A LEADING EXPERT ON KABUKI AND LONGTIME TEACHER OF ASIAN THEATER BIDS FAREWELL

When Pomona College Professor Leonard Pronko retires in July, it will mark the end of a professional chapter in his life that spans almost six decades – and he’s the first to say it has been “quite a lot of fun.”

The seasoned theater professor and director is recognized as one of the nation’s top experts on the traditional Japanese art form, kabuki, which mixes dance with stylized dramatic performance and signature whiteface makeup.

It’s a passion for the form that has shaped his creative output and legacy on campus.

An art, a passion

Pronko joined Pomona College in 1957 as an assistant professor of French language and literature, though his love for the stage would quickly lead to roles directing productions for the college’s theater department.

Other contributions to the department included developing a course on dramatic literature, blending classic works such as “Macbeth” with elements of Kabuki, and even creating his own original productions such as the kabuki western “Revenge at Spider Mountain.”

Throughout most of his endeavors, Pronko has found inspiration in kabuki and Asian theater, a passion embedded during a sabbatical in East Asia in the early 1960s.

“When I first saw it in Japan, it was just an utter revelation,” Pronko said. “I was so excited by it, especially by the total theater aspect of it. That is to say, the actor doing everything an actor can do.”

Fascination in the form

Pronko’s passion for the form only intensified as the years moved forward.

In 1967, he published “Theater East and West,” a landmark title that examined Asian theater and its impact and potential influence in the West.

By 1970, Pronko made history as the first non- Japanese person to study kabuki at the National Theatre of Japan, and in 1985, the government of Japan named Pronko the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class, for engaging kabuki form in the United States.

Pronko said his unwavering fascination with the form for all these years stems in part from its ability to utilize elements of the surreal to connect with a deeper sense of being.

“I’ve never been fond of realism,” said Pronko. “I’ve always looked for either poetic plays or the absurdist drama or something that wasn’t realistic. The theater has another function, and that’s to open new doors and take us out of ourselves and into new realities and into otherness so that we begin to feel what others are like. I like things that are exotic, things that are different.”

An honored professor As Pronko prepares for retirement, he leaves with a long list of accolades, including Pomona College’s Distinguished Professor Award twice, a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, the ATHE Award for Outstanding Teacher of Theatre in Higher Education and in 2006 he was made a Fellow of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre.

Pronko said he intends to stay connected with Pomona College post retirement, revealing that he’s already been approached by the theater department regarding an occasional class lecture or directing role.

He notes throughout all his years with the college, through the various changes, there remains once constant.

“It’s the quality of the students,” Pronko said. “It’s always been a pleasure. It’s always fun to learn from them and let them learn from me.”

As an avid traveler, Pronko looks forward to visiting Europe in the fall and – of course – return to Japan to attend kabuki performances.

He adds, “I’ve got about 50 books on my Kindle that haven’t been read yet – I’m looking forward to catching up.”