Fun for both viewers and participants! 《Kamo Fest '19》 Roundtable discussion just before the opening
The Kanagawa Kamome "Short Theater" Festival 2019 (commonly known as "Kamofesu '19") aims to nurture the next generation of creative theater artists and disseminate a new type of theater called 20-minute "short plays."
As the main event of the festival draws near, Ippo Matsumoto of "Breaststroke Honten" who won last year, Norihito Nakayashiki (Persimmon Eater) who changed from last year's judge to challenger, and last year's contestant who participated with a theater troupe. , Kunihiko Onodera, who wrote the best play in this year's drama competition, came together to ask us about how they enjoy the Kamo Festival and their enthusiasm for the main competition.
Please tell us how you became interested in theater.
Nakayashiki : I first realized this when I played the role of Captain Hook in ``Peter Pan'' at a game party when I was five years old. Real life isn't always interesting, so the world of Peter Pan is definitely more interesting. In my childish mind, I thought, ``Why can't we go to the world of Peter Pan?'' And theater was the way to go there. Because theater is an overwhelmingly fictional world, you can become a different person, learn about a different world, and even encounter your own emotions that you have never encountered before. And customers can not only watch but also experience it together. I think that's the magic of theater space.
Matsumoto : I encountered theater at a school festival in my third year of high school and thought, ``This is it,'' so I majored in theater at university. Compared to movies and books, the number of plays you can see in a year is limited. You can watch over 1,000 movies a year, but no matter how hard you try, you can only watch two plays a day. That's why this single stage is a valuable opportunity for both the customer and the creator. It's analog and very inefficient, but I feel that there's something about the theater space that can never be conveyed unless you go there and share the time.
Onodera : I think it's interesting that theater allows you to do things that don't make sense. The plays I write are random, so sometimes people say, ``I don't know what I'm saying'' on set, but theater helps me solve that problem (lol).
What do you think is the fun of short plays?
I think events like the Nakayashiki Kamo Festival, where multiple short plays are performed, are the best places to train. If you have 2 hours, you can squeeze in laughter, tears, emotion, and more, but in 20 minutes, you can clarify your core, ``What do you want to do most right now?'' What do we think of as “theatre” and how do we want to meet our customers? It's also exciting because there are so many things you can do by making it shorter. I think that's what makes short plays so interesting.
MatsumotoWe took on the challenge of creating a short play for the first time last year. There are things that can be conveyed and things that cannot be conveyed within the constraints of 20 minutes, so I think this is where you need to be creative. We need to think about what we are competing with and what points to focus on in our work, and since we can't cram in too many things, we end up creating something stronger.
Onodera : Last year I also wrote a short play for the first time. Up until then, I had never given myself any time constraints, but I was able to fit it in surprisingly easily (lol). The other day, during a drama competition, I was given a reading of another work that had been nominated for the final round, and although I may be presumptuous, I thought it was very skillful. I thought how clumsy I was compared to that. Maybe it's better if it ends quickly so you don't have to worry about it (lol).
Nakayashiki : I don't do it with that mindset in mind (lol).
At the Matsumoto Kamo Festival, you can see works by five groups from all over the country in one day. I think the luxury of being able to watch a collection of highly entertaining works by theater companies from all over the country can only be achieved by the 20-minute limit.
Nakayashiki Yes. I think it's fun for our customers to be able to see a variety of works. You can grasp the most appealing aspect of a theater company in a short amount of time...or rather, for us, it's a problem if you don't grasp it (lol). People tend to think that because it's a short story, there isn't much to offer, but I think it has enough depth to make you think otherwise.
You participated last year as well, but what is the appeal of Kamo Festival?
Matsumoto : I get to meet all kinds of people and groups from all over the country. We usually work in Tokyo, but it is difficult for us to go out on our own. Last year, there were theater companies from Shimane Prefecture, Miyagi Prefecture, and South Korea that participated, and the most fun part is meeting those people.
Onodera : I don't interact with the outside world on a daily basis, so I don't know much about what other theater companies are doing. When I meet him sometimes, I feel like I'm Taro Urashima (lol). For me, festivals are a place to learn about fashion. It was also fun that we shared a dressing room and got to talk with people from other theater companies.
