The Age of Drama and Other Theater Essays

A playwright reads twenty-five new plays and finds himself arguing with an entire theatrical age. Kishida Kunio’s judgments range from admiration for an unfamiliar talent to impatience with accomplished writers whose work fails on the stage. What makes a play more than a story told in dialogue? What can actors and directors add, and what can they never rescue?

These eight essays follow Kishida’s changing view of Japanese modern theater during the 1920s. The Age of Drama celebrates and distrusts the abundance of plays in magazines; its later companion considers what happens when that abundance fades. Other writings examine a fellow playwright’s collection, the proposed reward of cultural achievement, and the relationship between literature and performance. The final essay argues for the training of actors able to embody contemporary life.

A leading voice in modern Japanese drama, Kishida combines wit, self-mockery, close observation, and uncompromising criticism. This complete selection preserves his quotations, arguments, and period judgments, with concise notes explaining names, allusions, and textual or historical uncertainties.