SHINTOKUMARU

December 14, 2007
An Interview with Tatsuya Fujiwara
Written and translated by Kyoko Iwaki

——To begin with, what was your first reaction when you were asked to play SHINTOKUMARU again?
Tatsuya Fujiwara: If this performance was only meant for the Japanese audience, I’d probably have asked myself, why should I work on this act again? Shouldn’t I be looking forward and not looking back to the past? But fortunately, it had been decided from the start that this performance would be held in Japan and also in Washington DC, which meant that I could reach a much wider audience. This might sound a bit astute, but I thought maybe I could get in touch with some important people whom I could never meet if I just stayed in Japan. And for that reason I thought there was a great value in challenging Shintoku again.
——This will be the second time you’ll be performing in the US. Two years ago, you joined Ninagawa Company’s KINDAINOUGAKUSHU, which received much praise from the audience of the Lincoln Center Festival in New York.
TF: Yes, that was a great experience. I mean, New York is a special place for me, because it was the first foreign city I’d ever visited as a teenager. I still remember watching a number of shows, day in and day out, and being thrilled by each one of them. So, two years ago, it was a similar exhilarating experience for me. I, myself, standing on that very stage! It was like, suddenly, a 10-year-old boy being admitted to play soccer in the Ajinomoto stadium!
——And you also had to attend the press conference held in New York in place of Yukio Ninagawa.
TF: Yes…I was just stunned by the atmosphere. You know, I’m quite a fast learner in terms of memorizing scripts, but I never realized how hard it was to learn just one line in English. In fact, my mother was traveling with me at that time, and I remember having a brief argument with her the night before the conference. Tatsuya, you really don’t need my advice? Mom, you can’t speak English! But anyway, every time I visit a Western country I’m amazed by the fact that most of the theater actors recognize the name Ninagawa. After coming back to Japan and narrating the same to Mr. Ninagawa, he remarked, “So at last, you’ve noticed my magnificence!”
——It’s been a decade since you first performed SHINTOKUMARU. And this was your very first work as a professional actor. How do you look back on that experience?
TF: I am still tremendously honored by the fact that I was given the chance to play this great role. And on top of that, I was able to come in contact two wonderfully talented people through that production, Yukio Ninagawa and Kayoko Shiraishi. As you said, it’s already ten years since then, but these two people are still my greatest mentors. So there’s always this funny feeling inside myself that you can never fool around in front of them. It’s not that you feel nervous facing them but…gosh, how can I explain this feeling. It’s like when you’re hanging around and doing all those mischievous things in school with your friends, and once you’re at home you suddenly feel a bit ill at ease, and try to gauge your mom’s feelings. It’s a similar feeling. So even when I’m kicking up my heels with other young actors backstage, once Shiraishi-san passes by, I suddenly behave like a polite gentleman and bow in salutation. It’s just so true that I can’t misbehave in front of these two people.
——You’ve been a part of Shakespeare and Greek tragedy with Ninagawa, and you’ve also worked with renowned directors like Hideki Noda and Gregory Doran. After all that, when you go back to SHINTOKUMARU, I’m sure that the approach toward the role would not be the same.
TF: Well, I can’t say anything for sure right now, but Ninagawa-san was bold enough to say that we’ll need only three days for the rehearsals. I know that it's a typical Ninagawa joke, but in a way I could agree with his crazy suggestion. I mean, after all those relentless, demanding rehearsals day after day ten years ago, I know that my body remembers all the details on a cell-by-cell basis! So once I get into the groove of Shintoku, maybe the rehearsal process will be surprisingly easy. But one thing I know for sure that this is going to be my last SHINTOKUMARU. It's a great piece of art, so I want it to be performed forever and ever, but I think I would like to move on, and pass Shintoku on to the next generation.
——After SHINTOKUMARU, you’ll be challenging another great role, Konstantin Treplyov, in Anton Chekhov’s THE SEAGULL. Are your plans all thought out for this new challenge?
TF: Not at all. But a few months ago Masachika Ichimura, one of the greatest actors that I look up to, told me that Treplyov is a demanding but a fulfilling role. He also said that having the chance to play Treplyov in your acting career is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So Ichimura-san’s comment kind of boosted up my energy, and now my excitement toward the project is slowly growing. Also, I’m really excited about the prospect of working with Tamiya Kuriyama, a director I’ve never worked with before. I hope that I will develop as an actor, after tackling this work of genius by Chekhov.
——Since you started your acting career at the age of 15, you’ve challenged great roles such as Shintoku, Hamlet, Romeo, Orestes, and now Treplyov. Your career seems to be just flawless. I’m really curious to know how Tatsuya Fujiwara is going to be in the next decade.
TF: I just don’t want to do a half-hearted job, and want to devote myself completely to my work. And if I constantly keep on working hard like that, Ninagawa-san or somebody else might give me a new challenge. So, in terms of my career, I want to be 100% focused. In contrast, I have to admit that my private life is a kind of a mess right now.
(Originally Published in Engeki Book Magazine, December 2007)