Yumei’s new play “Yojo” will be performed at The Suzunari in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, from February 17 (Sat) to 20 (Tue).
Yumei was established in 2015 as an organization that produces stage productions, art, and videos. They aim to find new ways of looking at and changing reality through repeated resonance and rebellion with others generated by their continuous expression and presentation.
The performance is a participant in the “34th Shimokitazawa Theater Festival,” and is set at the site of the night shift working on the interior of a department store, and portrays characters with the contradiction of wanting to give up but not being able to. It is written and directed by Ryo Ikeda. The cast includes Ryu Motohashi (Ungeziefer), Tao Kurosawa (Seinendan), and Yuki Tanaka.
On the official Yumei website and official X (formerly Twitter), contents that give an idea of what “Yojo” will be like are now available. Tickets are now on sale.
【Ryo Ikeda’s comment】
When I was working a lot of night shifts at a part-time job, my sense of values changed a lot. For example, when I was setting up for a night shift that I attended day after day because it was a live concert of a popular artist I liked at the time, I was told by a manager, “Risk your life!”,”We won’t let you go home!” and “Don’t skip work! “. After some of them disappeared, an artist finally took the stage after the set-up was over and shouted a song like “Kindness will save the world!” It was quite a world. Now I wonder what it was about me that was so moved by that. I wondered how it was now, so I went there again recently to check it out. As it turned out, it was quite a world again. Working for something with a group of people, and thinking about what that “something” is, I will continue to make creations that change day by day, while earning money, researching, practicing, and experiencing while I go to work at my day job. If I feel it is dangerous, I will quit immediately. I plan to go into production without incident. I am determined to create something that I want everyone to see, including the artists and all the people I have met in the past and recently at the day job site.
On a different note, Yuki Tanaka, the leader of Yumei, had a painful experience at the part-time job he is working. I recommended that he quit, but he said with mysterious enthusiasm, He said with a mysterious enthusiasm that “Maybe I can change something about this place, so I’ll keep working there!” We are continuing to recommend that he quit, but we will also incorporate his thoughts and feelings into the work. This work will be a creation that looks back on Yumei’s flagship performance “Ore” which was launched from a rehearsal space just for him and me.
Tao Kurosawa, who has participated in Yumei many times, will play an important role in this production. We have continued to create works while often sleeping together during our traveling performances outside of Tokyo. We will look back on the various things we experienced together and incorporate them into the creation of this piece.
And now, Ryu Motohashi, the leader of “Ungeziefer” will be performing with us. I love Ungeziefer’s works, and I have talked with Mr. Motohashi in private, and I empathize with and am influenced by his way of life and way of thinking, and I wanted to get to know him better.
I would like to fully depict the new journey that will be created by the cast and crew of this production. We look forward to seeing you at the Shimokitazawa Theater Festival and The Suzunari.
