Japanese Title: Tomin Manzai English Title: The Comedy Duo in Hibernation Author: AKIHAMA, Satoshi Author's Profile: Born in 1934 in Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan. AKIHAMA graduated from the Theatre Department of Tokyo's Waseda University. In 1956 when he was still a student, he wrote "The Heroes" (first performed by the Free Stage theatre group in the same year). After graduating, he worked at Iwanami Films for eight years. From 1962 to 1973, he participated in the Sanjunin Theatre Group and wrote "The Flakey Fool" (written in 1960; first produced in 1966) "The Comic Duo in Hibernation" (written in 1965; first produced in 1966), "The Killjoy Ghost" (written and first produced in 1967) and others. He received the 1st Kinokuniya Theatre Award in the Individual Category for "The Flakey Fool" and the Kishida Drama Prize in 1969 for "Too Late about the Kids" (written and first produced in 1968). Using local languages and original methods to depict an indigenous world, Akihama evokes an atmosphere of eroticism and absurdity. Since 1979, he has been professor at the Theatre Arts Department of the Osaka University of Arts. In 1994 AKIHAMA became the first representative of Hyogo Prefecture's Piccolo Theatre Group, the first prefectural theatre group to be established in Japan, and dedicated himself to the theatre education of youth and as part of this work, he extended his activities as a director. In recognition of his accomplishments with the Piccolo Theatre Group, he received the Kinokuniya Theatre Award (Group Division) and Arts Festival Award (Theatre Division Special Prize) in 1997. First Performance:   1966 Performance time:   Acts / Scenes: 3 scenes Cast: 2 (1 man, 1 woman) The story is about a man and a woman who await the arrival of their lovers at their place deep in snow bound mountains. The playwright uses the local language of Iwate Prefecture to portray with verve the life of the people and the absurdity of the human condition. At a farmhouse in the mountains where the snow comes right up into the earthen floor entryway. Yuki (a woman) is about to hang herself from the wooden structure of the house. Toto is helping out by being the springboard, but yet again Yuki decides against going through with the act. Apparently, the two do this hanging routine everyday. After that, Toto begins to reread a letter left to him by his beloved Katsuko, who left three years ago. She has not been seen since. In it she promises to return to him, but there is no sign of that. It has been snowing for three years since Katsuko left and the road that connected this house with the outer world has vanished. Yet Toto still waits in hope of Katsuko's return. Yuki, in turn, is waiting for Taro who promised to elope with her. In this shut off world, they play games endlessly. They even seem to lose sense of their bodies and physical boundaries so that when Yuki is preparing some snacks to go with Toto's sake, she chops up her arm into the pickled radishes she is slicing. Her arm is somehow miraculously restored and the story goes on. Occasionally there is a knocking sound at the door. Toto believes it is Katsuko and Yuki insists it is Tar?. But in fact no one comes. The knocking at the door begins to turn into lively Bon Festival dance music. Toto sings and Yuki dances and things begin to happen. Nonetheless this also ends and quietude returns. The following day they again wait in the snowing mountains. The hanging routine begins. Toto can no longer sustain the weight of Yuki's body. The rope bites into Yuki's neck and her hanging happens for real, or so it would seem, for at that moment, the wooden structure collapses and she is saved. However, an avalanche hits the house and buries it and their little fantasy world under the snow.