ABSTRACT
Difficultyofindividualworkandgroupwork, especiallynow. Theoryoftraining, theoryofacting,and theaterschool areallillusionsincreatingatheater. WhatIhavetodoistotellmyownillusion,notdealwith someoneelse's.Illusionsinthepastarenolongerthevoices fromtheactualcreativescene. Somepractitionerssaythat theyhavesatisfiedwiththeirlong-cherisheddesire becausetheycouldencounterHijikataTatsumi. Otherssaythattheyhavefelthappy becausetheycouldhavelivedinthesameageasKaraJura. Butwhatdotheyhaveoftheirown?Everythingintheateris illusion.Nomatterhowreasonableanapproachis,Icannot createmytheaterusingsomeoneelse'sillusion. NodaHideki,"OnTheater79.07.25"1
Theabovequotation,takenfromNoda'snotesin1979,expresseshisearlyresolutiontofreehimselffromtheJapanese avant-gardemovementthatoriginatedinthe1960s.Mostofhis audiencesandtheatercritics,however,failedtonoticethe"serious"intentionhiddenbehindthe"ludic"surfaceofhisnew theaterYumenoYiiminsha.RegardlessofNoda'sseemingdisavowalofthefirstgenerationofshogekijo,histroupekepta flexibleattitudetowardtheentiretraditionofJapanesetheater. SuchopennesscanbeheardintheprogramnotesfortheproductionofNimannanasenkonennotabi,stagedin1980.It statesthemanifestoofYumenoYiiminshaasfollows:
Eachproduction,havingNodahimselfasitscenter,usesgenba(the actualcreativescene)asourweaponandaimsatdevelopinganattractiveotherworldinwhichyoucannottellwhatwillhappennext. AbsorbingfruitsfromthetraditionofJapanesetheater,including
MangaDis-courseinJapaneseTheater
no,kabuki,shingeki,shogekijomovement,andangura(undergroundtheater),wepromisetodelivertoyoutheattractionoftheaterasatrulycontemporaryart.
