Performing Shakespeare in Japan [Paperback]

A collection of essays and interviews on Shakespeare performance in Japan.A collection of fourteen essays on particular topics from over one hundred years of Shakespeare performance in Japan. In addition, there are four interviews with leading directors and one with a leading perfomer. Unlike the very few existing books on Japanese Shakespeare, this book concentrates on modern and postmodern theatre, from c.1970, and contains contributions from both Japanese and Western scholars and theatre practitioners.A collection of fourteen essays on particular topics from over one hundred years of Shakespeare performance in Japan. In addition, there are four interviews with leading directors and one with a leading perfomer. Unlike the very few existing books on Japanese Shakespeare, this book concentrates on modern and postmodern theatre, from c.1970, and contains contributions from both Japanese and Western scholars and theatre practitioners.This is a collection of fourteen essays on particular topics from over one hundred years of Shakespeare performance in Japan. In addition, there are four interviews with leading directors and one with a leading perfomer. Unlike the few existing books on Japanese Shakespeare, this book concentrates on modern and postmodern theater, from c. 1970, and contains contributions from both Japanese and Western scholars and theater practitioners.List of illustrations; List of contributions; Preface Takahashi Yasunari; Acknowledgements; Introduction Minami Ryuta, Ian Carruthers and John Gillies; Part I. Early Modern and Traditional Theatre Productions: 1. What do we mean by 'Japanese' Shakespeare? Anzai Tetsuo; 2. Japan as 'half-civilized': and early Japanese adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Japan's construction of its national image in the late nineteenth century Yoshihara Yukari; 3. Shakespeare in Kabuki James R. Brandon; 4. Osanai Kaoru's version of Romeo and Juliet, 1904 Matsumoto Shinko; 5. Some Noh adaptations of Shakespelso