This interview with Ren Tsukasa about her then-upcoming first junior lead in ALL FOR ONE was published in the August 2017 issue of online magazine With Takarazuka. (Archive link here.)
Fairy Interview: Ren Tsukasa, Moon Troupe
Moon Troupe’s midsummer Grand Theatre production, the romantic action musical All For One – d’Artagnan and the Sun King, a reimagining of the world-famous classic The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, plays until August 14th. Ren Tsukasa, who is polishing her skills in order to become an otokoyaku with a wide breadth of abilities, takes on the challenge of her first junior lead.
In the spotlight as Moon Troupe junior cast protagonist d’Artagnan
The Moon Troupe Grand Theatre performance All for One – d’Artagnan and the Sun King, opened on July 14th, and on August 1st Ren Tsukasa, who is in her 7th year as a member of the company, performs to high expectations in her first lead role. “While I was very surprised when they first informed me, right now I’m full of happiness. In order to live up to the high responsibility of being given a lead role in my last year of being eligible for junior performances, I intend to rehearse as much as possible.”
In her junior performances so far, Ren Tsukasa has played many major roles performed by senior stars. She has even been in the Top Star’s glittering spotlight in the past. That happened in the junior performance of the 2014 Grand Revue Takarazuka Flower Poems 100!!. In scenes 7 and 8, she danced Top Star Ryuu Masaki’s role of ‘the young monk’.
“For the first time in my life I was in the same light as the Top Star – everything around me went white, and I was blown away by how powerful the light was. The year before that, in 2013, I played Donald Dawson in the junior performance of Lupin – Arsene Lupin. That was my first truly big role. In the junior performance of 1789 – Les Amants de la Bastille, I had the part of Robespierre, which was played by Tamaki Ryou-san in the main cast. It had a lot of lines, and I learned a lot through playing that role. In January of this year, I played a female role as Rafaela in the junior performance of Grand Hotel, so I was able to have a new performing experience. Since I have been blessed by being given so many major junior roles, I want to take all of my experiences until now and use them to take on my rehearsals as d’Artagnan.
Ren Tsukasa has longed for a future on stage since she was a child. She studied classical ballet and when she was in the 3rd grade of elementary school she began performing with a musical theatre company based in Sendai. There, she had a few chances to play male roles, saw the Takarazuka Revue, and began longing to join. “My parents told me I had to choose one path, Takarazuka or college, so I took a chance on the Takarazuka Music School entrance exam. In TMS the drama classes were the most fun for me.”
All For One – d’Artagnan and the Sun King is based on Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Three Musketeers, but Director Koike Shuuichiro treated the historical setting and so on freely in creating an adventurous ‘Action Romanesque’. This is the second Grand Theatre show for Moon Troupe since Tamaki Ryou succeeded to the position of Top Star, and the first Grand Theatre show since the troupe was restructured with the addition of Tsukishiro Kanato. “Tamaki Ryou-san is a very magnanimous person, who is genuine towards acting and considerate towards other people. I am very happy to have an opportunity to study acting under someone like Tamaki-san.”
Ren Tsukasa’s strong point is to take on anything assigned to her earnestly and seriously while giving it her best effort. She aims to be an otokoyaku who can display many different aspects depending on the show and the role.
She is from Miyagi Prefecture and debuted in 2011, the year of the Tohoku earthquake. “The earthquake struck while we were rehearsing our line dance.” It has been six years since then. “At the time, many people who had been looking forward to my debut were unable to come and watch the performance due to the effects of the earthquake. The recovery is gradually progressing, and the number of people who can visit from my hometown has been increasing. I’m always thinking: If only seeing me working hard can boost their spirits just a little…”
In the main cast, Ren Tsukasa plays a gallant member of the Musketeers. Her palette of otokoyaku colors will continue expanding limitlessly.