the acting motivation
Concept, Direction : Pijin Neji
Cast : Kaoru Soya (BUNGAKUZA), Shintaro Wada, Pijin Neji
Stage Manager : Chikage Yuyama
Lighting Design : Nami Nakayama
Sound Design : Norimasa Ushikawa
Sound Operate : Akino Hayashi
Video : Minoru Ide
English subtitle/an interpreter : Tomoko Momiyama
Photo : Ujin Matsuo
Publicity Design : Noriko Yatsuhashi
Production Support : PLATEAU
Special Support : KOGANEI ART SPOT Chateau2F
duration : 100min
prize : Festival/Tokyo F/T Award
This self-documentary theatre work is themed around Pijin Nejin's own experiences with part-time work. It will also feature Nejin's colleague at the conveniencestore where he works, Shintaro Wada, as well as the actress Kaoru Soya, who is attached to the BUNGAKUZA, a theatre company established 74 years ago. It will draw on the actuallives of the three performers for its material, comparing and analyzing their social positions and workdescriptions, and looking at the balance between performing and retail work, between artistsand the so-called freeter, between actors and dancers…
Currently in Japan the numbers of freeter (people not working in permanent or stable full-time employment, often regarded as drifters) are increasing while the issue of the ageing society is also becoming chronic. Theatre artists could also be labeled as people chasing their dreams, since they work on their creative activities while also doing part-time jobs. Thus, the occupation of being an "artist" means to continue artistic activities while working part-time: essentially, a freeter. The actors, dancers, choreographers, performers, musicians, and artists interviewed as part of the research for this project support themselves through part-time work and indeed many of them could be classified as "dream-chasing" freeter. However, they are almost all aware of the impossibility of actually in the future being able to make a living solely as an artist, and yet they still continue to produce creative and artistic work. This performance will look at the dilemmas of motivation for these artists to keep on going with their creative work; at how they are able to make ends meet through part-time shop work; whether in fact they are just the same as other part-timers at a convenience store; and ultimately what is an artist.
First the three performers introduce each other. Actor and dance Neji will then look at definitions of "service work", drawing on texts from playwright Oriza Hirata, Butoh dancer Tatsumi Hijikata, and sociologists Macdonald and Sirianni. There will also feature the poetry of Kaoru Soya's late mother, a poet. Other elements in the piece include: Soya's "proof" that she is a professional performer; the dialogue from Neji's audition for a film role; the work manual for the convenience store where Neji is employed; the way the body looks when working; security camera footage of the workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant; security camera footage of Neji whilst working at the store; fast food sold at Neji's workplace; the story of Shitaro Wada's father, who was a manager at a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet; the monotonous phrases convenience store staff have to use; and even Skype conversations with the colleagues working Neji and Wada's regular shifts at the store while they are performing.
