The Theatre of Suzuki Tadashi

Suzuki is Japan’s best known director. He has been internationally acclaimed for his postmodern adaptations of classics by Nanboku, Euripides, Shakespeare and Chekhov since the 1970s, including The Trojan Women, King Lear and Three Sisters and, equally, for his powerful actor training system, which combines elements of Noh and Kabuki with Western realism. Inviting artists from around the world to perform at his Toga and Shizuoka International Festivals, Suzuki has fostered productive exchanges with Jean-Louis Barrault, Robert Wilson, Kanze Hisao, Ashikawa Yoko and numerous others. This book, the first comprehensive study of any Asian theatre director in this series, traces Suzuki’s rise from Little Theatre director to international festival celebrity, links his unique Surrealist dramaturgy with his intercultural training system, and gives in-depth descriptions of his most acclaimed productions.