Winner of “2nd Kanagawa Kamome Short Drama Festival”! Interview with Chili Actors Theater Company & Judge LaSalle Ishii

In the first part, we introduce the report on the 2nd Kanagawa Kamome Short Drama Festival. “ Theatrical groups from all over the country and abroad gather! Short plays from Yokohama spread to the world! Report on the 2nd Kanagawa Kamome Short Theater Festival ”

“Next time, I want to travel to all 47 prefectures with Shizu Uchi ni!”
Theater company Chili Actors (Hiroshi Oshima, Shun Ikeya, Suzuka Kimura) winner interview

――The public screening and award ceremony for the 2nd Kanagawa Kamome Short Drama Festival have just ended, but following on from ``Gekiou Kanagawa V'', which I covered on Magcal last year, ``Shirazunouchi'' He achieved consecutive victories in ``Ni''. Congratulations!!

Oshima: I was really surprised! When the results were announced, I couldn't believe it at all. When I was performing in ``Gekiou Kanagawa V'', I cried because of the joy that what I wanted to do was recognized, but I never expected that at ``Kamome Short Theater Festival'', where talented people from all over Japan and Asia gather, I would only do something so stupid. do not have…….

Ikeya: Absolutely!!

Oshima: I was dumbfounded, wondering if ``Shizu Uchi'', which had no theme at all, could be so well received.

Chili Actors Oshima-san

――Prior to the ``Kamome Award,'' you won the ``Audience Award'' after placing first in the audience vote, so you must have had a hunch, right?

Ikeya: No, no! No matter how many reviews I received from the audience, I had no idea what criteria the judges would use to vote, so I had no confidence at all during the judges' vote. I was really scared. So I was really relieved when the results were announced.

Kimura: I was happy that we won the Audience Award, but when I was told, ``Since we're a theater company in Kanagawa, it's only natural that we get audience votes,'' which is true, I thought, ``Ah, that's it.'' I even won the ``Kamome Award'', so I was very happy that the judges also appreciated it.

――When the judges were giving their comments, not everyone mentioned Chili Actors' name, so they must have been even more excited.

Oshima: That's right. So, I was happy when Mr. Yanaihara (Mikuni) praised me and said that he liked me, and I was even more surprised when Mr. Narui (Yutaka) suggested my name as a candidate for the ``Actor Award.'' I was sure that Ikeya would be praised for my work, so when Mr. Narui said, ``The Chili Actors...'', I criticized him.

Ikeya: That’s right!

Oshima: The moment I hit the water, I heard "Oshima" and thought, "Seriously!?" There was no way I could stand (laughs).

Kimura: It’s true!

Ikeya: That's why they decided to go for Oshima!! (lol)

--The stage performance of "Gekiou Kanagawa V" was wonderful, but this time too, you showed your true potential. It was decided that ``Shirazu Uchino'' will be performed again at the ``Kamome Short Story Theater Festival'', but what did you keep in mind this time?

Oshima: Originally, it was a play that I didn't plan on performing on a big stage like KAAT's big studio. When the stage gets bigger, the laughter tends to fade, so I was conscious of using my body as powerfully as possible to grab the audience. Also, when it came to the details of the production, what we wanted to do was to create laughter in the interactions between the actors and the changes in their relationships, so we changed that to make it easier to understand. I really used the advice from the judges at "Gekiou Kanagawa V" as a great reference.

――This time, you performed not only with national teams but also with overseas teams. What were your impressions?

Kimura: I saw all the productions in the first episode as an MC, and this time as well, I was able to see all the productions, and I was still impressed by the overseas theater companies. That kind of vividness doesn't exist in Japan, and the actors are very good. For everyone in Japan, those from Kansai felt like Kansai, and even those from Kyushu felt that there was a play that was not found in Kanto. I learned a lot from watching a variety of productions, not only seeing the differences between theater companies but also the regions. It was a very enjoyable four days.

Chili Actors Kimura-san

--What impressed you the most?

Kimura: It's the Gekidan Masterpiece Cornfield, which moved me last year as well. This time, Yoon Chun, who played the role of the father, was replaced by a substitute, and I cried when I saw Yoon Chun's version on GenePro. That's how great it was. Even though the substitutes had only been able to rehearse for a few hours before the actual performance, I was moved to tears by the fact that they were able to act so well. It was a very emotional work.

Ikeya: I was also very happy to be able to see performances by people who I would never have been able to see if they were only active in Kanagawa. The ideas, the actors' techniques, the details of their movements. Everything about it was an exciting event, and I realized that I still have a long way to go as an actor. The one that left an impression on me was the overseas group. I was able to see Co-coism from Taiwan's Asuwago Seisakusho twice, once at General Productions and once for the actual performance, and during the actual performance, I didn't even have to watch the subtitles in the middle of the play because it conveyed so much of the content that it really touched my heart. I thought it was amazing and I couldn't compete with it at all.

Chili Actors Ikeya-san

――Which theater company are you interested in, Mr. Oshima?

Oshima: The first person I was conscious of was Blue Egonaku from Kyushu. The director, Mr. (Shinichi) Anasako, is 26 years old, just like me, and he formed the theater company in 2012, along with Chili Actors. Moreover, I heard that Anasako-san is a former rapper and does some very edgy things, so I was really interested in him. I think there is something like fate that made us end up in the same B block. Also, Wanwans from Hokkaido had a similar way of making me laugh, so I was curious about them.

