Ako

[rachpena]

Everyone at work knows I'm into this strange thing called Takarazuka. A Japanese co-worker now tells me whenever she reads something about Takarazuka in the Japanese news. She returned from the Ashland Oregon Shakespeare Festival with the program and someone named Ako played the lead in the play 'Throne of Blood

Comments

[dramaturgca]

She's older, into her fifties, I would say, so look around the classes 25-35 years ago. She was very very good at Ashland though.

[rachpena]

You saw her? Great! Does this mean you're in Oregon? It would be nice to know another fan in the state.

[dramaturgca]

I did see her! Throne of Blood was really interesting and I would definitely say that she was the best part. And unfortunately no, I'm in Victoria, BC, I took a weekend with one of my best friends, who is an Oregonian, to do Ashland, as we're both insane Shakespeare nuts.
My best guess of who she is, on not very much research at all so I'm probably deeply wrong, is You Akina.
The artistic director at Ashland did confirm that Ako will be back with the company next season, so you should have another shot.

[fyrie]

I found some more details and her full name is Atsuko, so possibly this is her? I can't really tell.

[rachpena]

Kind of looks like her....I wonder

[onion_mob]

Whoa, interesting! My local Shakespeare festival did Macbeth with an all-female cast this summer. Are we starting to see the influence of Takarazuka on American theater, or is it just a coincidence?

[rachpena]

The LA Womens' Shakespeare group has been around for at least 15 years now. They are fantastic. If you ever have a chance go see them

[onion_mob]

Ooh, I'll have to check them out!

[rachpena]

Here is their website. Unlike Takarazuka a woman may play a man in one play and a woman in another. It's amazing how different they look in the different roles. I highly recommend them.

http://www.lawsc.net/

[ekusudei]

Hmmmm... According to this blog entry/introduction, she was in the original Takarazuka "Oklahoma", which puts her in either Star Troupe or Moon Troupe in 1967, and she was a musumeyaku (but too tall to ever make top musumeyaku).

The wording is a bit unclear, but it's possible that she debuted in 1967 as well....

[inbuninbu]

ekusudei is right, the wording is somewhat unclear but it seems likely that she debuted in 1967...It also mentions that she was a bit too tall to be a top musumeyaku so I had a look at a list of hatsubutaisei in '67 but since they had much more of a habit of 'Siennes of medium height swapping between otokoyaku and musumeyaku, and I don't know if the "under/over 165cm" rule was in force then, it's basically impossible to tell.

Also I had a quick look at other productions she has been in but in all of them she is listed simply as "Ako" so I conclude that by using such a ubiquitous single name as her stage name she has concealed her tracks well and it would be tricky to find out her true identity without really searching. Which is presumably just what she intended!