By HIROKO YAMAGUCHI / Staff Writer
By HIROKO YAMAGUCHI / Staff Writer
Shiki Theater Company, one of Japan's best known theatrical companies, will perform a musical set in northeastern Japan for victims of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake.
The musical, "Yuta and Enchanted Friends," will be performed in 13 municipalities in the disaster-hit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures from July through August.
Director Keita Asari said: "I hope the musical will give hope and strength to children."
It tells the story of Yuta, a boy who lost his father. He moves to his mother's hometown in a rural area of the Tohoku region and the frail-looking hero grows stronger with the help of "zashiki warashi" fairies. A legend in the region has it that zashiki warashi bring fortune to people who see them.
The musical, based on a novel by Tetsuo Miura, premiered in 1977 and has been performed many times since. All of the cast are from the Tohoku region and much of the dialogue uses Tohoku dialects, which are known in Japan for their unique rhythms and are sometimes said to sound like foreign languages.
"I want to convey the brilliance of the Tohoku region's culture, especially the beauty of the language," Asari said.
He said the playwright Michio Kato had inspired him to study the language of the area.
"Mr. Kato, my mentor, once said, 'If the Tohoku dialect were the standard language of Japan, Japanese poetic dramas and musicals would be completed one century ahead of time,' " Asari said. "I thought a play using language, which sounds so beautiful, should be highly artistic. I put that thought into 'Yuta and Enchanted Friends.' "
The first performance in the Tohoku region will be held on July 25 in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, followed by Ofunato and Kamaishi in the same prefecture. It will be shown in Minami-Sanriku in Miyagi Prefecture, Minami-Soma in Fukushima Prefecture and other places. Many of the venues will be school gyms. Shiki Theater will invite local children to attend.
Asari said the lack of stage props and equipment will not be a major problem.
"The props and lighting may not be sufficient but, as long as the children can gather around the actors, we will perform anywhere."
Admission will be free and all the costs will be paid by the theater company, which is known for staging the Japanese versions of long-running musicals such as "Cats" and "The Lion King."
"Since I am a drama enthusiast, I am happy as far as I can make and show plays," Asari said. "As the founder of an organization of this size, however, I have to make money to cover personnel costs--not on television but on stage. We perform imported works because it is difficult to maintain the company by showing only Japanese works.
"But, when we can afford to, we want to use our money for children. Our motto is to deliver drama to towns. That prayer makes us keep going and helps our company to expand," he said.