Kanagawa Performing Arts Award 2024 Final held
The Kanagawa Performing Arts Award 2024 Final, which brings together not only theater but also performing arts works that involve physicality, will be held at the KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater Large Studio on Saturday, March 16th and Sunday, March 17th, 2024, and the Grand Prize will be decided from among the performed works. The award will also feature the top two groups that won the right to perform in the 22nd Century Flying Frame Selection Tournament, held in January this year for high school students in the prefecture. This time, we spoke to the Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi High School Drama Club and the Hibiki Gakuen High School Yokohama Campus Drama Club about their enthusiasm.
Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi High School Drama Club (22nd Century Flying Frame/Performance on March 16th)
We spoke to five members of the club: Matsumura Haruka, Sato Kikai, Jinguji Ena, Tosa Megumi, and advisor Sugihara Koji.
-What motivated you to apply for the competition?
Matsumura : Last year, I participated in the predecessor competition, the Kanagawa Short Play Awards, and I remember being overwhelmed by the new theatrical performances by other groups that made full use of physical expression. I was thinking about participating again this year, when I learned that the name of the competition would be changed to the Kanagawa Performing Arts Awards. When I heard that the competition would place more emphasis on physical expression, I felt a strong desire to take on the challenge again, which is what prompted me to apply.
Members of the Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi High School Drama Club (Photo provided by Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi High School Drama Club)
-You have also participated in previous tournaments. How do you feel about being selected as one of the top two teams this time?
Matsumura: When I heard the results, I felt that the audience and judges could see that we had truly enjoyed performing. Soon after the performance, I felt that the audience was excited, and I felt that they were enjoying our play, which allowed me to perform with great energy.
Sato: We took on the challenge right after another tournament in the fall. We didn't achieve the results we were aiming for at that tournament, but we used that disappointment as motivation to "if we're going to do it, we're not going to do it half-heartedly, we're going to do it with all our might and we worked hard to practice to the fullest, despite the short preparation time and tight schedule. As a result, we were selected as one of the top two groups, and we were really happy.
Jinguji: Tosa- san and I wrote the script together, and we participated this time. We had little experience with having our own scripts used in a stage production, so we were a little nervous. When we saw the performances by the other groups during the show, we thought that each of them was so wonderful that it wouldn't have been surprising if anyone had been chosen, so when our name was called, we were both happy and surprised.
Although Tosa and I worked on the script, I was a bit worried about whether it would work out. During the performance, I was in charge of lighting, and could see the audience's reactions from backstage. I felt a sense of accomplishment from the cheers and laughter, and was relieved that they had accepted our play. When the top two groups were announced, I was more surprised than happy. At first, I didn't really feel like we'd been selected, but then something started to well up inside me.
22nd Century Flying Category Selection Tournament Award Ceremony (Photo provided by Kanagawa Prefectural Atsugi High School Drama Club)
- I can really sense each of your thoughts. Please tell us about the content of the work and what its highlights are.
The play is titled "With You Again on a Plate" by Jinguji Tosa . The setting is inside a refrigerator. The main character is a croquette. The story begins when a croquette is thrown into the refrigerator. Various ingredients are divided into croquette faction and menchi-katsu faction, and they argue about which is better. In the midst of all this, croquette meets menchi-katsu and falls in love, making this a romantic comedy.
Matsumura: This is my first time playing a food ingredient. As I deepened my character development, I tried to become the ingredient and interpret its feelings, wondering, "I wonder what feelings are hidden in the background?" It was interesting because I was able to realize something new. I think you'll enjoy the play even more if you watch it while imagining how each club member created their character. Also, this is a production that we all contributed ideas to, from the script to the sound and lighting, and the entire stage, so I hope you'll enjoy the world view as well.
Sato: It's an innovative play in which the characters are food ingredients. Apart from Croquette and Minced Cutlet, each character also has their own unique personality, so I hope you'll pay attention to all of them.
Jinguji: I would also be happy if everyone paid attention to each character. When I was creating the story, I thought about it from scratch in my own head, wondering what each ingredient was thinking and why it was acting that way. There are many unique characters, so I hope everyone will enjoy watching.
The story unfolds in a refrigerator alongside Tosa Croquette, and the emotions it evokes are all part of the story, but I think it's a work with a very warm atmosphere at its core. I'd be happy if the audience could feel that. I hope to create a sense of unity that gets the whole venue excited.
