｢LOOK at STAR!plus 09summer｣ 二宮和也

Scans of the article posted by ArashiNino in her vox and my translations cross posted in her vox comment section.

Crazy character is easy to play. But cannot be satisfied playing easy character.

At the rehearsal the other day, a few people were saying ‘this play is sort of like Macbeth’. I was listening to their conversation thinking ‘how did Macbeth go?’I have seen ‘Macbeth’, but cannot remember what kind of story it was and I do not even know what this ‘strangers on a train’ is about yet…so I really had no idea what they were talking about *laugh*.

This play was made famous by Hitchcock when he made it into a movie more than 50 years ago and the setting of the play is of course in that era of America. So, this play is like Samurai movie of America in a way. So, train system and names of the station and so on had no meaning to me. Also, the character I play is meant to be a crazed killer…but there his motivation not clearly described at all…This Bruno character, he is trying to trap this person…but there is no mention of why…maybe he is what we call psycho-killer…

You may not think so, but character like that is actually not that hard to act. Well, ordinary people usually do not have opportunities to meet psycho-killers, right? So, most people do not have good ideas about what psycho-killers are like. You just need to be holding a murder weapon to play a psycho-killer. Most people would assume your character is a psycho-killer within 3 seconds.

But I do not like that. When you think about what kind person would be most scary in real life, wouldn’t it be someone who you cannot understand what h/she is thinking at all? But those people who are hard to read, can be noisy and talkative or quiet. I have not decided on how I am going to act this person in details yet, but I do not plan on going for the sense of achievement.

When it is concerned with acting, there is no such thing as sense of achievement. If I started to look for specific criteria for satisfactory achievement, then achieving that would become just a self-pleasing exercise. I believe there are situations where you can set yourself such criteria, and I have nothing against other people doing it…but it just does not work for me. If I get used to feeling of satisfaction, then it becomes the end destination. Whenever I am acting, be it movie or drama or theatre, as long as I am acting, I want to feel unsatisfied. That is my ideal.

So, I think I will act Bruno, not fully understanding. Not being able to understand the character I am playing is not a bad thing for me. I do not even understand who Ninomiya Kazunari is, yet.

Theatre Play is something you create adjusting the temperature between the stage and the audience

The reason why I feel I should not be satisfied with my acting from the start, is probably influenced by the fact ‘strangers on a train’ is a theatre play. Although I cannot say this about every tv drama, but usually, tv drama is one way production. So, it is sometimes important to be totally satisfied with it when filming.

Compared to that, theatre play…well, not just theatre but any live performances, including variety shows are different. There is a difference in temperature between the heat that comes off the director and the actors…then there is a difference in the temperature of the heat between the ones that perform and the ones to watch…In live environment, it becomes very important to adjust the temperature well. In other words, theatre is a place where you can adjust the heat. For example, how passionate the director is towards the play means nothing if the actors cannot absorb the heat properly. I also makes no sense for the actors to have vast knowledge about the play , if the audience cannot follow it. If that happens, the audience would be like  ‘what? Texas? Where is that? What hotel?’. For this play, I think we need to digest the play carefully. I do not want it to be a pointlessly difficult play for the audience to understand. If the theatre holds 700 people, then the play is created by that 700 people plus the actors and the staff. The audience take part by turning off the mobile and concentrating. The tension you feel at the theatre is not of just the actors, but of the audience as well.

Can I talk a little bit about the past?

I do not think there will be any laughter induced as a service to the audience at all. Highly strung tension all the way through – this is that kind of play.  I do not mind acting in a tragedy. If I disliked it, I could not play a role in a movie where all my friends were killed and my character become a prisoner of war *laugh*. But I cannot feel happy when I am playing a dark story. Well, that is ok. I do not mind it if I am labelled a ‘serious’ actor. I have a creative outlet called variety shows where I can have fun. I do not think I am greedy. I do not think I could have fun while playing a serious story.

But if I could look back a little…I was also doing various fun characters a well, right? It was fun doing ‘Yamada Taro Monogatari’ and the like. But hang on…in pikanchi movie, I appeared for 20 minutes in a movie that goes just over 2 hours…underneath fully enclosed helmet…and wearing costume that was almost like full body stocking…I could not understand the logic…it was winter yet I was so lightly clothed and freezing…That was hard…so when I look back…old times and now…it has not always been fun times…*laugh*

What I must have in Summer

Long sleeved clothes. I go ride in a car…its air conditioned , I go to my dressing room – its air conditioned, I go to a studio…its air conditioned…I have once said ‘I am not good in Summer and Winter’, so maybe the staff is air conditioning the room out of concern for me…how can I say (its too cold with air conditioning) that to them now? *laugh*They would say to me ‘you said it was too hot!’ . So, I am enduring it with long-sleeved clothes *laugh*

Talk between Robert Allan Ackerman(RA) and Ninomiya Kazunari

RA: I have experiences of working with famous actors such as Sean Penn, Richard Gere, and Meryl Streep shortly after they debuted and started acting on stage. Ninomiya –kun has something similar to them. He is highly intuitive and has an ability to act very natural.

