The Two Noble Kinsmen

Participants
(Playwright/Director) Koyanagi Naoko
(Moon Troupe) Ryuu Masaki, Asumi Rio

Koyanagi: The original work "The Two Noble Kinsmen" came into my hands at just the right time, as I was thinking about what work to produce for Ryū-san and Asumi-san, and I thought that this would fit the two of them. Also, there has been a run of modern-day settings for the Bow Hall shows recently, so I decided that I wanted to try something classic, and I also decided that I wanted to devote myself not as a story creator, but as a dramatist and a director; for these reasons I chose this work. The original "The Two Noble Kinsmen" was a collaboration by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, and the last work of Shakespeare (which still exists). In this tale, the principals are close friends and cousins, the noblemen Palamon and Arcite. These two become prisoners of war of another country, both become smitten with a princess of that land, and they compete for the princess in a duel. Ryū-san will perform Palamon, and Asumi-san will perform Arcite.

Ryū: I read the original, but the first half was difficult, and as I was reading it I also was reading the translator's notes and looking various things up, so I didn't get anywhere with it... But from about the mid-point I read it in one sitting. I think the point may have been the exchange between the two of them in the jail, when Palamon catches sight of a beautiful woman, and then inadvertently tells Arcite. In the original work, that section is quite long. When the beautiful woman is spotted, there's a line where he says, "Ha!"

Koyanagi: I asked the translator Kawai-sensei many things, and it seems that that section was written by John Fletcher. If it were Shakespeare, in the instant that a beautiful woman was spotted, the lines used to express the surprise of that moment would be more like, "so beautiful she shines...". John Fletcher gives a moment of silence, expressing it by the character not being able to say a word. They say that in those days, this was a very novel approach.

Ryū/Asumi:__ Huuuh.

Ryū: We really have to emphasize that scene, don't we? (laughs)

Asumi: (laughs)

Koyanagi: This time, the set is all-white and two-tiered, constructed to imitate an Elizabethan theater, there is a live band behind the set, and you can see the props and costumes upstage.... these are some of the many things that I'm thinking of playing with.

Ryū: Even in what you've told us about wanting to add something to this with the strength of the director, and from being shown the set, I feel that this is going to be an amazingly good learning opportunity for the two of us, and I feel that it's going to be a performance worth seeing.

Asumi: At first I read the original work because I wanted to know the outline, but then I felt that it was very interesting. This time I play Arcite, one of a pair of close male friends, and it's been a while since I've done this kind of play with Ryū-san. I look forward to being tightly involved with Ryū-san.

Koyanagi: In a commercial performance, of course the set and costumes, songs and dances that we show should entertain, but I believe that the foundation is the acting. In Shakespeare's age, there were no sets, the locations were expressed in the dialogue, shown through the acting. I myself have directed shinjin kōen performances for the various troupes, with many chances to focus on the directing and acting aspects, which I felt was very interesting, and then I wanted to create a performance where the main point was to show the acting. In addition, I was contemplating the meaning of Bow Hall, which is used to perform shows which can be done there, and no where else, and I think it will be an interesting challenge. As for the costumes, they have a white base, and then I thought of various ways of doing things, such as perhaps wrapping the villagers in primary colors, while putting the soldiers in armor.

Ryū: Will we also have only one costume?

Koyanagi: No, no (laughs). You'll have a number of them. At first you'll have similar costumes, but finally you'll have completely different colors, to show the different paths you have parted to take. There is something in me that would like to whittle down even the costumes in some way, to show the performance....

Ryū: It sounds very difficult.

Koyanagi: Difficult, but interesting, and I have many ideas floating around. Even the set, for the scene in the jail it won't be a jail set, but rather that you can sense the jail reflected in the curtains; I would like to create a play where you can see that distinction.

Ryū: I feel that that means doing your best with your body alone, no possessions.

Koyanagi: That's right. That is the meaning that I would like to take as a challenge.

Ryū: I think in the Grand Theater there are the sets, costumes, countless things to aid us, so I'm frightened of not having them, but I feel that to perform without depending on these things will be quite a challenge for each and every person. Each of us has a serious responsibility.

Asumi: It feels as if we come together even more.

Koyanagi: In this show there's a fight in the prologue, accompanied only by live percussion. I think it's really not bad.

Ryū: I think it will be a very forceful prologue.

Koyanagi: This time I want to paint a story about the relations between men in a men's society, so I thought it would be good to give it a strong male odor, and gave it a powerful prologue. The two have a complicated friendship, become rivals, it is complex, so much that when they have conflicting views, things turn sour. That is also a part that I want to write interestingly, to highlight as a conversation much like anyone could have today.

Ryū: There's a finale, isn't there?

Koyanagi: In the show there is the set-up for a May Day celebration, and so the finale is the celebration itself. I put it in as a finale so that the play isn't stopped midway.

Ryū: I'm really looking forward to what Mirio (Asumi) and I can do together. In Grand Theater performances, we often have various things together, and lately I feel as if there are things which can only be done by the two of us together. So I think there is a deeper meaning behind the two of us having a show together like this now. Mirio and I are rivals, or rather partners who can draw out each other's charm; I think we are partners who can bing out in each other things which we ourselves don't know we have.

Koyanagi: I suppose it works because your distinctive characteristics are different.

Ryū: We're not completely opposite types, but I don't think we're going down the same path, and our personalities are complete opposites (laughs).

Asumi: (laughs)

Ryū: That's why there are things that we can bring out in each other, which is interesting. This show has novel techniques, methods of expression; there are many things which I've never experienced before, so I'm taking in a naturally increasing number of fresh sensations.

Asumi: This show, it's amazing how driven I am to do things spot-on. There are many underclassmen members, giving it a very youthful feel, and everyone is able to band together. Ever since her shinjin kōen years, I've watched and learned from Ryū-san, and her way of pulling everyone along with her is amazing! She dashes off at the start, "Wow!"

Ryū: I'm impetuous (laughs).

Asumi: No, no (laughs). Ryū-san also does a lot of independent rehearsals....

Ryū: But that was for my own sake 'cause there was somethin' that I couldn't do (laughs).

Asumi: Because I've seen that side of Ryū-san, I also want to have the opportunity to be helpful.

Koyanagi: Of course I want to bring about a good result with this show, but not simply looking at going after the value — through this work I'm creating something I want to express. If I can convey that to the audience, and then link that to a result of value, that is what I think is best. I feel now that this "expressive" work that I've wanted to do for so long has come close now to a good point.... I'm really looking forward to it, and I definitely think it will be interesting (laughs).

Ryū: When I listen to your talk, I think that perhaps we'll be showing a new side of Takarazuka.

Koyanagi: I want to show an atmosphere, as if painting a picture on a white canvas. I want to be able to show, not a "finished" work, but one with a live feel.