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Professor Kominz examines Mishima’s love affair with kabuki that began when he was in middle school. Mishima wrote perceptive kabuki performance reviews as a high schooler, and as a young writer he began to author kabuki plays in 1953. His motivation in writing was very different than it was for writing novels and his plays for realistic theater: in the early years he wanted to please and support the careers of actors he idolized. Mishima was very critical of other kabuki playwrights. He despised “talking heads realistic drama” for kabuki - new plays should be like the classics - full of action, dance, music, and “beautiful cruelty.” But Mishima’s most heartwarming romantic comedies were kabuki plays, including The Sardine Seller’s Net of Love, which PSU students will perform in English during the last week in May this year. Prof. Kominz’ will focus on this play among others, and will present images and highlights from several of Mishima’s kabuki plays during his presentation. at PSU.
Laurence Kominz received his Ph.D. in Japanese literature from Columbia University under the supervision of Donald Keene. Kominz’ writing and research specialty is Japanese drama, and he has taken performance lessons in noh, kyôgen, kabuki, and gidayû bushi recitation. Kominz teaches courses in Japanese language, literature, drama, and film, and he directs fully realized kabuki and kyôgen plays in English. Recent kabuki plays include The Revenge of the 47 Loyal Samurai and The Castle Tower. In 2018 and 2019 Kominz’ students performed kyôgen plays here at PSU and in St. Louis, Massachusetts, and Victoria, Canada. In May, 2021 Kominz’ students were the first to present live drama - kyôgen plays - on campus after the onset of the pandemic.