Introduction to Theatre Education in University

Abstract

Theatre education at the university level in Japan can be classified into three categories: practical training, studies of theatre theory and history, and the course which combines the first two. The second category of teaching theatre is also included in the general education category at the undergraduate level. Moreover, there are classes and seminars of drama analysis in the curriculums of foreign language departments. But since we have no state university of theatre arts in Japan there are many problems to be solved.

The present paper will examine the current situation of theatre education in Japan, and suggest that theatre education should belong to Humanities, even if it includes technical training. In other words, theatre education should be qualified as a learning which is useful for being good citizens. Today's prevailing tendency of theatre education is that it is divided into two categories: teaching drama and teaching by means of drama. The former is for training specialists of theatre, and the latter for general education. But I am against this idea, and would argue that teaching drama is essential also for general education of humanities.