-Your unique character is very interesting. Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for the final and a message to the audience.
Matsumura: We've participated in various competitions up until now, but this is our first time performing on such a large stage. All the members of the club are very excited. I believe that theater wouldn't exist without an audience, so we want to perform with gratitude for the people who come to watch. I don't think there are many plays in which ingredients are the main characters. We will do our best to act in a way that makes people think of the ingredients when they see them in their daily lives after seeing our play.
As I'm participating in the Sato Hisho slot, I want to bring to everyone the passion and freshness that only high school students can bring! As this will be the opening performance of the Kanagawa Performing Arts Award 2024 Final, I will be giving it my all. Please come and see it.
As the opening piece of the Tosa Tournament, I would like to support the club members behind the scenes so that the audience will feel a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Jinguji: We still have little experience on stage, so we feel a bit nervous, but the script we wrote is a treasure to us. We will deliver this original work with our own thoughts. We hope that the audience can see how much we enjoy performing.
Sugihara-sensei , this production is an original creation by the club members. I think it's easier to empathize when playing people of the same generation, but this time the characters are food ingredients. While they can express themselves freely by personifying them, they had to come up with their own ideas from scratch. I think they really worked hard despite the limited time. I've been the advisor for the Atsugi High School Drama Club for many years, and while each generation has its own merits, I feel like this is a turning point for the club. The fact that they're able to perform on a big stage at this time means a new wind is blowing. Personally, when I saw their work, I thought it was more interesting than I'd imagined. I can sense everyone's strong determination to have come this far as a unified team. Please come and see it.
Hibiki Gakuen High School Yokohama Drama Club (22nd Century Flying Frame/Performance on March 17th)
We spoke with club members Obata Asahi and Iijima Ami.
-What motivated you to apply for the competition?
Obata: I participated in the Yokohama Municipal High School Drama Presentation Regional Tournament in the autumn, and I wanted to make use of what I learned there, such as the practice I had done up until then and the experience of performing in front of an audience. I thought the 22nd Century Flying Category Tournament would be a good opportunity to participate without having to wait too long, so I decided to apply.
Iijima: It all started when I participated in the 22nd Century Flying Category Tournament last year. Last year, I didn't achieve my goal of being selected as one of the top two schools. This year, I was determined to try again.
Members of the Hibiki Gakuen High School Yokohama Campus Drama Club (Photo provided by: Hibiki Gakuen High School Yokohama Campus Drama Club)
- I could feel each and every one of your thoughts. How do you feel about being able to achieve your long-awaited goal of coming in as one of the top two teams?
Obata : We all felt that our desire to make a good play had been conveyed, and we were all very happy. We were also happy that being selected meant that we could actually perform our play more often.
Iijima: I couldn't put into words how happy I was, and at first I couldn't believe it. It felt like the things I'd done in club activities up until that point had finally been recognized, and I was really glad that I had worked so hard with the other club members up until then.
- I can't wait for it to be performed on a big stage. Please tell us about the content of this production and what we should look forward to.
Obata 's work "Kotori no Ouchi" depicts the protagonist, who is locked in the basement by his biological parents for a certain reason, using his own strength to move forward. In the protagonist's family, there are people who try to treat the hardships they each face as if they don't exist, and people who take out their frustrations on others to cover up their problems. I tried to depict the protagonist's feelings as he faces his hardships and moves forward, focusing on the perspective.
22nd Century Flying Category Selection Tournament (Photo provided by Hibiki Gakuen High School Yokohama Campus Drama Club)
--I'm curious to see how the main character will progress. Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm for the finale and a message to the audience.
Obata : It's the same program as the selection tournament in January, so I'll try to perform even better than then. I'll do my best so that everyone in the audience can enjoy it to the fullest.
Iijima: At the performance on March 17th, I want to have fun and perform an interesting play without any regrets. I want all the members of the club to work together to create a space where the emotions felt during our play will linger in the audience's hearts even after the performance has finished, and where they can take home the same emotions they felt during our play!
After practicing day after day, they finally reach this big stage. Please come to the venue to see the fresh performances of the high school students who fully immerse themselves in their roles and enjoy themselves to the fullest in front of a large audience.
