In this feature from Kageki, siennes look back at their career and pick out roles that had an effect on their growth as a performer. This one was originally published in the November 2015 issue.

Stage Turning Points: Yuzuka Rei (Flower Troupe)

Yuzuka’s Turning Points

April-May 2009: Love, That Is… – debut

May 2012: Chikamatsu: Journey on the Road of Love (Bow Hall) – Tokubei
‘A role where I felt a sense of ‘space’’

In this production, I didn’t play a human, rather the puppet Tokubei, the main character of Love Suicides at Sonnezaki. However, the part sometimes required me to dance as if I had been endowed with human life. It was an abstract role, where I did not speak and only communicated through dancing, so if I was not aware of the mood and ‘space’ around me, I felt as if it wouldn’t work.

Since I had not had many chances to perform traditional dance in Japanese-style productions, when I was onstage the lights and music gave my performance strength. That performance changed my sense of ‘space’ and my onstage presence. It was that kind of role.

February 2013: Ocean’s 11 (junior performance) – Terry Benedict
‘A performance that changed my methods of character-building’

I thought this was a really appealing part, so when I was told I would be able to perform it in the junior performance I was really happy. Up until then, I had always thought ‘I suppose I’ll have to do it this way’ or ‘I guess I’ve got to do it that way’ about my roles, but with Benedict, I thought ‘I’d like to do it like this’ or ‘I want to perform more this way’, so it changed my character-building methods.

This was my first performance in a sharp-cut suit, and while until now I’d had mostly young boys’ roles, the part of Benedict was a strong, manly, grown-up villain. I learned a lot about how to stand and such from Fuuto-san, who played him in the main production.

September 2013: A Song of Love and Revolution: Andre Chenier (junior performance) – Carlo Gerard

Carlo was a part I really liked. I liked Asumi-san’s performance even right after she transfered to Flower Troupe, so being able to play that part made me really happy. I found the various aspects of this role really appealing: he was a boy who became mixed up in something as he went along with his ideals and sense of justice, so he’s a really human, passionate individual.

June-July 2014: Nocturne: Memories of a Long Ago Summer Day (Bow Hall) – Vladimir
‘A part I felt I lived as’

This was my first Bow Hall lead, and Director Harada considered things that only I would be able to do when he put together the script. Even without considering things too hard, I was able to take the stage as Vladimir, and sometimes I felt I was living as him. I enjoyed the show and each day I felt more enjoyment for performing onstage.

August-September 2014: Elisabeth: Rondo of Love and Death – Rudolf (switch role); Der Tod (junior performance)
‘Tons of pressure’

Elisabeth is such a big show, and it’s extremely famous, yet somehow I was able to play Rudolf, as well as Der Tod in the junior performance. This was my second junior lead role, but I felt way more pressure for this part. Of course the songs were really hard, and I struggled with the technical scenes, but the music and the intensity of the performance gave me energy so I felt like that really saved me. When I was in character onstage, I had the sensation that I ruled it all: I had never had an experience like that before with a role. In the main production, I played Rudolf. He’s vulnerable and desperate, kind and honest…I found the character of Rudolf really appealing, and it was a part I liked performing.

July-August 2015: Rose of Versailles: Fersen and Marie Antoinette (Umeda/Taiwan Tour) – Oscar Francois de Jarjayes
‘A performance I felt a lot of power from’

Oscar is the role that represents Takarazuka, and anyone who knows anything about Takarazuka knows about it, so before starting rehearsals I was really worried about how it would turn out. I read the original work and fell in love with Oscar all over again, so even though there was only a short time for rehearsal, I tried to get as close as possible to the original Oscar as I put together the character.

Sometimes I had trouble when things didn’t go as I wanted, but after the Umeda performance ended and the final performance of the Taiwan tour came closer, I was so moved by the final scene at the Bastille that I almost felt as if I had Oscar’s soul. It was a performance I felt a lot of power from: the power of the original work, the power of the music, the power of the script, the power of the characters, and the power of all Oscar’s fans.

In the end…

Looking back on all my roles like this, I’ve realized just how many wonderful characters I’ve encountered. Some of them I would like to try taking on again, but I think all the sensations from when I first performed them would just come over me once more. From now on, I’m sure I will get a lot of roles that I can only perform in that time, so I’m even more determined to give each role my all so I don’t have any regrets afterwards.