Playwright, director, leader of Seinendan, and artistic director of Komaba Agora Theater. Born in Tokyo in 1962. Graduated from International Christian University, College of Liberal Arts, Humanities Division.

In 1995, Hirata won the 39th Kishida Kunio Drama Award with "Tokyo Note (Tokyo Notes)." In 1998, he received the 5th Yomiuri Theater Award Outstanding Director Award, for his production of "Tsuki no Misaki (The Cape of the Moon)," a play written by Masataka Matsuda.

Hirata wrote and directed "Ueno Dobutsuen Sai-sai-sai Shugeki (Attacking Ueno Zoo for the Fourth Time)" in 2002 and won the Yomiuri Theater Award for Outstanding Production. In 2002, he won AICT (Association Internationale des Critiques des Theatre) Critique Award for his book "Geijutu Rikkokuron (Arts as the Basis of a Nation) " published from Shueisha.

In 2003, he won the Grand Prix of the 2nd Asahi Performing Arts Awards with "Sono Kawa wo Koete, Gogatsu (Across the River in May)," which was an event for the Year of Japan-ROK National Exchange in 2002.

At present, Hirata is associate professor of Obirin University (Department of Humanities, School of Integrated Culture), management board member of the Japan Performing Arts Foundation, board member of Japanese Society for Theatre Research, executive board member of JAWOC (Japan Organizing Committee for the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan), and artistic director of Fujimi Culture Hall KIRARI FUJIMI.

A playwright and director, Oriza Hirata is one of the key figures in the contemporary theater scene in Japan.

Hirata formed the Seinendan theater company while still in college, and has since developed a consistent methodology in his activities in the theater world. Hirata's "contemporary colloquial theater theory" is a new and practical theater theory. His theatrical practice, and books like "Gendai Kogo Engeki no tameni (For Contemporary Colloquial Theater)," have had a profound impact on the current theater scene in Japan.

The Komaba Agora Theater, where Hirata is artistic director, is Seinendan's home base. The theater also serves as an information clearing house for companies from all over Japan and overseas. By holding the Endo-of-Millennium Theater Festival annually for more than 10 years, Hirata introduced regional theaters to Tokyo audiences. Hirata's prescient efforts have helped regional theaters get much attention in the 1990s. The Komaba Agora Theater started a new festival called "summit" in 2001 and continues to develop its active role.

In the spring of 1999 he served as the festival director of Toga Spring Festival and has been broadening the area of his activities.

He is also active in collaborating with overseas artists in France, Korea, Australia, etc., through joint projects and workshops.

Hirata has become a noted critic on such cultural matters as education, language, and literature. In April 2000, he has joined the faculty as an associate professor at the School of Integrated Culture, a new division to develop a comprehensive program of theater education, Department of Humanities at Obirin University. Hirata's workshop method will be included in a new Japanese text book for junior high school students to be used from 2003. Over 300,000 children per year will be creating drama in the classrooms.

We practice exceptionally versatile theater educational activities including workshops with disabled persons, development of theater education programs with local organizations around Komaba Agora Theater and Obirin University.