For my first theater outing of 2002, I went to see "A Midsummer-Night's Dream" by Tokyo Kandenchi (Tokyo Dry Battery). In this -- their 25th anniversary performance, but their first-ever brush with the Bard of Avon -- the company made no pretense of striving to scale great literary heights, but instead came up with a funky, fun version of the classic comedy to celebrate both their own birthday and the New Year.

Established by twentysomething actors Akira Emoto, Toshiki Ayata and Bengaru in 1977, Tokyo Kandenchi first began to flourish in the 1980s when leading dramatist Ryo Iwamatsu came on board and contributed hugely toward the development of its unique, humorous style. Essentially unchanged, and loved by audiences for a quarter of a century since then, the company's distinctive humor draws on the quirks of daily life. Spurning slapstick and crudity, loud laughter and shrieks, this comedy possesses a subtlety that sets audiences giggling and sends them home realizing there's happiness to be had on even the dullest day.

Due to this understated style, though Tokyo Kandenchi has enjoyed constant support from its fans, it has never entered the showbiz mainstream. Nonetheless, while playing small venues on the fringe, the company -- whose lead actors generally direct as well -- has remained true to its own quest for wit combined with the magic of theater itself.