Nakayashiki Last year I participated as a judge, but this time I wanted to participate purely as an artist. When you interact with other groups, you can see your weaknesses and new sides. Theater companies should participate in the Kamo Festival and do short plays because it will make them realize what they have to do!
Matsumoto : High school theater groups will also be participating this year. Nowadays, high school theater is said to be really interesting, so I'm really looking forward to it. At the same time, we have to make a difference as professionals. As a company, I think we need to improve our precision, density, and skill one step further than we have in the past.
Nakayashiki : From the customer's perspective, there are no professionals or amateurs, and age doesn't matter. From the performers' side, I think everyone loves theater and has the same desire to deliver something to the audience.
Matsumoto: I remember well that last year, during a review, Mr. Nakayashiki told me about my approach to writing plays, saying, ``It's just right, but it's not the best.'' Last time was Morihiko Takeshige's first time writing a script, but since then he has also written new scripts for the theater company's performances, so this will be his third attempt. I'm really excited, hoping to break out of my shell and create a scene that's different from what I've seen before.
Onodera Last year, I participated as a theater troupe, so I also appeared on stage as an actor. At that time, I remember that Mr. Nakayashiki, who was on the judging panel, told me, ``The script is fine, I'll direct it.'' That's why I applied with a play this time (lol).
Nakayashiki Oh, did you say that? However, this is my first time collaborating with Onodera-san, so I think there's no point in slipping up. Mr. Matsumoto has experience of success last year, so there's a lot of pressure on him.
Matsumoto :Certainly, there are some parts that are a little difficult to handle (lol). Last year, after the theater festival, I was able to perform at the Kanagawa Prefectural Hall Conference Hall on the opening day of the Kanagawa Prefectural Office in May as an award-winning commemorative performance, which left a very strong impression on me. Since it was part of the Golden Week event, most of the customers didn't come to see the play, but just happened to stop by. Even so, many people stopped to watch and the venue was packed to capacity. Through these so-called activities outside of the theater, I felt that I wanted to make contact with more people.
In that respect, Kamo Fest is a project that is easy to visit even for people who are not normally interested in theater. Many different organizations will be participating, so I'm sure you'll find something you like!
Nakayashiki ticket prices are also quite reasonable. You can see 5 groups for just 1000 yen. It's only 2,000 yen to see all the movies, so it's definitely a good deal (lol). Please come and visit us!
《We received a special message! 》
《Kanagawa Kamome “Short Play” Festival》
Main race schedule
[Public rehearsal] March 21st (Thursday/Holiday)
*You can watch the practice of all works for free.
[Main match/Group A]
① March 22nd (Friday) Doors open 18:00 / Performance starts 18:30
② Sunday, March 24th Doors open 15:30/Start 16:00
Shonan Teatro☆dell'arte (Kanagawa Prefecture) (public recruitment)
Ennui (Tokyo) (public recruitment)
Theater Company 120○EN (Fukushima Prefecture) (public recruitment)
Norihito Nakayashiki = Persimmon Eater (Tokyo) Performance of the play competition's best work ``Modern Lovers Adventure'' by Kunihiko Onodera
Gekidan Hiroshi Gun (Nagasaki Prefecture) (Gekitotsu x 20 minutes winning group)
[Main match/Group B]
① March 23rd (Saturday) Doors open 13:30 / Performance starts 14:00
②Sunday, March 24th Doors open 11:30/Start 12:00
21gza (Kanagawa Prefecture) (public recruitment)
Yokohama Suiran High School Full-time Drama Club (Kanagawa Prefecture) (22nd Century Flying Frame Winner)
Rusan Chika (Kyoto Prefecture) (public recruitment)
Morihiko Takeshige x Breaststroke Main Store (Tokyo) (previous year's highest award winning organization)
Stardust Loneliness (Hokkaido) (Kyobun Festival winning organization)
【venue】
KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater Large Studio
【ticket】
tvk ticket counter TEL.045-663-9999 (10:00-15:00/weekdays only), etc.
*Official site
http://kamofes.jp/
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Applications for the giveaway have ended. Thank you for your many applications.
《Special present》
We received autographed colored paper from Onodera-san, Nakayashiki-san, and Matsumoto-san to all Magcal.net readers!
We will give you one of these as a gift, so please apply!
[Application summary]
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【Application method】
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[Application deadline] Until 24:00 on Sunday, March 24th
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