The Voyage of Contemporary Japanese Theatre Book

Senda Akihiko is one of Japan's finest and best-known modern drama critics. This collection of his newspaper and magazine essays, articles, and reviews from 1971 to 1987 presents international audiences with the first opportunity to experience the accomplishments of the theatrical revolution that has continued to sweep over the Japanese stage since the 1960s. Consistently judicious and honest, Senda's criticism reveals the excitement (or disappointment) of each phase in the unfolding "voyage" of contemporary Japanese theatre. Filled with captivating details on the theatrical, political, and intellectual background needed to understand the real import of these productions, Senda makes the creative and experimental nature of the period come alive in vivid and specific terms. He reveals as well how the theatre during this period can serve as an indicator of central social, political, and spiritual issues faced by Japan during these years. In this sense, the book serves as a trenchant portrait of its times.