The place where plays are born
File.2 Group Reading Musical Drama "Night on the Galactic Railroad 2018"
(Koichi Imai/editor/writer)
When you think of the word "theater," the universities that come to mind are probably Waseda University or Nihon University College of Art.
J. F. Oberlin University in Fuchinobe, Sagamihara City, has a School of Arts and Culture, and it may not be widely known that many actors and dancers from the university have been active in recent years. However, the university's Prunus Hall is home to cutting-edge activities that are nationally well-known.
First of all, the hall is managed and operated mainly by students, and it not only serves as a place for student training and presentations, but also hosts a variety of events as a "theater open to the local community."
To embody this mission, the theater began a citizen participation project called "Night on the Galactic Railroad," which has become a regular summer performance and is the face of the theater. This stage production, created by citizens, students, and professional artists, is celebrating its 12th year this year.
Apparently, a total of 8,521 customers have witnessed it so far.
In Fuchinobe, where Prunus Hall is located, JAXA is located, so the city is known as the "town that spans the galaxy," and the city is designed to evoke the universe, with roads named after constellations and a "Galaxy Festival" held in the summer. In that sense, Kenji Miyazawa's "Night on the Galactic Railroad" is a perfect subject.
Moreover, Kenji's unique style of writing, imbued with a sense of breath, is filled with a desire to convey something. The story, which is themed on the loneliness of the protagonist Giovanni and depicts life and death in a fantastical way, conveys the "human voices" of sadness, joy, and longing. These "voices" are expressed by a cast of local citizens and students of various generations, who were selected in auditions held last May.
The stage is circular with a pond filled with real water in the center, and an island-like acting area is located within it. Chairs are placed around the pond, and although the cast members have scripts, they run around it, dance, and even jump into the water. There is also a collaboration of sounds, including live music, singing, and body percussion. The stage, where dynamic bodies and words filled with Kenji's strong feelings are fused together, is reborn as a very profound world.
Rehearsals only take place over one week during the summer vacation, but we have the same space and set as the actual performance, and can have it all to ourselves from day to night, which is a truly luxurious environment.
The purpose of this project is for the organizers, artists, and participants to provide high-quality performing arts, with the mission of increasing interest in the arts by presenting each other's values regardless of generation, gender, occupation, etc., and promoting artistic activities together with the local community.
"After the event, I received a letter from one of the participants, who said that the way people of all ages were engrossed in performing together on stage was exactly the kind of ideal community that Kenji Miyazawa aspired to, as described in his 'An Introduction to Peasant Art.' I was deeply touched by this."
"One woman who joined when she was 70 years old auditioned again 10 years later at the age of 80 as a memento of the experience, and passed with flying colors. What's more, far from declining in stature, her presence seemed to have only grown more brilliant. I felt that this was a lesson in the importance of perseverance for us as well."
This is a comment that Professor Noso Masao, who is in charge of directing the show, said has made a lasting impression on him from his meetings with local citizens, and it is a fond memory of his.
As the history of the play continues, in 2011, following the Great East Japan Earthquake, the play was created with the theme of "Kenji Miyazawa's Prayer." It was also featured on an NHK program as "a stage for overcoming the earthquake disaster."
In 2014, we went to Nishiwaga Town in Iwate Prefecture, Kenji's hometown, and recruited performers from the local townspeople to create a Nishiwaga version of the work. In 2015, we performed at two theaters, "Fuchinobe" and "Meguro," in collaboration with Meguro Persimmon Hall. In 2016, we performed in Tainan City, Taiwan, and in October of this year, we are planning to perform at the China Academy of Drama in Beijing as part of a university exchange program.
There aren't many works that have developed together with the citizens in this way. I think the driving force behind this is that they didn't just aim for it to be "fun" because it involved citizen participation, but instead charged a fee and aimed to create high-quality works.
The group reading musical "Night on the Galactic Railroad" is becoming more than just the face of the theater, it is becoming the face of the town. The key to making this a reality seems to be how far we can connect with the town.
*Photo courtesy of J. F. Oberlin University Prunus Hall
*All stage photos are from the 2017 performance.
This event has ended.
《Produced by OPAL and J. F. Oberlin University Prunus Hall/Citizen Participation Project》
Group Reading Musical Drama "Night on the Galactic Railroad 2018"
■Date and time: Thursday, August 23rd, 2018 to Sunday, August 26th, 2018
■ Venue: J. F. Oberlin University Prunus Hall
■ Original work: Kenji Miyazawa
■ Screenplay and direction: Masao Noso (Professor, Department of Theater, School of Arts and Culture, J. F. Oberlin University)
■Music: Akiko Kobayakawa (Associate Professor, Music Department, School of Arts and Culture, J. F. Oberlin University)
■Choreography: Hatsune Kanda Farrell (graduate of J. F. Oberlin University School of Arts and Letters)
■ Cast: 23 citizens and students selected through auditions, Hatsune Kanda Farrell (dance), Akiko Kobayakawa (piano)
■Ticket price: Adults 1,200 yen / Students 1,000 yen *300 yen extra on the day
■ Release date: Monday, July 16th
■Start time: 23rd and 24th 19:00, 25th 14:00/19:00, 26th 14:00
■Inquiries: J. F. Oberlin University Prunus Hall Tel. 042-704-7133 (10:00-18:00)
