Graduate Seminar in Theatre Studies at Keio University

On November 22 and 23, 2019, Symposium “Postdramaic Theatre Worldwide” was held at the Akademie der Künste Berlin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Hans-Thies Lehmann's groundbreaking book Postdramatc Theatre (the original published in 1999). Theater makers and researchers from nearly 20 countries got together at the symposium, discussing the significances of the book, which was translated into more than 20 languages and has been internationally stimulating discussions on the new types of theatre which are mainly not based on the drama forms. Many participants of the symposium (re)viewed significant aspects of the still insightful book, linking them with their theatre activities or their vision on theatre.

Eiichiro Hirata, one of the translators of the Japanese version, made a presentation titled “Postdramatic Theater with Another Historical View” at the panel “(Un) Mögliche Verortungen: Postdramatisches Theater geografisch and historisch/(In-)Possible Location: Postdramatic Theatre geographic and historical”. In the panel hosted by Patrick Primavesi, Karen Jürs-Munby, Alexandra Marinho de Oliveira, and Koku G. Nonoa discussed the receptions of the book in UK, Brazil and Togo. Akira Takayama, the key member of Port B from Tokyo, whose performances have been presented in many cities around the world, talked about his latest ones such as Wagner Project and Macdonald Radio University in the panel “Das Politische in postdramatischer Praxis/The Political in Postdramatic Practice”.

Information on symposium