Samuel L. Leiter, Ph.D. (1968), New York University, is Professor of Theatre, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. He has published widely on Japanese theatre, the history of New York theatre, and the work of the great international stage directors. Stanca Scholz-Cionca, Ph.D. (1980), Habilitation (1996), is at present Professor in Oslo (Norway) and Trier (Germany). She has published several books and articles on Japanese literature and culture, classical and modern, as well as on Japanese theatre. Recently she wrote a book on Kyôgen in the 17th century (München, Iudicium 1998) and edited a collection of essays, Japan - Reich der Spiele (München, Iudicium 1998).