Frozen Moments: Writings on Kabuki, 1966–2001. By Samuel L. Leiter. East Asia Series No. 111. Ithaca: Cornell University, 2002; pp. xx + 360; 210 illustrations. $21 paper.
This lavishly illustrated collection covers a period of time that has seen tremendous growth in English-language kabuki scholarship. In 1966, there were in print but three introductory books on kabuki in English—Faubian Bowers's Japanese Theatre (1952), Earle Ernst's The Kabuki Theatre (1956), and A. C. Scott's The Kabuki Theatre of Japan (1966)—along with a handful of plays in translation and a few journal articles. Today, thanks to the work of such researchers as Samuel L. Leiter, James R. Brandon, Leonard Pronko, Donald Shively, Lawrence R. Kominz, Andrew C. Gerstle, and others, kabuki scholarship can boast of dozens of books and book chapters, as well as scores of articles covering a range of topics from music, theatre architecture, and dramatic text to actors, acting, and audience. Furthermore, with the recent publication of the four-volume series Kabuki Plays on Stage (edited by Brandon and Leiter, 2002–3), fifty-one previously untranslated plays are now available in English. No longer is it necessary to spend years learning the Japanese language in order to carry out research into kabuki theatre.
Review††Edited by Adrian Rice and Antoni MaletAll books, monographs, journal articles, and other publications (including films and other multisensory materials) relating to the history of mathematics are abstracted in the Abstracts Department. The Reviews Department prints extended reviews of selected publications.Materials for review, except books, should be sent to the Abstracts Editor, Sloan Despeaux, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA. Books in English for review should be sent to Adrian Rice, Department of Mathematics, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005-5505, USA. Books in other languages for review should be sent to Antoni Malet, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Department of Humanities, Ramon Trias Farga 25–27, Barcelona, 8005, Spain.Most reviews are solicited. However, colleagues wishing to review a book are invited to make their wishes known to the appropriate Book Review Editor. (Requests to review books written in the English language should be sent to Adrian Rice at the above address; requests to review books written in other languages should be sent to Antoni Malet at the above address.) We also welcome retrospective reviews of older books. Colleagues interested in writing such reviews should consult first with the appropriate Book Review Editor (as indicated above, according to the language in which the book is written) to avoid duplication.
