THE INSPECTION PARTY OF YUTA VISITS THE DEVASTATED AREA
Shiki Theatre Company has decided to invite the evacuees of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami to Tohoku special performance of original musical “Yuta and Enchanted Friends” to encourage them from the end of July to the mid August. We will invite the local children in total of 11 cities in 3 devastated area; Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima during their summer holiday.
The staff of Shiki had an on-site inspection tour on June 6, 2011 to see whether the venues (school gymnasiums) can be used.
A school gym
The staff who visited there included Mr. Shigeaki Tsuchiya, a set designer, Mr. Kiyotaka Yokoyama, an assistant director, and the staffs from scenery, sound, and lighting tem. They visited 9 candidate schools in 6 cities; Ofunato, Kamaishi, Otsuchi, Miyako in Iwate, Kesennuma, Minamisannriku in Miyagi.
The party traveled by car and found a mass of rubble, the stranded ships, the bent-over road signs, the severed road…
They headed to the school with accepting these things and the scale of the disaster as reality and felt that it left much destruction behind it.
left:A mass of rubble/ right: the stranded ship
As soon as they arrived to the school, they had a chance to hear the stories from the principle and the board of education about how children are doing after the quakes. There are a lot of school buildings which were swept up by the tsunami especially in the coastal areas and the students who went those schools had to transfer another less- damaged school. Also, there are schools which people are still evacuating to the school gymnasium, let Self Defense Forces use their schoolyard, or building the temporary housing at their schoolyard in a variety of situations.
Concerning the children, the principal and the board of education said “Even though they are doing fine at school, they tend to become mentally unstable when they back to a temporary housing or an evacuation center. It turns completely dark at night so they may feel fear.”
In fact, the party was somewhat relieved by hearing children’s lively voice after arriving to the school despite the hard conditions they were in. However, they fully realize the indelible scars in the hearts of the children.
After having a meeting with them, they carried out the investigation by each section. We have no choice but to change the stage direction since everything is totally different from the theatre. Main purpose of this visit was to find out the plans to meet the conditions of gym.
They have fully checked not only the scale of the venue but also the conditions of floor, the noise and sound, a secondary road, carry-in road for scenery and did in many fields.
Each staff investigates from every angle
Story of the principle at Minamisanriku
“Minamisanriku was entirely-isolated since the communications were all shut down.
In the aftermath of March 11 earthquake and tsunami, approximately 700 people gathered at the gym of the junior high school, and experienced of great shortage of food, water, and blankets. We used every curtain to ward off the cold. Though we could start the classes from May 10, had to cancel the school trip to watch Shiki’s “LION KING” which we go every year. We really appreciate it Shiki visit to perform in Minamisanriku for children.”
Story of the board of education at Kamaishi
“March 11 earthquake and tsunami left children with the unforgettable memory of fear. Even they hear the sirens of an ambulance or a fire engine, we see that children feel agitated. I am sure that this visit will be a big help for them to heal emotional scar.”
Story of the principle at Otsuchi
“Although sad things occurred due to the earthquake and tsunami, we shouldn’t be in the depths of despair. I tell children that we have to try very hard as cheerful as we could at times like this. I couldn’t be happier if they receive the vital power by watching Shiki’s musical.”
Children playing at the shcoolyard
The party immediately set to work with making the stage model after coming back to the centre at Yokohama.
“Yuta and Enchanted Friends” is being performed in Tokyo at Shiki Theatre [AKI]. Aside from the matinee and soiree performances, the company started to rehearsal with
using the temporary scenery. We, all Shiki members, rise up together to proceed projects and to help Tohoku to smile again.
A SPECIAL PERFORMANCE TO TAKE PLACE IN TOHOKU AREA DURING SUMMER HOLIDAY
Shiki Theatre Company will extend to the evacuees a special invitation who are suffering from the Great East Japan Earthquake with performing its original musical “Yuta and Enchanted Friends” in 3 devastated prefectures in 11 cities.
Yuta meets Zashiki-Warashi
“Yuta and Enchanted Friends” sets in a beautiful rural area of Tohoku. A boy, Yuta who has lost his father, was transferred to the new school in Tohoku from Tokyo and desires to end his life from bullying at school. Then, Yuta happens to meet “Zashiki-Warashi” who secretly helps him when he is bullied by classmates. However, Pedro, the leader of the Zashiki-Warashi, and other warashi tell him off saying that;
“Don’t take it for granted that you are alive.” “Unless you polish the stone that’s been given you, it’s a diamond in the rough.” “Yuta was given his life to do something in this world and you’ve got to find that something yourself.”
left: Yuta with Zashiki-Warashi/ right: Battle between Yuta and classmates
“Zashiki-Warashi” is a house spirit and zashiki means a tatami floored room and warashi means a child in Tohoku dialect. They represent children spirits who couldn’t live even though they wanted to because they all died due to a famine, harvest failure, on an infanticide in the old days.
This musical was premiered in 1977 in Tokyo and then moved to Nagoya, Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka, and Kyoto over 34 years. From 2007 to 2008, a national tour of this musical visited more than 67 major cities throughout Japan with the idea “No Bullying” to spread and teach wonderfulness of the life and friendship, and invited 300 thousand children for free.
Curtain Call at the opening night
“Yuta and Enchanted Friends” Tokyo production opened on May 24th, 2011 at Shiki Theatre [AKI]. The basic themes of this musical are “Wonderfulness of life” and “Friendship and Solidarity” (All for one and one for all).” We play to full houses every night.
It is scheduled to perform in total of 11 cities in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima from the end of July to the end of August during the summer holidays. We will invite the local children with the cooperation of local school board of education, school officials and locals. The venue will be the school gymnasium.
THE OPENING OF JAPONESQUE VERSION OF "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR"
Jesus Christ Superstar Japonesque version opened on May 14 at THE SHIKI THEATRE JIYU in Tokyo.
Curtain Call
The rock opera, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice first staged on Broadway in 1971. This is the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ.
The Japanese version aka “Japonesque” version of JCS was first premiered in 1973 by Keita Asari, the founder of Shiki Theatre Company and this was the very first collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Shiki also does “Jerusalem Version.” This Japonesque version of JCS is filled with stylistic beauties such as Japanese Kabuki-style makeup, traditional Japanese instruments and performing arts, Oiran, a large cart, a rickshaw and the siroko, stage assistants dressed in white and the original and has directed by Keita Asari, the founder of Shiki, except the songs. Later, he told that he felt need for an interpreting for Japanese audiences, those who would not be familiar with the Bible and the events leading up to the crucifixion of Christ.
Scenes from JCS
In 1991, Shiki Theatre Company attended the Japan Festival in London, which was to introduce Japanese culture and performed the Japonesque version of JCS with Japanese cast at Dominion Theatre with great success.
JCS at Dominion Theatre in 1991
About 2000 years ago, a young guy preached with his love was Jesus Christ. Why did he end up his life like that? Judas, Simon, Peter, Mary, mob, and policymakers… Don't miss the fate brought by their love and all have their distinctive way of living.
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