Our Planet

Text：Saeko Imai

Each of the three teams spent two weeks deepening their explorations. We called it a “progress presentation” and each team presented what they had done. After that, we made costumes and had rehearsals, and now it was time for the performance. I would like to look back on the process up to that point.

 

Costumes
In the third week, we had a week to create our own costumes. Making a costume is a very effective way to give shape to your imagination. And when you put on the costume, don’t you feel that you will change not only the outside but also the inside? I think it’s a very interesting tool to encounter a new you. The moment S, E, and A got their hands on the fabric of their choice, they said, “This! This! As if they were saying, “This is it!” They immediately created the image they had in their mind with scissors and tape. K took her time to think about it, and first drew out her image on a piece of paper, then got all the materials together, and started working on it while saying “this” and “that. For the role of the crab, Shutaro chose a color (red with a hint of pink) that suited her perfectly, and with the support of the adults, the crab costume was completed. When she put it on, S said, “I feel like I’m really a crab! She was full of confidence and joy.
KA really wanted to make a shark costume, so he and his caregiver looked at shark materials, molded a shark out of cardboard and painted it with colors, and completed it in a week.

 

Rehearsal
The day before the performance, we went through the play once. After the rehearsal, we watched the video on the big screen together. I noticed a lot of things. “I couldn’t hear your voice at all. “I couldn’t see myself because I was too far to the left,” “The set didn’t look like the ocean at all. It was a great chance to look at our own production objectively. On the last practice day, we spent time adjusting each field. By doing this, we were able to raise our spirits a lot.

Seeing ourselves on the big screen brings out many different insights and expressions.

 

The Day of the Performance
The long-awaited day of the show. “It’s today, isn’t it? “It’s today, isn’t it? The children seemed to be anxious that morning. SO brought a large seashell from home, saying, “I thought I could use this. The children naturally made arrangements to welcome the audience with things around them. In the morning, we had a final rehearsal to make final adjustments. When we were almost ready for the performance, I asked myself, “What am I supposed to do today? What am I supposed to do today? SO and KI said. That’s right, those of us who have been working on stage productions for a long time don’t get to be in the spotlight ourselves. Seeing the excitement of the Actors’ Team and Dancers’ Team on the day of the performance, they suddenly asked the question. Do you want to do something on stage? When I asked them, they both said, “Yes”. I wondered what they were gonna do.
Now, it was time for the long awaited show. It seemed like there was a lot of bedwetting during naps that day, probably due to nervousness. After naps, we changed into our costumes and went to the waiting room to wait for our turn. I asked J, a frequent MC at events, to be the MC. The audience was there, and the show was about to begin! But then a drama happened. Just as we were about to start the event, there was a drama. The venue was filled with a completely different atmosphere than usual, and he was so nervous that he could not stand in front of the audience with the microphone. He asked himself whether he could do it or not. There were warm words of support from the audience, “Go for it, J!” He thought about it until the very end, but after making a courageous decision, “I won’t (host) now,” the show began.
The children of the Actors’ Team, who will be on stage for the first time, practiced their lines and voice volume until just before the show. There was another interesting episode on the stage. During the performance, when AK was about to give his lines, I couldn’t hear his voice at all from behind. But when I went closer to see him, I could see that he was moving his mouth. And his expression was very lively. Expression in silence. This is his way of expressing himself! I thought to myself.
Now it was the turn of the Dancers’ team. Along with the music, the dancers team appeared with big smiles on their faces. Half of the song was choreographed by the dancers themselves, and the last half was a freestyle dance where they invited the audience to join them on stage. The children seemed to be relaxed, probably because they had practiced a lot. The energy that the joyful dancing children brought out was amazing! The children of the Creators’ Team illuminated the dancers with a flashlight, which was not underwater, and the feeling of the ocean was heightened even more. And behind the dancers, SO and KI were opening and closing the giant shells they had made. A wonderful performance!
The show ended with a loud cheer.

 

After the Show
“What? No more Under the Sea?” Oh, I wanted to do it one more time,” the children seemed a little disappointed after it was over. We thought that the children still had a lot of enthusiasm to make a big presentation and it would be a good chance for the other children to see Akebi, so we set up a presentation for the children and staff of Yamanoko. Perhaps because the atmosphere was softer with the curtains open and the usual members present, J said, “I can definitely do this!” He was full of confidence as the MC. I got the feeling that this was a month for children to explore their inner “likes”. After the presentation of Under the Sea, the joy of singing and dancing remained firmly rooted in the children, and the dance party that suddenly started with speakers and music is becoming a part of Akebi’s culture. And I think the interest and fondness for the sea deepened as many children found and brought many sea glasses, saying “I want to go to the sea when I’m on vacation”. I’m looking forward to seeing how Under the Sea, which lives on in everyone, will come out in the future.