Kawasaki Romeo & Juliet: An all-Kawasaki project aiming for the world

The place where plays are born
File.2 Kawasaki Romeo & Juliet
Koichi Imai (editor/writer)

One of the dreams of Kawasaki Alice, a theater company based in Kawasaki City, is to make a big splash and expand overseas. It sounds good to say that young theater companies these days know their limits, but it's a little sad that they don't make such bold claims.

Ash, the theater company's director, was a successful musical actress in her twenties with an American touring theater company.

"Working in America naturally requires English as the language. At some point, I began to wonder, 'Why am I performing in English?' I wanted to take the musicals I created in Japan overseas, so I returned to Japan. After searching for a solution for about two years, I heard that Tokyo University of the Arts was creating a theater course, and I thought, 'This is it!' So I went back to university, not to study acting, but to study directing."

Among his encounters with various theater people was Miyagi Satoshi, leader of the Ku Na'uka Theatre Company. Ku Na'uka is a theater company that has developed a unique style in which one actor plays a role, one moving and one speaking. However, what attracted Ash wasn't their acting style, but the fact that they were able to "put Japanese language to music" on stage.
The music that fills our daily lives is Western rhythms such as rock and pop. However, Ku Na'uka's words were set to rhythms that were comfortable for Japanese people. He was also attracted by the company's energetic overseas performances. He was invited to join Ku Na'uka as a director, and continued to work under Miyagi for many years.
When Miyagi decided to move to Shizuoka Arts Centre (SPAC) as its artistic director, he decided to go independent. It is strange how this led to his connection with Kawasaki City.
He got a job teaching drama at a high school, participated in a residency production for an Indonesian company through a connection with Miyagi, and became friendly with the president of an architectural firm. Through a series of intertwining connections, he began his theatrical career.

In fact, many of the members of Kawasaki Alice are former students who, after pursuing various career paths, decided they wanted to continue acting in Kawasaki. The rehearsal space is also provided by the aforementioned design firm. In this way, they gradually began to put down roots in Kawasaki City.
*"Run Melos" at Engakuji Temple in Kamakura

"Through my connection with Miyagi, I also participated in Suzuki Tadashi's drama school in Toga Village. It was a shocking and fascinating experience that completely overturned my concept of theater, but what surprised me most was that he was building close ties with the local community and that his theater work had a social impact. When I thought about it, I realized that I too was interested in connecting with the local community, and it reminded me that 'I love doing things in Kawasaki.'"
*From Toga's "The Blue Bird"

The theater company's name includes "Alice" because it aims to create plays that create an experience where the viewer is suddenly drawn into a wonderland, as if they are being taken away to a surreal world. Eight years have passed since the company was founded, and in 2017, Ash himself won the Outstanding Director Award at the Toga Theater Competition.

In December 2018, he performed two versions of the play, "Kawasaki Romeo & Juliet," sponsored by Kawasaki City to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the opening of Lazona Kawasaki Plaza Sol, with the Kurenai and Hanada troupes.

"I feel like we've reached a new stage as a theater company. I never wanted to end up as just another local theater company, and it was always my dream to take our works to the world. It took a while, but I'm happy that we've reached the point where we've been asked to produce a performance."

* "Yoroboshi" performed with high school students at Plaza Sol

Plaza Sol is a small theater located in a shopping center in front of Kawasaki Station, and the connection was forged when a play was performed there with high school students.
"Romeo and Juliet" is Shakespeare's masterpiece, depicting the short-lived love between two young men from rival families, Romeo and Juliet. The story will be adapted into a musical set in a town resembling Kawasaki about 200 years in the future, with live music included.

"When you say 'Romeo and Juliet of the future,' it brings to mind images of science fiction, but when I create a play, I always imagine what the play will be like seven generations from now. It is a work that has survived for over 400 years, so it will continue to live on into the future. We may live in a world with more advanced technological innovations than we do now, but I believe that basic human activities will remain the same. Even if society and the environment have changed, 'Romeo and Juliet' should still be able to be performed as normal. For the time being, we have set the play 220 years in the future, and as we create the play, we all discuss, 'What will Kawasaki be like by then?' I hope that this performance will serve as an opportunity to nurture the theater people of the future and foster Kawasaki's culture."

Large-scale auditions will be held this summer. The members will be split into two groups: the crimson group will create a production with the artistic performance feel that Ash is aiming for, while the indigo group will create a production that deepens the drama of "Romeo and Juliet."

* Romeo and Juliet production presentation

Inciting conflict is becoming a global trend these days. Kawasaki is a microcosm of this trend, but Ash feels that even with these negative aspects, the city has become vibrant and powerful. How will this story be received?

"I feel that everything in the world is structured in conflict, to a greater or lesser extent. Human beings are inherently prone to conflict wherever they are. Setting aside the question of whether or not it becomes a fight, some things are born from the tension of conflict. This is true of art, for example. I believe that 'Romeo and Juliet' will be a story that resonates with the people of Kawasaki, who live in an environment of conflict and diverse cultures."

Ash hasn't written the ending of the script, as it's something the young actors will work out through repeated rehearsals in Kawasaki. Naturally, the two endings will be different.

"I think there are pros and cons to adapting a classic work. I decided that it would be good to use Romeo and Juliet, a universal treasure, to enrich people's lives, so I started by translating it. I didn't simply set the story in Kawasaki, but aimed to make it our own story. People who live in Kawasaki might find it funny. And I would be happy if the audience who sees this play finds a ray of hope in the tragic story."

* Romeo and Juliet promotion @Kosugi Festa

The members supporting the play are all local Kawasaki friends, as Ash said, "We aimed for an all-Kawasaki production staff." Theatre is a live art, so no matter how interesting something is created, the emotion can only be shared with those who were there at the time. This one-off nature is what makes theatre so appealing, so they focused on the visual aspects to spread information in advance. The local creative team "Nokuchi Base" was behind the production, and their name comes from "Mizonokuchi."

"Even if we wanted to put effort into flyers and the like, our size means that we don't have the budget to do so. This time, the representative of Nokuchi Base said, 'Let's get our fees through crowdfunding.' We'll do our best to create a production that lives up to the enthusiasm of the people of Kawasaki."

This event has now ended.
Lazona Kawasaki Plaza Sol 12th Anniversary Exhibition
"Kawasaki Romeo & Juliet"

■Date and time: December 6th (Thursday) - December 11th (Tuesday), 2018
■ Venue: Lazona Kawasaki Plaza Sol
■Written by: W. Shakespeare
■ Translation, Adaptation, and Direction: Ash (Kawasaki Alice)
■Ticket information: General advance tickets: 4,000 yen / Kawasaki discount: 3,800 yen / University and vocational school students: 3,000 yen / High school students and younger: 2,000 yen
Blue Set: 7,600 yen *Advance reservations only. Includes two performances.
■Start times: 6th and 7th 19:00, 8th and 9th 13:00/18:00, 10th 14:00/19:00, 11th 12:00/16:00