Kanagawa Prefectural Governor Kuroiwa x Director Shirai x Ambassador Yagi “Kanagawa Magcul Talk! (Part 1)”

Ambassador Yagi: Now that you have become governor, what do you feel about the appeal of Kanagawa Prefecture?

Governor Kuroiwa: In the past, for example, after drinking in Tokyo, I would think about going to Yokohama. Kanagawa had a kind of lively culture that was unique to Yokohama. There's something about it that feels exotic. I think Kanagawa has become weaker in that respect lately. The feeling of wanting to be in a place like that again is what makes us ``Magcal.'' Magnet culture, attracting people through the power of culture and art.

Ambassador Yagi: When it comes to culture and the arts, it's not only food culture, but also musicals like Broadway, where people go out of their way to see musicals. You want to create that kind of attractive power. Mr. Shirai, what do you think?

Director Shirai: As the governor said, I feel that KAAT (Kanagawa Arts Theater) is the same. This is the seventh year since KAAT opened. Over the past seven years, that place has gradually become more and more recognized by everyone, and I want to expand it even further. The theater is located near Chinatown, but I have a dream that the area will continue to expand around KAAT.

Ambassador Yagi

Ambassador Yagi: What exactly does an artistic director do?

Director Shirai: As the artistic leader, I am responsible for setting the direction for KAAT, such as what kind of programs we will put together and what kind of orientation we will have in operating this art theater. My role is to receive it.

Ambassador Yagi: The type of play that will be performed will determine the individuality. Each theater has its own personality. If it's Shinbashi Enbujo, then Kinokuniya Hall would do the kind of acting, or something that immediately pops into your head, creating that kind of personality.

Director Shirai: I want to create something artistic and cutting-edge that can't be seen or touched in Tokyo. I want to put on performances that you can't see unless you go to KAAT.

Ambassador Yagi: Are there any projects that you have worked on that you think will be the direction of KAAT in the future?

Director Shirai: The other day, I had the pleasure of working on a 120-year-old piece called ``Spring Awakening,'' and I also performed on a 60-meter-deep stage for a piece called ``The Rise and Fall of Mahagonny'' by Brecht, a master of 20th century theater. I made some.

Governor Kuroiwa: I want Mr. Shirai to do whatever he wants. Magnets are people who go out of their way to see something interesting, saying, ``If you go there, there's always something interesting going on, with Shirai-san at the center.'' I think that is the power of being an artistic director.

Director Shirai: We are planning to have young and mid-sized theater companies create works that can only be done here, centering on KAAT.

Ambassador Yagi: Mr. Kuroiwa's idea of ``magnet culture'' is more like a chemical reaction caused by each individual doing their own thing, rather than adding various things to make it unique to Kanagawa. .

Governor Kuroiwa: Yes. That's why I think it's people after all. Mr. LaSalle Ishii also created an original musical called ``Heads Up!'' at KAAT.

Ambassador Yagi: I saw it. it was fun.

Governor Kuroiwa

Governor Kuroiwa: A work born at KAAT in Kanagawa Prefecture. Mr. Shirai uses Mr. Shirai's color, and Mr. LaSalle Ishii uses Mr. LaSalle Ishii's color. There is also a great director named Kensuke Yokouchi who has been working in Kanagawa for a long time. It's like a lot of different people are competing with each other, bringing out their own colors and making them sparkle in various ways. I'm aiming for something interesting if I go to Kanagawa. The Rugby World Cup final will be held in Kanagawa in 2019. In 2020, she will participate in sailing competitions in Kanagawa at the Tokyo Olympics. At that time, the country as a whole is trying to create a ``cultural program'' for visitors from all over the world to experience. Kanagawa will also seize this opportunity to disseminate many cultural programs unique to Kanagawa. In this context, we will create a concrete stage axis for Kanagawa. Then there are the so-called classics. Let's arrange the traditional performing arts a little.

Ambassador Yagi: Re-classical.

Governor Kuroiwa: Yes, it's a classic. An easy-to-read, modern take on a classic. You can experience the classics while viewing them as something new. If you can discover such things and understand the information well, everyone will go there. I want to create that kind of flow as a whole. I want to aim for things like, ``There's something interesting about Kanagawa,'' and even if you don't know what it is when you go there, you'll find something interesting.

Ambassador Yagi: Are you thinking of any projects within KAAT with 2019 in mind?

Coach Shirai: It was around the time of the World Cup, right? We are currently considering the whole theater for 2019.

Governor Kuroiwa: What's interesting is that KAAT is not just about the stage, but also has something integrated with art. There is a room that uses a single room to create a unique piece of art, with a unique space created by hanging only bright red thread throughout the room.

Director Shirai: Contemporary art is usually done in white box exhibition halls, but I tried to put it into the black box of the theater and bring the work into the theater space.

Ambassador Yagi: Contemporary art using theater.

Director Shirai

Director Shirai: We filled an entire room with works by a contemporary artist called Chiharu Shiota, and had dancers come and perform in the midst of the art. I'm also currently experimenting with the fusion of contemporary art and other arts by having musicians perform for me. We did one this year, and we're planning to do it in a different way next year. Back when it wasn't possible to watch anything on the internet, everyone would go to the theater and enjoy the movie, but with the development of so many different types of media, it's now possible to watch all kinds of things in your hands. The time has come for us to do so. Despite this, I think the best part of theater is when people go out of their way to see it at a set time. That's why I think the special feature of theater is that you can feel it by directly going to the place and feeling it, that when you come into contact with a work of art, you can get excited or feel different emotions than usual. I'm trying to create something that feels like this from various angles. (continued in the second part)