--One of the charms of the Kamome Short Drama Festival is that you can meet rivals from all over the country.

Oshima: That's right (lol). I think it's a great deal to be able to enjoy so many different theater companies and their works all at once in Yokohama. Tickets cost only 3,000 yen and you can see up to 6 groups. As I said at the award ceremony, I would be happy if more people learned about this event and more theater companies started aiming for this event.

--I have high hopes for Chili Actors' success as the champions of the "Kamome Short Drama Festival"!

Oshima: I am really happy to receive such a wonderful “Kamome Award”. I have one goal in mind, and this play, ``Shizu Uchi'', is a play that anyone can enjoy and make everyone laugh. Twelve groups gathered in Yokohama this time, but I think there are people all over the country who are doing short plays and who want to see them. So, I would like to take ``Shirazu Uchi ni'' with me and tour all 47 prefectures like a band on a national tour. This work can be performed as long as there is space for three people to stand, so I would love to make it happen!

“A new play that shatters preconceptions while preserving tradition!”
“2nd Kanagawa Kamome Short Theater Festival” judge LaSalle Ishii interview

-- Mr. LaSalle Ishii, you were also a judge at the first competition last year, but what are your thoughts after the second competition?

Ishii: This year, we changed the system from last year, eliminating the preliminaries and finals and making it a 20-minute race until the end. I think it's a good thing that it's fair and gives us a variety of options. All of them were masterpieces. However, at the public screening, only two judges could comment on each work, and some could not talk about the work they wanted to talk about, so I think the critique part was not as good as it was for the audience compared to last year. I wonder if there is. In addition, there were times when the presentation process was not smooth and the slides were difficult to read, which slowed down the proceedings, and I was disappointed that the award ceremony lacked excitement. Next time, if you let me serve as the host, maybe we can solve that problem.
Another thing I felt was the importance of audience votes. Regional representatives who can draw support from the Kanto area will definitely have an advantage, so I think we need to correct that next time. Also, since audience votes tend to sway towards works with strong entertainment elements, I thought we should consider this in the future.

Mr. LaSalle Ishii who served as a judge

--As a theater person, what do you feel is the most significant about this theater festival?

Ishii: I think it's quite difficult to continue doing theater in rural areas. I would like many people to see it not only in their own town but also in many other places. To that end, I think it is significant that this theater festival provides encouragement once a year, and allows theater companies to get to know each other through this festival, allowing them to invite each other to their respective locations.

――The ``Kanagawa Kamome Short Theater Festival'' gathers excellent short works from all over the country, but Mr. Ishii, please tell us the points you focused on during this judging process. Were there any differences from last year?

Ishii: I didn't read the play in advance this time because I thought that reading the play first would hinder my first experience with theater. I think that would be better for purely judging plays. For this reason, it was extremely difficult to select the winner of the Drama Award in a short amount of time during the judging process. If the ``Drama Award'' is to continue in the future, I think it would be a good idea to appoint another jury and decide on the outstanding works in advance.

--Which of the participating groups and works performed this year was particularly impressive, and why?

Ishii: The play about gay couples in Taiwan (Ashiwago Seisakusho Co-coism ``Concrete Jungle'') and the one-person play about the morgue of the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake (Gin's Bar ``The Snow of Ihatov'') are impressive. did. In the former, the direction was stylish and the actors were good. The latter was also deeply moving, without making me feel the pain of watching a one-man show.

--If there is no catchy information in commercials, such as whether a famous actor or director is involved or the original work is famous, I think it would be difficult for theater beginners to attend a live stage performance. What kind of ideas do you think are needed to make events like the Kanagawa Kamome Short Drama Festival more popular among the general public?

Ishii: First of all, I think we need to invite more audiences other than those involved in theater. For this reason, of course, advertising is important. Make your flyers and copy more catchy, broadcast videos of last year's award-winning works, and feature the actors and directors of theater companies that regularly participate to increase your fan base and encourage people to come see the actors and theater companies you are looking for. I think that such efforts will be necessary in the future.

--Last year, the original musical ``HEADS UP!'' produced by Mr. Ishii, which was performed at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theater, became a hot topic of conversation. How do you feel about the success of “HEADS UP!”?

Ishii: I'm very grateful to KAAT for taking the gamble to actually stage an idea that only existed in my head. Most of all, I was glad that we were able to work together and consult with the KAAT staff about this and that, rather than relying solely on my own opinion. Our cooperative structure is solid, and I don't think we could have done it without KAAT. A work like ``HEADS UP!'' would not have been created with a major company that produces musicals. In that sense, we are proud that we have created a very unique Japanese original musical.

――``HEADS UP!'' was also a very meaningful work as a Magcal project. Furthermore, as a member of Magcal Table, Mr. Ishii is working hard to develop entertainment culture in Kanagawa Prefecture. How do you feel about the Magcal initiative? Also, how would you like to develop Magcal's activities in the future?

Ishii: The efforts of everyone at Magcal are amazing. Probably, but to be honest, since starting Magcal, your workload has increased, so isn't it tough? However, it is amazing that Governor Kuroiwa (Yuji) has taken his proposal seriously and is producing steady results even with a limited budget. Due to my busy schedule, I am sometimes unable to participate, but I would like to continue to do whatever I can.

--This year as well, many young theater artists gathered for the Kanagawa Kamome Short Theater Festival. Mr. Ishii, what do you hope for future young theater artists?

Ishii: Breaking down established expressions while preserving the traditions of theater. I would like you to create more and more new things like this.