Background
Soganoya Goro was born in 1877 in Sakai, Osaka, Japan. His father was a solicitor and his grandfather chief priest of Joinji Temple at the same city.
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Soganoya Goro
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also known as
Kyuichi Wada
Education
After losing his father at the age of six, Soganoya worked as a shop-boy at a merchant's house. Then he realized: he wanted to be a kabuki actor. When Soganoya reached the age of 16 he contemplating upon a career as a kabuki actor, became a disciple of Nakamura-Sangoro.
Career
In 1893 Goro made his debut at Naniwaza Theater, Osaka, under the stage name of Sannosuke Nakamura. He soon left the theater, however, and spent the next four years traveling throughout the country as a member of an obscure itinerant troupe.
In 1897 Soganoya saw Osaka Niwaka (Osaka Farce) at Kaiyoza Theater, Sennichi-mae, Osaka, played by Tsuruya Danjuro and then and there hit upon the idea of creating what he termed Shin-Kigeki (New-Style Comedy). Goro talked Tokiyo Nakamura into joining him on his new theatrical adventure and they gave their first public performance of Shin-Kigeki at Itami, which proved a failure, with the result that he and his troupe had to work for the next several years as part of the dramatic troupe led by Fukuen Nakamura.
In 1903 he assumed a professional surname of Soganoya and gave Tokiyo and himself the new stage first names of Juro and Goro respectively. This happened to be the year that saw the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905) and their play Kokkei Krinjincho turned out to be a smash hit. His first appearance in Tokyo at Shintomiza Theater in 1903 didn't quite come off but encouraged by Tokuchi Kodo, continued untiring efforts in the work that he now regarded his lifetime mission. Such a desperate rivalry had begun between him and his co-worker Juro by this time, that Goro now deliberately broke his voice and began making queer sounds on stage, which contributed considerably to his success but also became a cause of his illness in later years.
He traveled abroad in 1913 and 1914 and after returning home changed the name of Shin-Kigeki to Gorodeki (Goro Drama). Using the pen name of Ikkai Gyojin, Soganoya wrote and also produced plays, which in a period of 46 years amounted to over 200.
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Born
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Died
October 1, 1948 (aged 71) -
Nationality
Japanese -
Ethnicity