Japanese Theatre and the International Stage

This well-illustrated work is the first attempt to bridge the gap between several specialized discourses concerning Japanese theatre. Central are problems of scholarly and practical reception of Japanese theatre forms in the West.
The essays by a careful selection of internationally well-reputed scholars range widely through Japanese theatre, from the ancient to the postmodern, or, one might say, from kagura to angura. It deals with reception of Japanese theatre in the West, the treatment of the body in stage art and drama, Western influence, the impact of Japanese theatre practice and theory upon the actor’s training, and stage directing in the West. Readers will come across a wide variety of intriguing topics, such as lion dances, kabuki, nôh, folk theatre, taishu engeki, and several important modern playwrights, etc.
This book truly promises to intensify future dialogue between the many disciplines concerned with Japanese theatre.

Samuel L. Leiter, Ph.D. (1968), New York University, is Professor of Theatre, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. He has published widely on Japanese theatre, the history of New York theatre, and the work of the great international stage directors.
Stanca Scholz-Cionca, Ph.D. (1980), Habilitation (1996), is at present Professor in Oslo (Norway) and Trier (Germany). She has published several books and articles on Japanese literature and culture, classical and modern, as well as on Japanese theatre. Recently she wrote a book on Kyôgen in the 17th century (München, Iudicium 1998) and edited a collection of essays, Japan - Reich der Spiele (München, Iudicium 1998).