The Comparative Study of English and American Directing Ways and Japanses Ones of 20th-century Shakespeare Productions

2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 09610477
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 英語・英米文学
• Research Institution: KYOTO UNIVERSITY
• Principal Investigator: YODA Yoshimaru Integrated Human Studies Professor, 総合人間学部, 教授 (30135462)
• Project Period (FY): 1997 – 2000
• Keywords: 20th century / Shakespearean plays / directing ways / Titus Andronicus / Peter Brook

Research Abstract

I order to compare the directing ways of the 20th century Shakespeare productions in England and the United States with those in Japan, we have focused in the present study on the directing ways of Titus Andronicus productions as symbolical examples. Concretely we define the dramatist's intention in a series of characteristic scenes describing extreme cruelties and then examine whether it is correctly reflected in the directors' individual productions. As a result we can make it clear that there are two types of the directing ways in England and the United States. In the first type the directors try to forcibly impose their own concepts on the Shakespeare's play and in the second type the director tries to persistently obey the dramatist's intention. We can also clarify that there exists only the latter type in Japan. It goes without saying that the 'realism' directing ways tell that the directors are ignorant of the Shakespearean world in that they follow none other than realism. Howe ver, the close study of the 'anti-realism directing ways unexpectedly show that essentially the directors have correct understanding of the Shakespeare's play. It is true that 'anti-realism' directors in England and the United States, with Peter Brook and Gerald Freedman as representatives, add unnecessary elements to the original play, but there is an exact similarity between the presented dramatic effects and those intended by the dramatist. On the contrary, the 'anti-realism' directors in Japan, even when they present the same dramatic effects that the dramatist aims at, generally acquire them by accident. Any way, we have to remember that the very difference between English and American directors and Japanese directors in understanding the Shakespearean world decides the appearance of such directors as Deborah Warner who are faithful to Shakespeare. We cannot help coming to the conclusion that Japanese productions of Shakespear's plays do not have a bright future, judging from the fact that the Warner production suggests the future productions of Shakespeare should take.