[Jweb] Shige's butai's rehearsals report !
"Rokugatsu no bitaa orenji"
Rehearsals report
Johnny's web went to disturb to the training hall of the butai in which star Kato and Joshima, just after the very beginning. We'll tell you about the rehearsals and the impressions of the two main characters.
★ Story ★
It's a human comedy full of human kindness about a family of a country city, two brothers raised by a private doctor.
The older brother Naoki (Joshima) is an useless guy while the younger one, Tatsuya (Kato) is a talented boy. After a big fight with his father because he wasn't able to find a job the older brother is disowned, at the same time the younger brother leaves home to go to the near college. The family is taken apart.
After many years Tatsuya, who already graduated, receives a call that asks him to come back home, there he finds his brother, his dad and a young woman. Does she want to marry their father to earn the inheritance!? Who will receive it in the end? This is the story.
★ Report ★
It was the 2nd day of rehearsal.
Immediately changed into the training clothes, Joshima and Kato greeted each others and all the staff smiling: "Good Morning! Nice to work with you!".
Kato, who was taking a nap during the break time, made some stretching and exercises of pronounce.
It was the first day for Joshima so he looked around the hall in which were settled some home furniture and said: "It looks like a set!". He then went to assure the positions and the points where he has to move on the stage.
Rehearsals start!
That day's rehearsal was to part the scenes from the beginning to the two places of the 1st act, then they started to firm up the standing positions and the lines of flow, the gestures of the characters, their expressions and their feelings.
Kato has a supporting but indispensable role in the story so he talked a lot with the director G2 about the parts that worried him, like: "The monologues will be more like soliloquies then...".
Joshima was taking notes on his script even during the break times, he also tried to play the little guitar that is needed for the next scene.
In the scene in which he plays the guitar Joshima improvised an apologize song (!?) for what happened in the previous scene, with a "Sorry, I'm really really sorry～♪", the whole hall bursted into laughters.
The training hall of this human comedy had an harmonious atmosphere immediately.
After the rehearsals there was a meeting to take measurements for the clothes, we also saw Joshima teaching Kato to play guitar. Joshima told him: "Can you do this?" and let him hear a wonderful piece, Kato hesited: "Wait! That's impossible!!". They already looked like a peaceful couple of brothers.
After the rehearsals we asked many things to them two, about their enthusiasm, the building of their characters, etc.
★ Shige's interview ★
My first impression when I read the script was "This is really interesting". But when I read that again thinking that I must play that role I thought "This may be hard". Like, it's not difficult, it's only me who can choose that.
In my previous butai "Seminar" I had the role of a brilliant character too but this time is completely different. I'll be Tatsuya, the good, talented son with a 15 years older brother.
At first it may look like a comedy but it's not like that. It's a work that can make laugh exactly because it isn't an easy comedy.
A human drama may also have some fantasy's part in it, but the main point in this one is that it's something that may happens also in your neighbor's house. Personally I'd want to show this.
"Seminar" was settled in a world very distant from everyday life, it wasn't an easy butai for the spectators too. On the contrary, "Rokugatsu no bitaa orenji" is a butai easy to watch because of this "it may happens to anyone".
About playing it, it's difficult just because it's like everyday life...I'm afraid that if I do only a little mistake it'll be very evident.
The big difference this time is also that I'm working with a Senpai and there's the team work, I'll do my best so that everything will go smooth.
My character Tatsuya is a younger brother but in reality I'm an only child. Before the beginning of the rehearsals I asked about "being a younger brother" to my friends, my mates Koyama and Massu are younger brothers too so I collected many younger brothers' impressions, sensations and common points.
I also thought that for once I could enjoy being a brother, other than playing a role (laughs).
Anyway the main point isn't this. Going on stage and act like a normal younger brother isn't all, that's what I feel.
Because as the story progress the degree of being a younger brother changes.
Of course the main character is that but sometimes Tatsuya feels the opposite, sometimes he shows thoughts that he didn't even image to have...it depends on the scenes.
Somehow he reaches his limits...I can understand Tatsuya's feeling at point it hurts, somehow (laughs). The first day of rehearsals calmed me a lot.
Moreover, Tatsuya has a lot of monologues, I need to do my best here too. Monologues are very important scenes...feelings are not all, it's essential to have skills too.
I talked about them with the director G2, I have to highlight the difference between the script and the monologues objectively...like a play between a play, with a good tempo. The more I'll be able to do that the more it'll become a good, interesting work.
Searching into memories, linking emotions or dividing them...a butai connects all of this, this is the interesting part of it. Working in one again, I'm feeling once again the greatness of theatre and playing a role. The script is very interesting on its own but the first time I read it I didn't imaged a clear picture of it. Doing the rehearsals I finally understood it.
I think that my character is similar to me. On the other side, I feel the difficulty of playing the role of somebody which is not you. You don't have to think "Would I do this?" but you must think as Tatsuya, as another man, "Maybe he'd do this?".
Of course everything pass into my filter, the things I pictures, the things I experiences, the things I simulated...Imagining all this, everything goes into my past experiences, that's where "myself" stands.
It's me who approaches the character and digs into him but G2 also gave me hints, he talked to me so that we could decide together.
For example the movements on the stages are settled, but my personal movements aren't.
I'm often told: "Move like you're in panic", only when I try to do it everything connects.
When I said at the beginning: "I need to think and decide everything", he told me: "That's not necessary, it's ok if you move as you want at the very moment".
Honestly, I'm not good with improvisation (laughs). But if I follow the right feeling the movements should be right too.
I have no problems with my lines but the most important thing acting is to read the scenes in advance thinking.
Every line has its motive...the monologues, the lines, even the most casual words have a meaning, now I'm trying to make those meanings take shape.
Everyday I need to be very focused...when the rehearsals will be over I'll surely fall asleep (laughs).
I think that monologues are really difficult, but I need to look ahead (laughs). The first day I was perplexed...I was stressed but now I understood the reason.
The beauty of acting, of working on a stage play is bigger than the simple enjoyment of the script, that's what I understood. Right now I'm experiencing this beauty.
I want to convey all this, I want this butai to be one where people go out saying "It was good!". I'll do my best everyday!
[Johnny's web - 8.05.2011 - Thanks to daelite that sent me the Japanese text immediately ♥]