Performance is an offer made to an audience. It can be a point of teaching, of presenting a question one would like considered, of offering a social situation one would like changed; it can be a way of being an input to society, and not just an output of it. Composers and writers throughout the world have used performance as a means not just of reporting social problems, but of offering stimulus towards social change; their works look backwards on existing problems to point forwards towards an as-yet-non-existent future—whence the title for our class. Likewise, every dream of a potential future carries with it, by negation or affirmation, the past it assumes to have been. Music and theater have long been partners, each medium helping the other, in proposing futures and reporting pasts. Our two-quarter class will investigate historical experiments in music and theater from around the world, what they have presented to their audiences, and what techniques they used to do so. We will explore contemporary writers for the theater and for music, and find out how they are presenting information for our time. Lastly, we will encourage students to create performances, in response to faculty provocations, and present them to the class. During the fall quarter, there will be a strong emphasis on the cultural contexts of theater and music, particularly non-western forms of the arts, such as Asian, African and Middle-Eastern theater. We will read theater works by authors such as Wole Soyinka, Rabindernath Tagore, Dario Fo, Sabina Berman, Gao Xingjian, and others, and investigate the techniques these artists used. Small group projects will be assigned to perform scenes from these different theater traditions. There will be visiting guests, trips to see performances and opportunities to perform. During the second quarter, students will participate in a full-fledged performance, created by the teachers and students in collaboration, utilizing the techniques we will have studied in the fall quarter. Students will be involved in all technical aspects of the production.

This program will explore the political and cultural development of Japanese civilization from early times to the evolution of the modern era. We will clarify what makes Japanese culture unique by examining major historical changes over time. We will identify the elements of continuity through the significant changes in Japan's long and distinguished history. Materials will be drawn from literature, history, politics and film. We will have weekly film sessions to complement, illustrate or contrast our weekly program theme. The Japanese language course will be offered in two levels throughout the year to develop insight into the culture.

In the fall, we will examine historical developments from early aristocracy to modernization in the Meiji period focusing on the literary and aesthetic traditions of Japanese culture, which constitute the backbone of modern Japan. We will read major literary works, such as The Tale of Genji and Tale of the Heike. The themes we will examine are: Japanese views of nature and life; early myths and chronicles; the glory of aristocracy; the rise of the warrior class; the aesthetics of medieval religion and the arts; the flourishing of townsman's culture; the breakdown of feudalism; and the encounter with the West.

During the winter, we will focus on the rise of militarism and the Pacific War. We will explore the American occupation after the war and resulting changes in the structure of society and family. We will pay special attention to the sense of humiliation and loss of self-identity after the war and the changing status of women. Readings will include The Pacific War by Ienaga, Black Rain by Ibuse, and The Setting Sun by Dazai.

In the spring, we will conduct a field trip to Japan. The trip represents the culmination of a yearlong study of Japanese culture. The purpose of the trip is to experience Japanese culture first hand and to further extend and develop students' knowledge and skills through daily contact with Japanese people. Students will study Japanese language at Ooka Gakuen, with whom we have developed a long working relationship, while staying with host families. There will be various field trips and exchanges with students at our affiliated college, Hyogo University. Students will also have a chance to develop their own area of interest in Japanese culture through individual research, taking full advantage of living in the culture. The trip will be contingent upon the number of participants and home stay availability. Students who choose not to go to Japan will be able to continue their language study for 4 credits.