it was a philosophical statement. By bringing theater to the people rather than waiting for the people to come to the theater, Satoh challenged the class assumptions embedded in the institutional theater system.

History from Below: Satoh's plays consistently focus on ordinary people and marginalized communities rather than on the great figures of history. His historical dramas tell the stories of those whom official history has forgotten or misrepresented.

Brechtian Influence: Satoh was deeply influenced by Bertolt Brecht's theories of epic theater, including the use of alienation effects, direct address to the audience, and the insistence that theater should make the audience think rather than simply feel.

Asian Solidarity: Throughout his career, Satoh has been committed to building connections between Japanese theater and the theater traditions of other Asian countries. The Black Tent Theater conducted numerous tours throughout Asia, and Satoh has collaborated with theater artists from Korea, the Philippines, and other nations.

Major Works

In addition to Nezumi Kozō Jirokichi, Satoh's major dramatic works include:

• Ismene (イスメネ) --- A reimagining of the Antigone myth from the perspective of Antigone's sister, exploring questions of political resistance and complicity.
• The Killing of Blanqui --- A play about the French revolutionary Auguste Blanqui, examining the psychology of revolutionary commitment.
• Abe Sada's Dogs (阿部定の犬) --- Based on the infamous Abe Sada incident of 1936, exploring gender, sexuality, and social control.
• Cinema or The Flashing Light --- An experimental work exploring the relationship between theater and film.
• Saucer Like the Moon (月のように皿) --- A play that combines political themes with poetic imagery.

Satoh has also directed extensively, both within the Black Tent Theater and for other companies, and has been an important theorist and critic of Japanese theater.

Legacy and Influence

Makoto Satoh's influence on Japanese theater extends well beyond his own productions. The Black Tent Theater, which he led for decades, served as a training ground for numerous actors, directors, and playwrights who went on to distinguished careers of their own. The company's commitment to touring---particularly to rural areas and to other Asian countries---helped to democratize access to theater and to build international networks of artistic exchange.

Satoh's insistence that theater must be politically engaged, without sacrificing artistic quality or experimental ambition, set a standard that continues to inspire socially conscious theater makers in Japan and around the world. In an era when the relationship between art and politics is once again a subject of intense debate, Satoh's work offers a valuable model of how commitment and creativity can reinforce each other.

His contributions to Asian theater collaboration have been particularly significant, helping to foster a sense of shared cultural identity and artistic purpose across national boundaries.

How to Experience Their Work

To discover the plays of Makoto Satoh, visit our script search page to search for available scripts in our library. Satoh's works are particularly well-suited for companies interested in politically engaged, ensemble-based theater. His plays often feature flexible casting and can be adapted for a variety of performance spaces, from traditional theaters to outdoor venues. For those interested in the broader context of Japanese political theater, exploring Satoh's work alongside that of other Black Tent Theater artists provides a rich and rewarding experience.