演劇体験から演劇研究へ、そしてその再考

抄録

I have engaged myself in theatre education and theatre research, teaching students theatre practice and theory at university, while at other times occupying myself in theatre activities as director, actor, and so on. For Japan to be Japan, a book by Junji Kinoshita, gave me a starting point for theatre research. This book taught me significantly about the concept of play and its structure, and that of theatre and its structure. Kinoshita's view of catharsis is especially intriguing for me, pointing out the issue of “qualitative conversion of values” and, at the same time, stating that theatre, therefore, inherently and independently, has substance to “change” an audience.

Nonetheless, a kind of self-contradiction occurred to me. It would be generally typical to verify by means of practice what one has pursued in theory, or, conversely, to base one's practice on theory. Although I meant to think of theatre research through theatre practice, as a matter of fact, I did not do so. I have never “staged” a Kinoshita play. Furthermore, I have directed quite a number of plays by Bertolt Brecht; however, I have never written a “paper” of Brecht studies. There would be some reasons, and it seems certain that there lies some contradiction of sorts.

This paper reflects on theatre research from two perspectives, with a mind to future theatre research and joint research.