First Purple Tent! Alibaba / Beggar of Love [Theatergoing Record]

Shota Yasuda's long-awaited purple tent!!!!!!!
I went to see the play!!!!!!!!
Of course, I'll share my thoughts on the work, but since many people asked me what it was like in the first place, I'll also record the heat countermeasures, and what it was like before entering and before the show started.

The official website is here ▽

About heat countermeasures

The heat, which I'm sure many of you are worried about, was... it was incredibly hot!! ←
(The actors performing in this are amazing...)

For now, I prepared equipment equivalent to going to a festival.

I absolutely recommend the cooling towel in #2!
It's the lightest and stays cold properly. Also, the cooling spray in #6 is recommended.
I could borrow a paper fan, but I couldn't fan myself when I was focused, so it was better for me to have something cold without doing anything.
I brought barley tea (500ml) to drink. Also, I ate a fairly substantial meal in the afternoon/evening before going.
You don't need anything to block the sun, but it's stuffy inside. Also, since there are various things in the front row, you are given plastic sheets, but these don't let air through, so it's a bit hot.
Also, after various things happened, if the person behind you shakes, the back of the person in front gets wet (it got wet).
That's fine! I went there expecting that!
But if you're not prepared for that, you might want to be careful.

About before entering to before the show starts

I arrived early, so I took pictures first and visited Hanazono Shrine.

The doors opened at 6:30 PM, so I left for a while and came back around 6:15 PM. There were so many people ←
But since there was no line yet, I think it's perfectly fine to arrive by 15 minutes past, considering the time to take pictures and such.
From around 6:20 PM, people started lining up in numerical order for the unreserved floor seating. (There were up to number 95?)
Even if you were lining up until 6:30 PM, they let you in if you said your number.
Once the line was finished, we listened to the precautions and then entered!

“I-it’s close...!”
No, I knew it, right? I knew it, but when I actually entered, it was closer than I imagined.
The stage height is about 60? I guess.
It might be a little higher.

It was a full house today. The distance between neighbors was fairly narrow.
If you sit cross-legged, your knees will touch.
I basically watched the play sitting in a gym-class style.
There are cushions/floor cushions, but they won't save your butt. Let's give up on that ←
Because it's a stage worth having your butt go flat for! (lol)

Also, there is merchandise for sale inside the tent!
The actors sell them to you by hand.
I was determined to buy the pamphlet here, so I prepared exact cash without needing change.

Regarding the stage, photography is allowed before the show starts.
(I only have photos that are too close to tell what's going on, so I won't post them)
Photography is prohibited during the performance. There was an announcement asking us to turn off screens like Apple Watches because they are distracting if they light up. (Well, obviously)

Stage impressions

On the lighter side, props would fly in (or be scattered), it would suddenly feel like an MC segment, or they would dance, so it was full of variety. lol

I've never had the opportunity to feel the closeness and impact that only this capacity can provide, and the energy of the actors this close before... It's really very powerful. I felt like I was using up my own HP just watching.
What I liked was the scene after Alibaba jumps off the swing and the wooden horse appears, and the scene where the women of the Tumen River in Beggar of Love line up.
It was a masterpiece.

Was the immersion into the work so great because it was close?
It's also because the venue itself isn't an air-conditioned theater, but I even felt like this environment was a production choice for immersion.
Also, it shakes, you know, the stage.
You don't usually feel jumping and leaping through anything other than visual information... this is truly unique to a tent.
Also, it was amazing how the stage set kept expanding.
The last scene was also dynamic.

And above all, I watched Yasuda-kun at this distance so intently that I wonder if I will ever see him like this again.
The scene where it is revealed that he is blind in Beggar of Love was incredibly good. Before it was put into words, I was watching and realized, 'Oh, this person is blind...'
Acting like you can't see when you can is very difficult, probably.
Also, he is the best in the world in a military uniform.
The suit and the loose costume of the 'yadoroku' (good-for-nothing husband) were also good, but for me, the military uniform is number one.
I felt the same way about the military uniform during 'Girl City' too ←

I want to deepen my understanding of the work a bit more.
I'm in a state where I can't organize my thoughts, but it was just amazing! lol
I'll exchange opinions with my friend who is seeing it this week...
The September stage will be in Kansai dialect, and the set will probably be bigger, and the scene changes might be different, so the atmosphere will probably be a bit different.

In any case, I'm glad I was able to firmly burn into my memory the sight of Yasuda-kun standing on the stage of the purple tent that he said he wanted to do.
I am grateful to Yasuda-kun for giving me the opportunity to have such a valuable experience.
And my greatest respect to the wonderful work, the stage set, and all the cast members.
Thank you for a truly wonderful work.