Customer interview:Eucalyno(comedy sketch writer)

We have known each other long.
We hung out before opening our soba restaurant ; Arimasa, like enjoying
ORIGINAL LOVE gig together as music lovers, it was one of my best memories
with her(she is crazy about the band!).
As a skit writer, Eucalyno writes short sketches on our newsletter
‘arimasa arimasu’.

This is the conversation between Eucalyno and another customer next to her,
at the counter in our restaurant.

--- I have never met comedy writer before! This is the first time.
E
mmm, Maybe I'm not a ‘writer’you imagine, I mean, I'm not involved in popular comedy shows on TV or web videos, just writing comedy stories and short readings for my own small theater group. I was interested in writing play or drama for theater, but it was so hard for me to write strong feeling inside or to give some angry message about social problems. I knew that I just wanted to show the world from my strange angle…I found it comedy.

---You mean black comedy? What's the style like?
E
…Soft comedy, sometime black?...I'm not sure. If you call ‘black comedy’ as
bittertasted, or explicit ones, mines are different, and I believe what we call‘familiy comedy’is not my style, either.
However, people often says about my story, “hokkori” (heartwarming, in Japanese),　it is strange for me.
Anyway, I would be happy if people enjoy the show and thought, like
“Oh,I have never thought it that way”about the twist in my story; based on our ordinary life.
It is interesting to observe daily life with story-making eyes.
It would be useful for me to try to get a bigger picture, even if some trouble came …“He irritates me so much…but has unique characteristic …and his choice of words…I can't come up with!” like that. It is useful for comedy sketch.

---I like comedy sketch. It's short, easy to see.
E
Acutually, I cannot write long story. I am obsessed by an idea of making people bored with my long story…I wish I could write long story and present it confidently before sixty.

---sixty? How long have you been writing comedy?
E
Long…it’s years. I just happened to watch theater comedy first time in my thirties. It was very impressive, and brought me to the drama-writing workshop in Tokyo, that held by the theater magazine “Engeki -book”.
The lectureres there, especially great playwright Mr.Minoru Betsuyaku(famous for
“The Little Match Girl”and many many other)gave me nice words for my skit.
When the workshop over, I knew The Japan Playwright Association started to have comedy-sketch workshop. I really wanted to go, but “mmm…Tokyo again?” It took 3 more hours there and back, and the fee was expensive… I hesitated to. But I decided to go one year later, and learned skills from many distinguished playwrights. And there, I was given nice words again for my sketch, from Mr.Keralino Sandorovich(famous for “Kinema and Lover”and so many)this time. I went into raputures, like name of Mr.Kera's band…“Oh, am I great? Maybe I can make a fantastic show with my sketch! ”
However, making stage show is very different from writing at desk, I found, at forty-one. I couldn't tell cast and staff what I wanted to do on stage. I thought all was written in script, I did not understand why they did not understand my sketches at that time. Direction was very difficult for me, so I have asked another to direct my sketches several times, but it did not go well. It was for lack of my　explanation, communication, imagination, modesty…
After years, I have managed to write and direct small stage show with my own group.

---I really want to see…by the way, you live by that?
E
No, of course not. Now I usually work for bakery and present a show just once a year. No deficit, no surplus.
“I can't wait”“It is a feast once a year”…such voices encourage me. Maybe some people like our casual style; often performed along live piano or marimba play.
Good music and bizarre sketch; these are our specialty.

---Interesting. And it's great that you are having fun… I don't have anything that I really want to do. What shall I do?
E
How about visiting places where you are curious about?
Or maybe it's good to repeat something makes you feel better, need not get you excited.
However, even if you have nothing special, just enjoying your daily routine, what's the matter? It's great. It is not easy one.
And you will possibly find something you love in your latter part of your life. That's not bad.
(recorded in 2019, winter)
translated by Eucalyno

《Eucalyno》

After the Japan Playwright Association workshop, writing stories for small theaters. 10minutes sketch
“Lake Baikal Plus”has been performed all areas in Japan. Starting own unit EUCALYNOTE since 2016,
presenting sketch + reading + live music style show. Also sound skit series has been aired by You Tube
and Podcast. Latest show will be in April, 2024.