James Rodger Brandon

James Rodger Brandon (1927 – 19 September 2015) was an American academic who was a professor of Asian theater specializing in Kabuki and Sanskrit theater at the University of Hawaii.[1][2] He was a member of the generation of scholars who first brought Asian theater to English-speaking audiences in the postwar period, translating dozens of plays and directing many performances, some of which toured widely throughout the United States.

James Rodger Brandon
Born1927
Mazomanie, Wisconsin
DiedSeptember 19, 2015(2015-09-19) (aged 87–88)
Honolulu, Hawaii
EducationB.Ph., University of Wisconsin, 1948
M.S., University of Wisconsin, 1949
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1955
OccupationProfessor of Asian theater
Years active1968-2000
Spouse(s)Reiko Mochinaga Brandon

Biography

Brandon was born in Mazomanie, Wisconsin.[1] He was drafted into the military in 1950 and was stationed in Japan and Korea during the Korean War.[1] It was with only two days left before his tour ended and he returned to the United States that he saw his first kabuki performance. It was this performance that awakened his interest in Asian theater. He returned to the University of Wisconsin–Madison to take a PhD in theater on the G.I. Bill in 1955.[1][3]

After completing his PhD, he entered the foreign service, where he was a cultural affairs officer stationed in Jakarta, Indonesia from 1955 to 1957.

The Japanese government awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Rosette, Imperial Decoration in 1994.[4]

Scholarly contributions

In 1965, along with Andrew T. Tsubaki and Farley Richmond, he founded the Afro-Asian Theater Project, which after a series of reorganizations has been known since 1987 as the Association for Asian Performance.[5]

He co-founded the Asian Theatre Journal with Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak in 1984.[6]

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References
  1. "UH Theater Professor Was Top Western Authority on Kabuki". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. October 2, 2015. p. A24. Retrieved June 15, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "In Memoriam: Asian Theatre Pioneer James Brandon". University of Hawaiʻi System News. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2015.
  3. Jortner and Foley, 2001, p. 343
  4. Jortner and Foley, 2001, p. 350
  5. Brandon, 2011, pp. 281-282
  6. Jortner and Foley, 2001, p. 352

Bibliography

Selected works by Brandon
Authored books
  • Brandon, James R. (2008). Kabuki's Forgotten War: 1931-1945. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-3200-1.
  • Brandon, James R. (1976). Brandon's Guide To Theater in Asia: Where To Go, How To Get There and What To Expect. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0824803698.
  • Brandon, James R. (1967). Theatre in Southeast Asia. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0-674-87587-7.
Edited books
  • Brandon, James R., ed. (1993). The Cambridge Guide to Asian Theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521416238.
  • Brandon, James R., ed. (1982). Chūshingura: Studies in Kabuki and the Puppet Theater. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0824807931.
  • Brandon, James R.; Van M. Baumer, Rachel, eds. (1981). Sanskrit Drama in Performance. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 81-208-0772-3.
Translations
  • Brandon, James R.; Leiter, Samuel L., eds. (2003). Kabuki Plays on Stage, Vol. 4: Restoration and Reform, 1872-1905. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0824825744.
  • Brandon, James R.; Leiter, Samuel L., eds. (2002). Kabuki Plays on Stage, Vol. 3: Darkness and Desire, 1804-1864. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0824824556.
  • Brandon, James R.; Leiter, Samuel L., eds. (2002). Kabuki Plays on Stage, Vol. 2: Villainy and Vengeance, 1773-1799. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0824824136.
  • Brandon, James R.; Leiter, Samuel L., eds. (2002). Kabuki Plays on Stage, Vol. 1: Brilliance and Bravado, 1697-1766. Honolulu, H.I.: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0824824037.
  • Brandon, James R., ed. (1975). Kabuki: Five Classic Plays. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0674304857.
  • Brandon, James R., ed. (1970). On Thrones of Gold: Three Javanese Shadow Plays. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0824814250.
  • Brandon, James R.; Niwa, Tamako, eds. (1966). Two Kabuki Plays: The Subscription List and the Zen Substitute. New York: Samuel French.
Academic journal articles

Works cited

See also
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