La critique théâtrale de Chikamatsu Monzaemon et sa relation à la Vallée de l’étrange

Abstract

Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1724) is Japan’s most celebrated playwright. His only known contribution to theater criticism, an interview with Hozumi Ikan (1738), is translated here into French for the first time. It sets out his theory of realism, illustrated with examples from puppet theater and kabuki, as a guide to writing great plays. Chikamatsu partitions realism into four zones: the unreal, conceptual realism, surface realism, and the real. The unreal lacks authenticity; surface realism lacks soul; and the real lacks expressiveness. It is conceptual realism that captivates an audience. Conceptual realism evokes empathy through characterization to let unfolding events drive the emotions. In the commentary that follows, Chikamatsu’s theory is compared with Mori Masahiro’s (1970) concept of the uncanny valley. The uncanny valley predicts affinity for robots and humans but not for robots that appear too human. While both Mori and Chikamatsu probe anthropomorphism, Chikamatsu’s theory can also be used to design interactive technologies that delight.