Exploring the Intersection of Theater and AI at Digital Hollywood Graduate School's Special Session

Upcoming Special Session on AI and Theater

On October 19, 2026, the Digital Hollywood Graduate School will host a special session titled "The Words That Are Staged – Between the Play and AI." This event is a continuation of the successful AI Bricolage Session – Season 2, which has been exploring creative questions arising from the intersection of AI and various artistic disciplines since November 2025. Leading the discussion will be prominent playwright and director Shoji Kokami, who will share insights on how generated AI interacts with the art of theater.

Purpose of the Session

Season 2 of the AI Bricolage Session series explored nuances between creating video, journalism, music, and media aesthetics alongside AI. As we conclude this series, a realization emerges: we have yet to delve deeply into the realm of "theater."

While generative AI has advanced to the point of composing plausible dialogue, understanding narrative structures, and formatting what seems like theatrical scripts, the essence of playwriting differs fundamentally from that of novel writing. The words penned in theater exist not merely "to be read" but rather "to be performed." They transform through the actor’s body, voice, and breath, coming alive only in front of an audience during a unique, singular moment. It raises a profound question: can AI encapsulate the essence of such words? Can an entity devoid of physicality craft language that is rooted in physical performance? As we navigate an era of ubiquitous expression and replication, what significance does the physical gathering of humans in a theater hold? Or might this very act hold deeper meaning now more than ever?

This session aims to reflect on these vital questions surrounding the nature of staged words in the era of generative AI. Beyond discussions on theater, it seeks to explore what it means to create something collaboratively.

Guest Profile: Shoji Kokami

Shoji Kokami, born in 1958 in Ehime, Japan, is a celebrated writer and director who made significant contributions to the Japanese theater landscape. In 1981, while still a law student at Waseda University, he founded the theater company "Daisan Butai," playing a pivotal role in the small theater boom of the 1980s. Kokami has garnered prestigious accolades, including the Kinokuniya Theater Prize in 1987 for his work "Asahi no Youna Yuhizukete '87" and the Kishida Kunio Drama Award in 1994 for "Sunafukin no Tegami." From 1999 to 2022, he led the performance unit “KOKAMI@network” and has been a Professor Emeritus at the Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music, as well as a former president of the Japan Playwrights Association. His publications, including titles such as "Voice and Body Lessons" and "The Theater: Living is Acting," reflect his deep engagement with the relationship between language and performance.

Event Details

Date: October 19, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Location: Digital Hollywood University, Surugadai Hall
Address: 4-6 Surugadai, Chiyoda City, Tokyo (1 minute walk from JR Ochanomizu Station, Seihashi Exit, and directly connected to B2 Exit of Tokyo Metro Shin-Ochanomizu Station)
Fee: ¥1,500
Capacity: 100 participants
Organizer: Digital Hollywood Graduate School
Speakers: Shoji Kokami, Tomoyasu Hirano
Moderator: Toshihiro Fukuoka (Special Appointed Professor, Digital Hollywood Graduate School)
Registration: AI Bricolage Session Registration

About the AI Bricolage Sessions

The Digital Hollywood Graduate School's AI Bricolage Session series is a public seminar exploring how generative AI permeates creation, expression, and media, changing what we understand and question about these fields. The previous sessions have included themes such as co-creation from scenarios to videos, redefinitions of creativity with AI, collaborative futures in music, and the boundaries between generation and drawing.

This upcoming special session promises to be an enlightening night where critical discussions and insights into the nature of theater and collaborative creation in the age of AI will unfold.

Contact Information

For inquiries, please contact the Digital Hollywood Graduate School’s AI Bricolage Session - Season 2 office at [email protected].

About Digital Hollywood Graduate School

Established in 2004 as Japan's first corporate professional graduate school, the Digital Hollywood Graduate School aims to nurture leaders capable of transforming society. Under the new leadership of Naotake Fujii, the school focuses on balance among the four disciplines of SEAD (Science, Engineering, Art, Design) to bridge theory and practice in digital communication. As a leader in cultivating entrepreneurial talent, it ranks prominently among Japanese universities for its support of startups and business planning.

Join us as we navigate the complexities and possibilities at the intersection of AI and theater!