| The profile of a promising young play company from Japan |
| Sample |
＜Contact＞ Sachiko Miyoshi (Producer / quinada Inc.) Tel / +81 90-9393-0809 Fax / +81 3-6478-9515 Email / samplenet@gmail.com URL / http://www.samplenet.org/ |
| About “Sample” ・・・・・・・・・・・ |
| “Sample” is one of the most promising young play companies, directed by Shu Matsui (35). It started its activity in 2004 as a prototype in Seinendan, a most up-front play company led by Oriza Hirata. In 2004, by his first script “Passage”, Shu Matsui was awarded the new face award for writers by the Japan Playwrights Association. In 2007, after several trials in Seinendan, he founded his original play company “Sample.” “Sample” contains two meanings: First, it means “imitation”. Shu Matsui’s approach is to first detach a person from his/her humanity, inner face or emotion. It may be similar to observing a human being as an animal. Nevertheless, human beings are still capable of speaking and the energy consumed to speak is not negligible. Therefore, Shu Matsui writes a story treating the capability of speech as an excuse of human being. Secondly, it means “prototype.” Shu Matsui thinks of “Sample” as a unit where he can set up a hypothesis to “produce an imitation” and to test and practice everyday. Shu Matsui named his play company “Sample” (prototype) hoping to be able to change his scripts flexibly rather than to fix his scripts in easy-to-understand form. |
| Profile of a director & writer ・・・・・・・・・・・ | |
Shu Matsui （Director, writer, actor） In 1996, joined the play company Seinendan” as an actor. In 2004, by his first script “Passage”, won the new face award for writers by the Japan Playwrights Association. In 2005, by the second script “World Premier” won the same award. In 2007, the 4th script “Shift” was played at “actOral6” in the French Play Festival. In 2008, directed “Phaedra’s Love” by Sarah Kane. Since 2007 till current, Shu Matsui has been teaching at the Literature Department of Waseda University as a part time instructor. |
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| Past works ・・・・・・・・・・・ |
| “World Premiere” |
2005.5
Komaba Agora Theater |
 picture：Akio Hato |
The
scene is an institution. In a room, a man is waiting for his turn
to have his surgery. There appears a young man who identifies himself as his son. Unexpected emergence of this young man leads the man to drift through his memories in the past. All the memories; his wife suffering from infertility, suicide of his uncle who had a business of raising experimental animals, etc. come back to him. Nevertheless, he wonders if these emerged memories are true or not. Memories of the dead are glorified in the people who left behind, but never be renewed in the dead. One’s character is formed based on one’s memories, so people believe, but people’s memories are obscure. This drama depicts uncertainty of how the memories form a character using the crossed time axes and well constructed story. The 11th New Face Award by the Japan Playwrights Association. |
 c.Tsukasa Aoki |
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| “Basement” |
2006.5
Atelier Shumpusha |
 design:kyo photo:momoko japan |
This
play dipicts how a natural food store turns into a cult-like community
with realism. The scene is a small natural food store nestled between the circular road and the expressway in metropolitan Tokyo. The store manager and his son, who live there, and store attendants form a small self-sufficient community, selling “water” and natural foods. The son lives in the store basement and produces “water.” One day, a girl came to the store seeking for a job. Encounter with the girl makes the son unable to produce “water” anymore. “Water” dries out and people’s life gradually falls apart. |
 c.Tsukasa Aoki |
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| “Shift” |
2007.1
Atelier Shumpusha |
 design:kyo photo:momoko japan |
In
a reclusive village, the villagers have intermarried for many generations
following their old tradition for a special purpose. That is to produce albinos. It bears close resembrance of breeding dogs. When a huge suburban shopping center emerged, the closed village life is suddenly drawn into a great confusion trying to rehash their old tradition in the surging wave of modernization. This play portlays such confusion from impersonal perspective. |
 c.Tsukasa Aoki |
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| “Burning up calories” |
2007.9
Mitaka City Arts Center |
 design:kyo photo:momoko japan |
Lost
their goals, modern people are running about in confusion. This play portlays such modern people by eclectic mix of realism and abusurdity. First, an episode of a mother and her son came up in my mind. Then an episode of a detective came up next. Mother who had been admitted in a nursing home ran away with a helper. Her son and the detective chase after them. However, when the evaders try to overtake the chasers, their positions will reverse. Then, they first realize, “we did not have to run away or chase after.” Nevertheless, they do not stop running away or chasing after. Are they controlled by something? Do you insist to find the reason? The only answer is to “burn up calories.” |
 c.Tsukasa Aoki |
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