SHIMIN ENGEKI GAKKO AND SHIMIN BUYO GAKKO

SHIMIN ENGEKI GAKKO (Mito Citizens' Theatre Academy) AND SHIMIN BUYO GAKKO (Mito Citizens' Dance Academy)

Since its founding, the ACM Theatre has striven to create a regional dramatic style. To that end, it has organized the Mito Outdoor Theatre and Mito Children's Dramatic Festival. Furthermore, in the fall of 1996, it also initiated the Mito Citizens' Theatre Academy, whose role it is not only to put on plays, but also to allow participants to learn, reflect and discuss a broad range of issues concerning drama, as well as to write their own productions and stage them. The philosophy behind the academy, as ATM sees it, is to use the process of creating dramatic art as a means to foster the youth who will be responsible for leading the development of Mito in the 21st century.

The first year of the Mito Citizens' Theatre Academy has already finished, without a hitch. More students had applied than initially expected, and they put on an excellent graduation performance in July. Several of the first-year students have decided to continue into the second year, currently ongoing, and have been joined by new students participating for the first time. To broaden the academy's offerings, ACM Theatre has invited people from various dramatic fields to come and teach in the "basic course, " with the upper-level "creative course" led by ACM Theatre's own playwright, Hirohisa Hasegawa. The courses are taught every weekend.
(Photo: '96 Shimin Engeki Gakko, Rehearsal for Graduation Performance)

ACM Theatre also runs another academy called "Mito Citizens' Dance Academy," which opened just this fall. Its goal is to give participants an intimate familiarity with modern dance – the newest of the stage arts – and to produce outstanding works. Under the guidance of Japanese and foreign dancers, particularly the members of ATM's dance troupe that successfully performed the modern dance work "V.O." early last summer in France, students learn to understand and feel with their minds and bodies what dance is really about.
("V. O. Japon" in France, Photo by Laurent Philippe)

The two academies – independently and mutually – serve as bases from which the citizens of the city, together with ATM, create new forms of artistic expression originating in Mito.

Both academies offer lectures and demonstrations that are open to the public.
Please contact the ACM Theatre at (029) 227-8123 for further details.

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