There is a young actor from Sanjo City in a popular theater troupe that is known for its human dramas filled with laughter and tears. He performs almost every day without a break, honing his skills. We followed his performances in his hometown, Niigata. A gorgeous dance show. And a popular theater full of human feelings. Furumachi Engeijo in Chuo Ward, Niigata City. The theater troupe changes every month, and popular theater performances are held almost every day. In June, we visited the "Hitomi Theater Company," which is based in the Kanto region. Kurenai Yutaka, 22 years old, is from Sanjo City. After graduating from high school, he jumped into the world of popular theater for four years. He is the youngest male actor in the troupe. Kurenai Yutaka: "I feel like I'm finally at the starting line, so I have to work hard every day." Popular theater is a traveling troupe that travels around theaters all over the country all year round. They carry out two 10-ton truck loads of luggage. The contents of the boxes that were brought in the most were all wigs. ■Kurenai Yoshitaka: "Even though they're called wigs, they cost about 200,000 to 300,000 yen each. Many of them were given to me as hand-me-downs." The actors sleep in the theater's dressing rooms for a month. In most cases, they only have about two days off. ■Kurenai Yoshitaka: "At first I couldn't get used to it, but everyone was nice to me and now I'm used to it. I'm very grateful that everyone treats me like family." On this day, there was a full rehearsal. What Yoshitaka was watching was... ■Kurenai Yoshitaka: "I was looking at some of the lines. There are at least 60 plays a month, but there are more than that." There are two performances of popular theater per day. The play lasts about an hour, but since the play is different every day, a huge amount of lines must be memorized. ■Imizu Kotaro, the troupe leader: "It's not like you can get better by being taught. You have to work hard and learn to adjust the emphasis by yourself. I don't want them to be satisfied." ■Kurenai Yoshitaka: "It's a special feeling because it's my hometown. I'm looking forward to it, and I want to do my best so that I can show at least one Niigata audience that I've improved a little." The day of the performance. Yoshitaka was seen practicing even when the other actors were sleeping. In fact, Furumachi Engeijo is a special place for Yoshitaka. When he was in high school, his mother took him to see a popular theater performance here, which was what inspired him to become an actor. ■Kurenai Yoshitaka: "I thought it was cool to see them dancing in various kimonos and in plays." The Misato troupe visits Furumachi Engeijo every year, and this is Yoshitaka's third year on the stage. His mother sent him a message of congratulations. In popular theater, most of the actors and members are relatives. It is said that cases like Yoshitaka's who join a troupe are rare. ■Kotono Tatsuya, troupe leader: "It's rare for a child to knock on the door and join a troupe, but it's been four years. It's a rare situation, but he's working hard after joining the troupe." ■Kurenai Ginnojo and Misono Ryuta: "He's serious. He's so serious that we've never had a child who joined before." One hour before the performance. Many fans from inside and outside the prefecture had come to visit. ■A customer who has been a fan for 20 years said, "This is my second time, including today, and I'll come next week and the week after." ■From Tokyo, "It makes me want to do my best tomorrow too, I'm so excited." With the performance approaching, makeup is being applied. ■Yoshitaka Beni said, "I've done this play a few times, but I'm still nervous. It's pretty dangerous." The play that day was "Two Lives." Yoshitaka plays Harutaro, who makes a firm promise with his older brother Akitaro to become a straight man in order to get married. However, his boss finds out his weakness, and he takes up the sword again for the sake of his family. He loses his beloved wife and Harutaro is in a desperate situation. In the end, the older brother takes the place of his younger brother and saves him. It is a story of heartbreaking brotherly love. Yoshitaka performed with the head of the troupe at first glance, and played the role with the most lines. He also performed a magnificent dance, and some fans gave Yoshitaka tips. A senior commented on Yoshitaka's performance: ■Ataro Kurenai: "The way he held the child was in a headlock. A fallen warrior in a headlock... (Another person) Don't call him a fallen warrior (Ataro) He's the star of Niigata." The performance lasted about three hours, with laughter and tears. ■Audience: "You've gotten so good! I'm amazed. I'm looking forward to it." "I was nervous like a parent, but I was happy to see the long lines on stage today. I was moved." The troupe leader also gave some advice. ■Leader Kotono Tatsuya: "People grow when they fall in love, so to be honest, I want to experience a real love life while experiencing heartbreak." Yoshitaka aims to be the head of the troupe and a beloved actor like leader Kotono. ■Kurenai Yoshitaka "I always think that the leader of our troupe is the coolest. Of course I want to be cool and pretty, but more than that, I want to be an actor that the audience likes." Information as of June 14, 2024 #Taishu-Engeki #KurenaiYoshitaka #IchimiGekidan #FurumachiEngeijo #Stage #Engeijo #DreamStage #Stage #UXNiigataTV21 #Niigata