Ninomiya: Thank you

RA: What I have seen of your acting so far are video(movie or tv drama) and I have not seen you act on stage yet, so I am looking forward to watching lots of your acting on stage.

Ninomiya: I have watched your work, ‘Toyer’(2003) with Inohara-kun in it…

RA: Is that all?

Ninomiya: …yes

RA: you should have just made up something to make it sound better! *laugh*

Ninomiya: I know you direct in English…of course…but when I heard about it (in 2003 in regards to Toyer) , I thought it would have been so difficult. But when I watched the play, the story progressed well, with emotions flowing naturally…that amazed me.

RA: Hahaha! That needs to be achieved!

Ninomiya: So…I was wondering how you would direct…as it turns out, he does not direct at all. He asks questions instead *laugh*. He would ask things like ‘what do you think this person was thinking when he did this…?’

RA: I spend time on reading of script. I want to encourage actors to think about what kind of character you are playing and how that character interact with the others in the very early stage by asking lots of questions. I want the actors themselves to put thoughts in and come up with the character first. I will then direct on that character created by the actor. What do you think about how I direct?

Ninomiya: It is very …interesting. Well, its true. When co-actors get together and go out to eat, that is the kind of discussion we end up doing…being able to do it at rehearsals is great…it saves us money for dining out *laugh*.

Bruno is an irresistible man…who is also riddled with madness.

Ninomiya: By the way…yesterday was the day to discuss which day of the week it was meant to be …? When I went to the bathroom and came back, everyone was talking about it was Tuesday or Friday or Thursday…I wondered what they were talking about so I just listened for a while…the person who plays the sheriff said ‘The storyline afterward will not make sense if this happened on Thursday’. I was thinking ‘ I do not have a scene with him, so, this discussion does not concern me…’ feeling relieved…but it was then, the person who plays the character of Guy (the character who is Bruno’s target)   started saying ‘but when I got a call from Bruno, I was…’ then I realised that I was involved as well…

RA: This story include aspects of suspense as well, so which day of the week it is, is very important point.

Ninomiya: So, I had to think hard and joined the conversation, saying ‘that’s right’ to them…but inside I was not sure *laugh*. But I have not really done such discussion at rehearsals before. It is often the case of getting to the rehearsal venue, doing light stretching exercise, then go straight onto doing rehearsing of the dialogues.

RA: the moral of the story is…do not go to the bathroom so frequently during rehearsals *laugh*.

Ninomiya: I shall be very careful from now on! Well, I think the audience should be careful, too…please go to the bathroom before the play starts *laugh*

RA: From our conversation, I guess I direct very differently to what Ninomiya-kun is used to. Well, you may feel a bit taken aback at first, but I believe the most important thing for an actor is his/her imagination. So, at this stage, I would like you to use your imagination to the full, and think deeply about this play. And by discussing thoughts among actors, I would like us to find a common ground. This kind of story with mystery and suspense often lead to the audience thinking about it after watching it. Things like what you were talking about before – things like which day was it? To discuss those things among the actors is very meaningful.

Ninomiya: I realise that I really have to be careful about going to the bathroom…*laugh*

RA: For anyone, playing Bruno would be a big challenge. He is multi-faceted, and full of subtle expressions. He is irresistible to many, well liked, and yet riddled with madness. I would like you to tackle this challenge head on and develop further as an actor.

Ninomiya: He is indeed a very complex man. He probably became crazy because he is too intelligent…in the same manner, he hates people because he loves people too much…  Ordinary people would be able to separate such emotions, but with Bruno, its all mashed up. I am fully aware that playing Bruno would be a big challenge.

*underneath the main article*

I am scared of Bruno’s all-accepting, unaffected and compliant aspect of his character

Ninomiya Kazunari, Akiyoshi Kumiko who plays the mother, Uchida who plays Guy, and the director Ackerman appeared at the press conference.

Ninomiya plays a psycho-killer after 4 year absence in theatre.

“I have madness within me, too. When I come across something that interest me such as playing games or cards, the level of obsession with such things  is probably a lot higher than many people. When I think about Bruno, I am concentrating on his madness. He has this madness as a foundation, but the rest is extremely all accepting unaffected and compliant. When I am reading the script, it is the all-accepting, unaffected and compliant aspect of him that scares me. “

Comment about Ackerman’s directing style

“We can discuss things deeply. He provides an environment where we can all share our opinions and have discussion…I like that. To have a good relationship with a director from another country is to always have a smile on my face…*laugh*!?

