For the first timeEngeki of
~ Let's have fun together with children and adults ~ [Kagawa venue]

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dates‍

2023/12/16 (Sat) 13:30 to 15:00

venues‍

IKODE Kawaramachi multipurpose studio
8F Kawaramachi FLAG, 1-3-1 Tokiwa-cho, Takamatsu-shi, Kagawa-ken 760-0054

Lecturers and Performers　Yamanote Geisha Theatre Company

What is the summaryHere

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The venue is a municipal studio in a commercial facility in central Takamatsu. There were several other rooms in the facility, but all of them seemed to be used for various cultural activities, and I felt that this building had become a base for creating and disseminating culture for citizens.
It seemed that some same-day cancellations were made due to influenza, etc., but when I opened it, close to 80 people participated, and it was a very successful workshop, and the troupe members couldn't help but prepare to welcome them.

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Apart from the troupe members, Ueda Yoshiko and others from Theater Design Company, who are involved in various local theatrical performances, were also involved in the production, and participants entered the venue one after another with a smooth response. Many of the participants were families, and there were also many students and people thought to be involved in local theater.
From the opening hours, the troupe members actively communicated with the participants, and succeeded in creating a relaxed atmosphere in the hall from an early stage. There were also participants who were slightly delayed due to the weather, so the workshop started slightly ahead of time.

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Let's start by relaxing with the troupe members. The participants who were sitting on the pier are asked to stand and hit them all over their bodies.
Next, the left and right hands are folded in order, but one hand starts with 1 finger folded and the other hand is not broken at all, then the count is broken by breaking one finger. It seems easy, and this is surprisingly difficult, and these movements gradually become the movement of the entire body. For example, “when you put your hand on your chest, turn it into a par, when it sticks forward, move it alternately left and right,” “move one hand in 2 beats and the other in 3 beats,” and do it with the upper body and lower body, etc., and order movements more and more difficult. After the actors first show it off, the participants also try it out, but it is recognized that it is very difficult because both hands unknowingly move in the same way.
There are explanations from theater company members that it is difficult, but if you train, you can do it, and interest arises as to what kind of exercises the actors usually do.

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Next, the troupe members showed off walking in slow motion due to various “walks.” Participants were asked, “People who want to try it!” When I call out, so many people, mainly children, raise their hands, and they all step forward and challenge the slow motion they have just seen. Naturally, this didn't work very well either, and once again I felt how amazing the physical abilities of the actors were.

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Furthermore, since it is a walk with emotion this time, we will give themes such as “sad,” “happy,” and “angry,” and walk while expressing them. Furthermore, it became complicated feelings, such as “I'm happy but sad” and “I'm angry but happy,” and the troupe members are excited, and they express them one after another. It's fun for the participants to watch, but gradually they become aware of the difficulty, and the number of children hesitating to try it together is increasing. Even at such times, the troupe members gently supported and encouraged participation, and children who were embarrassed tried to express themselves in ways they couldn't do it.

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After this, various exercises combining physical ability and emotional expression are performed, such as taking poses that express momentary emotions from a relaxed state, and both children and adults began to pay attention to the actors' high abilities.
I spent about 80% of the total time working, and after taking a break for about 5 minutes, there was a performance of the small work “Run Melos” by the troupe members at the end. In an environment with no lighting and only music, the story will be expressed using only the physical abilities and facial expressions of the troupe members. The participants, who had already experienced how difficult it was at the workshop, appreciated the work with tremendous concentration.

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There is always a “way of watching” theater, and people who are used to it can get into the work without being particularly aware of it, but for those who aren't, it can actually feel difficult to stick with it. At this workshop, I learned that the initial hurdle of watching a play will be removed by the audience themselves experiencing physical expression.
If participants who know how to watch plays come into contact with many works in the future, and if watching and creating plays becomes their daily routine, then it can be said that this project was a huge success.
Not only the children, but also the adults seemed to have a lot of fun going home.

This project will also be held at the Masuda/Matsue venue in Shimane Prefecture in January 2024.

https://mirai-pjt.jp/n/nd6d8dd6a831b

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Report: Fukunaga Mitsuhiro

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