This interview with Ryuu Masaki and Asumi Rio was published by Asahi News on Feb 19, 2009. They discuss the upcoming production of The Two Noble Kinsmen, the just-concluded Floating Bridge of Dreams/Apasionado!!, and their relationships with then-Top Sena Jun. The original column was written by Satou Sakura and can be found here. (Archive link here.)
“The Two Noble Kinsmen” double lead – Ryuu Masaki and Asumi Rio, Takarazuka Revue Moon Troupe
Ryuu Masaki and Asumi Rio, though they are only in their 9th and 7th year in the company, have made remarkable growth in Moon Troupe, in performances such as their switch cast appearance in last year’s Hakataza production ME AND MY GIRL as Jackie and Gerald. They have also both performed Top Star Sena Jun’s roles in junior performances. The next challenge for these two is the double lead The Two Noble Kinsmen (March 12-29, Takarazuka Bow Hall). We asked them about their excitement about the upcoming show, as well as how they generally approach characters and Sena Jun.
Hoping their differences will be enjoyable
Asahi: What did you think when you heard you would be performing Shakespeare’s The Two Noble Kinsmen?
Ryuu Masaki: At first I was just surprised. And then, since the story about dueling over a woman’s love seemed difficult, and it’s a Shakespeare play after all, I also wondered ‘Can I really get the lines across as my own?’
Asumi Rio: I love the atmosphere of Bow Hall, so I was really happy to be able to be in a show there together with Ryuu-san. But when they told me it would be The Two Noble Kinsmen I thought ‘What kind of play is that?’
Asahi: It’s set in Ancient Greece, and the story is about cousins and best friends Paramon and Arcite both fall in love with Emilia, the queen of an enemy kingdom, and how this impacts their affection and friendship, correct?
Ryuu: Right now [during the Tokyo performance] I’m reading the original play bit by bit, but it’s a really deep story when you get into it.
Asumi: At the start of the story, it’s basically entirely driven by Paramon and Arcite’s conversations. So right now I’m still getting a better image of it, and thinking ‘These are going to be some tough rehearsals’ the whole time.
Asahi: The original work is said to be a ‘mysterious Shakespeare play’1, and recent research has established that it was collaboratively authored by Shakespeare and John Fletcher.
Ryuu: It’s definitely not a well known play. And then when I heard ‘noble’ for the first time, I didn’t really know what to picture.
Asumi: We were imagining costumes with lace and ruffles, like European aristocrats.
Ryuu: And so when we got to the poster photoshoot and saw the Ancient Greek style costumes I thought ‘So that’s it!’ (laughs)
Asumi: ‘THAT kind of noble!’ we thought (laughs).
Asahi: How do you feel about doing a double lead?
Ryuu: I feel like being given this double lead is something with a lot of meaning in it. Mirio (Asumi) and I have been doing junior performances together this whole time, and we’re really on the same wavelength. Therefore, of course I’m working hard myself, but I’m also hoping ‘Maybe Mirio will draw something new out from within me?’ We haven’t started rehearsals yet, but that’s what I’m most looking forward to.
Asumi: Ever since I started performing in junior performances with Ryuu-san, I would always watch her form in rehearsals and keep chasing after her. I’m looking forward to acting together as ‘otokoyaku comrades’ again for the first time in a while.
Ryuu: Jackie was a female role, so we haven’t both been otokoyaku in a play for a bit.
Asumi: That’s right.
Ryuu: Our styles are totally different, so I hope that in this double lead, those differences will be part of the enjoyment.
Treasuring the ‘intuition’ passed down by Sena-san
Asahi: In the production that ran until Feb 8 in the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre, you were perfect together as married couple Macho (otokoyaku, Ryuu) and Embra (female role, Asumi) in the ‘Caliente’ scene of the revue, Apasionado!!
Ryuu: But unlike in a play, the two of us never had any discussions [about the roles]. When you’re paired up in a revue show, you only have the dance to express yourself with, so it all started with our intuition.
Asumi: The music in that scene was just lovely, and it was a scene everyone appearing in that scene was creating together, so rather than determining every minor detail, it was more important to consider ‘how can all of us unite together through music and dance?’
Asahi: So you can understand that much without having to put it into words?
Ryuu: A stage show isn’t a one-man production, and for things like the couple role last time, you can understand more by feeling each other out and doing it over and over for real, rather than using words.
Asami: It definitely comes from continual experience.
Asahi: The two of you have both done Moon Troupe Top Star Sena Jun-san’s roles in junior performances multiple times. What kind of person is Sena-san?
Ryuu: I feel like since Asako-san (Sena) transferred into Moon Troupe around 5 years ago, she really made me break out of my shell as a performer. She’s a wonderful Takarazuka otokoyaku, and as I gradually increased in seniority, I’ve kept watching her and thinking there are so many things I can learn from her.
Asumi: Asako-san will teach you performance techniques in great detail, but when it comes to the character creation part, she’ll say ‘go ahead and do it freely however you like, I don’t mind a bit’.
Ryuu: Everyone has their own way of doing things, so it seems like she respects that even in junior actresses and draws out their best aspects.
Asumi: She’ll just say ‘enjoy performing’, and free me from all the nervousness and pressure inside me that makes me freeze up.
Ryuu: When she says things like that, it feels like she’s recognized me, even though I’m a junior actress, and it’s so reassuring, isn’t it.
Asumi: Yes. If I do my best, Asako-san will be thrilled for me just that I did it, so that makes me really happy.
Asahi: It seems like she keeps a close eye on you.
Ryuu: But being in the position of lead otokoyaku is so demanding, so naturally I feel like I have to work hard listening to what she says. I don’t want to take Asako-san watching me for granted, so on my part I want to keep up this attitude of ‘I’ll keep learning!’
Asumi: In the play accompanying Apassionado!!, Floating Bridge of Dreams, Ryuu, playing Michisada, and I, playing Go-no-Miya, both were able to act in scenes together with Asako (who played Niou-no-Miya) and it made me so happy to experience directly all those things she had nurtured in me up until now. In the scene of the revue we were talking about earlier, ‘Caliente’, we were also with Asako, and I think being able to feel that ‘intuition’ of hers first hand was such an invaluable experience.
Asahi: We look forward to seeing more of you two in the future, but what are your goals for this year?
Ryuu: Let me think… There are lots of things, but I think ‘health above all’.
Asumi: I used enthusiasm to get through this latest show—’If my physical and emotional strength both weaken I lose!’ (laughs)
Ryuu: You were really determined, right. But you did okay, right, Mirio.
Asumi: Yes, I was totally okay.
Ryuu: Did you do anything special? (laughs)
Asumi: I didn’t do anything (laughs), I just felt like I would be okay. I think it must have been the enthusiasm.
Ryuu: You’re always healthy. Do you ever catch colds?
Asumi: I sure do~ I just need the emotional strength now.
Ryuu: Right. So that makes this year’s goals ‘health above all’ and ’emotional strength’ (laughs).
Asumi: Yes (laughs).
1 – Though this is in quotes in the original source, this article seems to be basically the only place this term is used on the internet, and it does not seem to line up with any standard terminology in English academia on Shakespeare.