My model is Aiba (of Arashi) . Aiba says ‘if you are unsure, smile!’ *laugh*

｢BEST STAGE｣8月号  二宮和也

Scans of the article posted by ArashiNino in her vox and my translations cross posted in her vox comment section.

-         I have heard that you memorise the whole script prior to starting your rehearsals. Did you do that again this time?

“No. I went along not memorising anything. The very first time I actually read the script was during the HONYOMI. This time, I had no intention of reading and memorising the script prior to rehearsals. If you asked me why, I could not really tell you because I just felt like not doing it. It was not that I had no time to do it, either. My preparation consisted of going over the script quickly, thinking ‘ok, the story goes like that…’. On the first day of rehearsal, we read through the script together and also did a workshop where we discussed about characters – I am not good at that *laugh*.

-         You work with Mr Ackerman, who is a renowned director all over the world, for the first time.

He pays attention to smallest of details. And I realised…a great director like Mr Ackerman is very kind! He is kind to everyone, and is keen to pass on his knowledge. One way to look at acting is to think it is a challenge to your imagination, but Mr Ackerman is not the kind of person who would say ‘you figure it out!’. He would offer suggestions saying ‘how about this?’, providing options for those who are stuck. The process of figuring out the answer is more important than getting the answer itself. So this time, if I cannot figure something out on my own, I would be honest and say “I cannot figure it out!” *laugh*. I am not the type to analyse the character objectively. There are many things I only understand once I started acting the character”

-         Bruno, the character you play is a crazed person who commit homicide. Do you feel it is difficult to understand the character?

“No. He is not crazy…rather he is a very logical person. When I read the script together with the co-actors yesterday, that is when I realised that he is an intelligent ordinary man. The character overlaps with Shuichi, the character I played in the movie, ‘Ao no Honoo’.

-         Shuichi planned a perfect crim in order to protect his family from the violent father, right?

“I started off playing him in the direction of crazy person but I was told ‘be normal’. When you think about the character Shuichi, he does not have to be crazy. You don’t have to make him crazy.”

-         Do you find Bruno interesting as a character?

“Well…I would probably have YOYUU to have fun, if it was not for such long lines…Bruno is constantly talking. He annoys me because he talks too much *laugh*. If you were after a character who was extremely unusual, I would say Naoya from ‘Shibuya kara tooku hanarete’…

That was a play that left impression on everyone who saw it MEISAKU created by Yukio and Iwamatsu Ryou, wasn’t it?

“It was a great play. But I cannot play that character anymore. I have lost such a pure heart of a young boy *laugh*.

This is going off the track a bit, but with the play ‘Shibuya~’ , it was not just the character that was unusual…the whole play was unusual. I would arrive at the theatre like 15 minutes before the play was meant to start, then go on the stage in my private/casual clothes…Schedule was also different depending on the day of the week…on the day before the last day, all the co-actors did not want the play to finish, so it went on a lot longer…they would pace themselves slow in between the lines! It ended up being 15 minutes or so longer and the director got so angry at us”.

-         You seem to be given opportunity to work with renowned masters from different field…Yukio, Iwamatsu Ryo, and you even worked with Clint Eastwood in the field of movie. And this time, you are working with r Ackerman.

Maybe a because I am great …I attract similar people…great people…RUI HA TOMO WO YOBU *laugh* . But, it is meaningless to create something great, working with someone great…if it does not turn out to be interesting to the young audience. I do not agree with the attitude of only the ones who understand art of theatre should come and see our play. I believe that we have responsibility towards anyone who pay the money and come to see the play. Also, this play is not something new. To just play what has already been done does not create anything new. That is why I think that I especially need to act well in this play.”

-         You are saying that this play is not something that has the benefits of being new and exciting. Because this is an already existing play, you must provide solid performance…is that right?

“I think so. That is how I understand it”.

-         A grown up Ninomiya, who no longer has young and impressionable boy’s heart, will actually play a grown up character this time, right?

“That is right! So I will do my best!*laugh* I know this may sound strange…but in ‘Strangers on a train’, I think I will actually be ‘ACTING’. You may find it hard to believe, but I actually do no feel like I am acting often…People also often tell me that I am ‘natural’ when acting a character. There often have been demend for that ‘naturalness’ as well in the past. Doing rehearsals for this play, I actually realised that I never went through experiences of ‘ACTING’ before. So, in that sense, a little new/different Ninomiya Kazunari in this play.

The end

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Hanako July09 01

Scans of the article posted by ArashiNino in her vox and my translations cross posted in her vox comment section.