INDEX
Sound and Lighting Created by Actors
Nakamura mentioned that she spends time with her members without any specific purpose, but what is currently capturing Okada’s interest in theater?
Okada: There’s the role of the sound staff, but how to deliver sound to the audience is incredibly important. It’s not just about amplifying the actor’s voice because it’s hard to hear. The way the audience receives the actor’s words is a kind of sound design, but there are aspects that cannot be achieved through technical means.
It’s a type of sound that only actors can create, making the words smoothly enter the listener’s mind. While sound technicians also handle this aspect, actors play a crucial role. In fact, there are things that can only be done by actors. I believe there exists a certain realm necessary to make this work.
In a way, would you say that the actor is in a state where they are affected by an effect pedal?
Okada: Yes, exactly; actors have effect pedals and equalizers applied to them. The same goes for lighting. There are aspects of lighting that only actors can manage. This means controlling the nuances and intensity of their presence. For instance, I dislike having the lighting staff determine, “Let’s put a spotlight here to make this person stand out.” If the actor can handle that, it’s much better.
Nakamura: This might be a bit off-topic, but I’ve always felt a strange disconnect when I hear my voice recorded; it doesn’t sound like me. For a long time, my singing voice and speaking voice felt separate, but three years ago, I finally felt that my recorded singing voice matched my image of it. Does that kind of alignment happen in theater?
Okada: For instance, if I instruct an actor to deliver their lines in a specific way—like, “Say it the way I just did”—and they understand that direction, then it can be quite similar to achieving that alignment. However, theater sometimes requires a sort of out-of-body experience, where one must objectively view oneself. Zeami expressed this concept with the term “rikken no mi,” which refers to viewing oneself from the audience’s perspective. This idea has existed since that era, so it’s a rather traditional theme.
