What is the advance report "Switch Research Institute"?

Cooperation: Tama 1km Festival 2015 http://1kmfes.com/

Even though this is a Kanagawa culture site, this report is from the "Tama 1km Festival 2015" held in Tama Center. You might be thinking, "But Tama Center is in Tokyo...", but the purpose of this trip was to experience the "Tama 1km Festival Switch" by "Switch Research Institute". Switch Research Institute is planning to hold one of the main programs of the "Kanagawa Ri Classic Project 2015", "Isehara Oyama Switch" by Switch Research Institute + Isehara Oyama Switch Researcher, so I went to experience various switches before the Kanagawa Ri Classic Project 2015 to find out what "Switch Research Institute" is all about.

There were a lot of customers on the day, even though it was a holiday! The "Tama 1km Festival" is an event where various artists, including live artists, theater artists, and dance artists, perform on the main street in front of Tama Center Station. As I walked down the main street, I noticed a clasp wallet.

It's only natural that this outdoor space, where many parents and children come to enjoy their holidays, would be a cause for concern.
When I got closer I saw a sign that said "Please turn the purse upside down."
I looked around but there was nothing there, and it didn't look like there was any money in my wallet. Why would I fall for such a suspicious instruction...?

The speed of light was so fast that I gave in to temptation...

"Chariiiin!! I'm so sorry!!"

When I turned around, I saw a woman drop some coins and pick them up.

"Hmm. I guess there are coincidences."

As I walked along, lost in thought, I saw a sign that said, "Please stand here!" Being a coward, I decided to wait until someone stood up, when a woman stood in front of the sign. Then...

"Sorry! Wait? The train was late... I'm so sorry! I must have got you wrong."

The man appeared with great energy and the woman burst out laughing. Yes, the instructions scattered around the square are "switches" that will lead to unexpected encounters for those who follow them. "Switch Research Institute" is a manual performance in which various actions are performed by the actors in response to a single trigger. You could even call it a very short play. My personal favorite switch was this one!

If you raise a red flag...

"This is it! Tama Center is such a beautiful place!"

"Customers! The tour meeting point is here!"

"Customer! Over here! You'll be staying at this hotel tonight."

A group of tourists rush in, thinking they're going to raise the flag! Then the tour guide appears to point out the mistake, and it's a scene that brings smiles to the faces of not only the person who performed the switch, but also the spectators around them. It was so popular that it was performed many times, and the actors who ran over each time were exhausted, but they still performed passionately over and over again. It may be hard to tell from a photo, but this location is really in front of the hotel, just as the lines say. Various dramas that make use of the actual situation of the location are scattered here and there, such as the street lamp and in front of this hotel, and by the end, I was engrossed in searching for where the switch was and what kind of switch it was.

Also, if you pick up a notepad and pen placed in front of the supermarket, a newspaper reporter will appear and give you a scoop on what you're having for dinner tonight! (laughs)

I can't wait to see what kind of "switch" Switch Research Institute will prepare for the stage in Oyama, Kanagawa in November. We were also able to talk to Mitsuse Sashie, director and director of Switch Research Institute, and Oishi Masahiro, deputy director, who was performing passionately as a tour conductor in front of the hotel, despite their busy schedules.

interview

Q: Various theater companies are involved in Switch Research Institute, but could you tell us what led to the formation of the group?

大石：まず「スイッチ」は、2013年12月に劇団「ままごと」が横浜の象の鼻テラスで上演した「Theater ZOU-NO-HANA『象はすべてを忘れない』」で生まれたものです。象の鼻テラスは、横浜の赤レンガ倉庫や中華街など観光地の近くにある無料休憩所を併設した公園です。たくさんの人が通り過ぎたり、くつろいだりしている場所。「象はすべてを忘れない」では、作家が台本を書き、演出家が演出するという一般的な演劇の作り方ではなく、いろんなカンパニーの俳優やダンサーが集まり、その場所にどんな作品があったらいいかを全員でアイデアを出し合って作りました。歌やダンス、紙芝居などいろんなチームに分かれたのですが、その中で、やっぱり「演劇」がやりたいと思考錯誤して生まれたのが「スイッチ」です。そのとき、スイッチを作るチームにいたのが、僕や光瀬さんなど6名でした。演劇は、絵画や音楽に比べて、無視しづらい表現だと思います。公共の場所で突然はじめると、迷惑に思う人もいる。そこで、「お願いごと」を書き添えた道具を置いておき、それに応えたくれた人にだけ上演するというスイッチの形式が生まれました。勝手に自分たちがやりたいようにやるのではなく、お客さんのアクションに応えるという形なら、道行く人に不快な思いを与えず演劇が出来るのではないかと考えたんです。その後、ままごとが瀬戸内国際芸術祭2013に参加したのをきっかけに、香川県の小豆島でもスイッチを創作上演しました。創作したり周りの人と話したりする中で、スイッチというプログラムは、いろんな場所や環境に対応して変化できる可能性を持っていることを確信しました。ぜひ色んなところで上演したいと考えているときに、六本木アートナイト2015のプログラム公募を見つけました。僕が応募したいと光瀬さんに持ちかけて、それなら団体にしようと慌てて立ち上げたのがスイッチ総研です。現在のメンバーは、僕と光瀬さん、象の鼻から関わってくれている青年団の山本雅幸さん、制作の倉持陽介さんです。ちなみに参加してくれている様々なメンバーは、プロジェクトごとに声をかけています。最初の象の鼻の時から参加してくれているメンバーや、僕たちが是非スイッチに出演してほしい人と思った人にその都度声をかけて力を貸していただいています。

Mitsuse : That's absolutely true. If I could add just one thing, both Zou-no-hana and Shodoshima were extremely harsh and hellish, so the actors and I were constantly laughing and saying to each other, "We've got to make a profit because we're going through this!" That was one of the reasons we founded Switch Research Institute.

