The Photograph and Other Theater Writings

A missing photograph turns a quiet afternoon into a domestic confrontation. An officer’s wife suspects her maid of a secret attachment, while her husband finds reasons to enjoy the possibility. Kishida Kunio’s one-act comedy The Photograph follows their assumptions toward an unexpected explanation.

Nine accompanying essays and sketches range from literary quarrels to army barracks, where the young Kishida reads French and Russian literature in secret. He argues for the importance of translation, addresses aspiring playwrights, celebrates Jules Renard’s understated comedy, and examines the financial and artistic relations between French theaters and their authors. Throughout, he asks how a living dramatic tradition differs from habits that merely repeat the past.

A major figure in modern Japanese theater, Kishida writes with irony, practical conviction, and a sharp awareness of language. This complete selection preserves the original order, dialogue, quotations, silences, and stage directions, with concise notes explaining names, allusions, and textual uncertainties.