Backstage Journal is a short Kageki feature where very young cast members write anecdotes about what’s going on behind the scenes of the productions. They’re not very deep, being full of emojis and more like blog entries than articles, but they are a good way to get to know the newest actresses in each troupe.
This one is by Star Troupe member Hayato Reo (of the 99th Class), and was published in the March 2017 issue.
Hayato refers to a lot of people by the name of their role in the show so I advise having the cast list handy!
Backstage Journal: Hayato Reo (Blazing Wind – The Strategist Takenaka Hanbei)
Hello, Kageki readers 🙂 I’m Hayato Reo and this is my first time writing a backstage journal!! I hope you enjoy it!! This time I’ll be writing about the love-filled backstage of the 🎵Blazing~ blazing, blazing~🎵 Star Troupe Bow Hall show Blazing Wind – The Strategist Takenaka Hanbei.
⭐️ Hayato the Immortal ⭐️
In this show I had my first fight scene under Action Director Morokaji1. In the previous Grand Theatre show ‘Samurai THE FINAL’ I had become accustomed to being an immortal soldier (as a member of the Aizu forces) and I continue to rise again here!
‘Hey! I’m pretty sure I totally killed Hayato-kun!’ Hiroki-san (Nanami) said once.
‘Hayato always gets to kill the important people! That’s overkill!’ was a nice snarky line from Yuunagi (Ryou), who came to see the show.
This is! The life path of Hayato the immortal!!
⭐️ The ensemble postcard ⭐️
Ii-sama (Otosaki Itsuki) drew pictures of everyone on a whiteboard near the changing room; they were super, super high quality portraits. She captured everyone’s unique traits and it was a masterpiece full of love.
Everyone raved over it and so she had it made into a postcard and then! surprised everyone with it as a present. She worked on it while wearing her costume and wig, and even though there was basically no spare time she even gave up her chance to rest during intermissions for it. She brought everyone’s hearts together as one.
Therefore this is! Not a life path, but a time management path!
⭐️ Proof of love ⭐️
Even though Sengoku Japan was an age of violence, I feel like a lot of people must have been enamored with the scene of the three 💖lovey-dovey couples💖
Even backstage, among the battlefield of dealing with changing costumes and finding props, I witnessed many scenes full of love: from Lady Ine towards General Hanbei, from Lady Hikari towards General Kanbei, in the flowers and bento lunches given to Shouju…I could practically see the love dripping off people’s fingers.
‘It’s these times offstage that bring us together’, I realised. I learned a lot through that. This is! The path of love!
⭐️ The miracle birthday ⭐️
It was a birthday we were able to celebrate onstage. During Hiroki-san’s first Bow Hall lead show…that day came! A memo was circulated through the green room, borrowing Tokichirou’s lines from the show: ‘Hiroki-san! You’re the sun that lights up this Bow Hall!’
We held back our exuberant feelings until the show’s run concluded safely. During the curtain calls, on Kumichou’s signal of ‘One, two!’ we all shouted the message from the memo plus! the whole hall sang the Happy Birthday song 🎵 It was so wonderful!! The perfect ‘birthday path’.
It’s time for the start of a new Star Troupe⭐️!! I’ll remember all the things I’ve learned in Japan about one’s life path as I set out for Europe next time2.
This was a very poor composition but I’m thankful to you for reading it all the way through! I’m looking forward to meeting you all again!!
Reo
1 – Morokaji Yuuta is a very highly-regarded fight director who mainly works on films and television dramas. He has done the action coordination for this show and the 2013 Flower Troupe production Sengoku BASARA.
2 – Star Troupe’s subsequent show was the Grand Theatre debut for Kurenai Yuzuru and Kisaki Airi, The Scarlet Pimpernel, set in England and France.