Q: I heard that in the "Re-Classic Project 2015," switches will be placed on the route of the old Oyama approach, which is at an altitude of 700 meters. Will there be a mechanism that focuses on that location this time as well?

Mitsuse : Yes. As always, we want to do something that can only be done in that place. We are working hard to create new switches inspired by the scenery, famous places, local products, and history of Mt. Daisen. We have already visited Mt. Daisen several times, and we are all fascinated by the power of Mt. Daisen as a "slightly unusual" and "special place" in a good way!

Oishi : That's right. Switch makes the most of the local power for each piece, so I think it will make the most of the atmosphere and topography of Mt. Oyama.

Q: Please say a few words to those who have not yet experienced the Switch.

Oishi : There are many ways to enjoy the switch. If you feel embarrassed about pressing the switch yourself, you can enjoy watching someone else press it from a distance. However, when you listen to the stories of customers who have tried it, it seems that even if you know what's going to happen, watching from the sidelines and pressing the switch yourself and having something happen are completely different experiences. I would encourage you to try pressing it for yourself. Nothing dangerous or scary will happen!

Mitsuse : When we create "Switch," what we pay the most attention to is "putting ourselves in the shoes of the person who presses the switch" - that is, "imagining with all our might that there are other people in this world who have different feelings of pleasure and pain than we do." Even if you press the switch, nothing scary or unpleasant will ever happen. Please, by all means, feel free to come and see this immature little play that we made with the utmost effort of adult means! It's up to you to untie your shoelaces, open the lid of the clay pot, spin the top vigorously, and start the story. All of us at the Research Institute look forward to seeing you in Oyama!

From left: Mitsuse Finger Painting, Masahiro Oishi

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule!!

[Switch Research Institute]
http://switch-souken.tumblr.com
This group was formed in January 2015 to perform the unique and ever-changing work "Switch," which was born out of a project within the theater company "Mamagoto" in a deeper, broader, more ridiculous, and more professional way. The members are Mitsuse Yubiko (Rivers of Japan) and Oishi Masahiro (Mamagoto | Nylon 100°C), who were present when Switch was first created. Their motto is "Doing immature things in an adult way."

*Mamagoto: A group launched in 2009 by playwright and director Shiba Yukio that performs his works.
>> http://www.mamagoto.org/

Mitsuse Finger Painting
Director. Planner, Switch creator, general director. Actor. Active in a wide range of fields of expression, from modern colloquial drama to Spartan contemporary theater, mainly in the theater. After working in Kamkam Minikina and Neko no Hotel, he launched "Nihon no Kawarsu" (Rivers of Japan) in 2006 with writer Fukuhara Mitsunori and others. His unique style of actors manipulating lighting and sound while performing has attracted much attention. Since 2007, he has been continuously involved in theatrical planning by Nibroll choreographer Yanaihara Mikuni. He has appeared in many companies, including the theater company, Motoya Yukiko, Faifai, Tokyo Deathlock, Mamagoto, and the Mikuni Yanaihara Project. Major appearances in recent years: His stage works include "Order to Destroy Large Objects" (written and directed by Fukuhara Mitsunori), "The Cherry Orchard" (written and directed by Yanaihara Mikuni), "Winter Short Stories" (scripted by Fujiki Mitsuhiko, Yamauchi Kenji, and others), "Mother Hooker" (written and directed by Sakagami Shinobu), "Theater ZOU-NO-HANA 2014" (written and directed by Shiba Yukio), and dramas such as "The Brave Yoshihiko and the Demon King's Castle" and "Ofuko-san".

Masahiro Oishi
Deputy Director.
Planning, Switch creation. Belongs to Mamagoto since 2010. Belongs to Nylon 100℃ since 2014. Stays in various parts of Japan, such as Kitakyushu, Nagoya, and Shodoshima, and participates in Mamagoto's creative activities, as well as performing in theater performances mainly in Tokyo and Yokohama. Also works as a facilitator for theater workshops held at elementary, junior high, and high schools and theaters. Main appearances include Mamagoto's "Swing By," "Japanese Adults," and "There's Morning" (written and directed by Shiba Yukio), Mum and Gypsy's "K and Midnight on the Banks" (written and directed by Fujita Takahiro), NODA・MAP's "Egg" (written and directed by Noda Hideki), FUKAIPRODUCE's Hagoromo's "Crossdressing, Crossdressing, Getting Ready for Winter" (written, directed, and music by Itoi Konosuke), Hanchu-Yuei's "Not Born, So I Can't Die Yet" (written and directed by Yamamoto Taku), Nylon 100℃'s "The President's Vampire Chronicle" (written and directed by Keralino Sandorovich), Sample's "The Futon and the Daruma" (written by Iwamatsu Ryo, directed by Matsui Shu), etc.