Ryuzanji Company

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■Cast Profile■

　

Hiroko Ito

As GENGOBEI

He is a ronin (a samurai without a master) but originally a fine samurai whose real name is Kazuemon Fuwa. A large sum of money (100 ryo) was stolen while he was on guard duty, and he was kicked out of his clan. He needs 100 ryo in order to regain his status and lead an attack upon a rival clan that had killed his master.

■Hiroko Ito joined the company in 1986. She’s the top actress in Ryuzanji Company and also a mother of two children. The children’s duet in the play was sung by them.

　

Nao Kiuchi

As KOMAN

She works as a geisha for her husband, Sangoro, because his father needs money. She loves Sangoro as deeply as she could die for him.

■Nao Kiuchi joined the company in 1992. She’s been in many productions, using her talents, such as dancing. She’s also in charge of hair & make-up.

　

Saori Aoki

As SANGORO

Koman’s husband and a profligate who had been disowned by his father. In order to make his father accept his marriage, he’s trying to help him raise money.

■Saori Aoki joined the company in 1990. She received the Best Actress Award in one of the Japanese theater magazines in 2002. She’s the leader in the company, also doing costume designing and assisting artistic directors

　

　

Run Okita

As DEBT COLLECTOR
A rich merchant who buys all the household goods of Gengobei for his debt.

As ACTOR, TORAZO
A friend of Sangoro. He’s a popular performer.

As BEGGAR PRIEST
A priest in the slum who’s begging all the time.
　

■Ran Okita is one of the main actors in a theater company, “Buriki No Jihatsudan”. Since he performed in a Ryuzanji Company’s production for the first time in 1987, he’s one of the essential actors in the company’s productions. He’s an international underground theater actor.

　

Nanaho Unebe

As HACHIEMON　

Gengobei’s servant, a loyal young man who only hopes that his master, who is a ronin at the moment, becomes a fine samurai again.

■Nanaho Unebe joined the company in 1996. She not only acts but also works on producing world tours, sound, and lighting. She’s a natural-born-hard worker.

　

Tomomi Yokosuka

As GEISHA, KIKUNO

She works as a geisha at the same geisha house as Koman. She’s been friends with Sangoro and Koman for a long time.

■Tomomi Yokosuka joined the company in 1992. She’s the most powerful and energetic actress in the company. In 2003, she learned Asian theater by a year of studying in Indonesia where she was in many productions. She’s been refining herself as an actress

　

Nanao Kobayashi

As HOSTESS OYUMI

An older woman who works as the leader of waitresses at the geisha house. She’s friends with Koman and Sangoro.

■Nanao Kobayashi joined the company in 1998. She’s an actress and an artistic director. In 2000, she studied theater (directing) in Canada for a year. After she returned to Japan, she received a grand prize in the Japan Young Directing Contest.

　

Kazuhiro Ueda

As SUKEEMON

Gengobei’s uncle who is worried about his nephew. He’s raised 100 ryo, trying very hard, for Gengobei to join his clan again and make a raid on the enemy.

■Kazuhiro Ueda joined the company in 1995. He has quick reflexes and is the leader of the sword fighting scenes in the play. It’s worth seeing his spinning action.

　

　

Kazuhiko Satomi

As KANKURO

Sangoro’s friend. He helps Sangoro deceiving Gengobei to take his money, by playing a rich samurai who tries to buy the freedom of Koman.

■Kazuhiko Satomi joined the company in 2000. He has a good reputation in the company. He’s a charming and serious actor, working hard on being in characters.

　

Kengo Kuramochi

As INOSUKE

Sangoro’s friend. He also helps Sangoro deceiving Gengobei by playing Koman’s brother who orders her to forget the poor samurai.

■Kengo Kuramochi joined the company in 2001. He has his own sense of beauty and dramatic talent, and is loved by everybody. He’s a real actor who can be a male, female, &/or monster! He’s also a founder of a performance theater unit.

　

Chikara Tomizawa

As CHOHACHI　

Sangoro’s friend. He also helps Sangoro deceiving Gengobei by playing a guarantor for Koman’s debt; he tells her to pay the money back by getting married with a rich.

■Chikara Tomizawa joined the company in 2001. He is a serious actor and loves the rehearsal space more than anybody else does. He’s like a sweet younger brother and a gentle older brother in the company.

　

IWAO

As LANDLORD, YASUKE

He’s Koman’s brother and a landlord of a house in a slum. He scares his tenants away as a ghost and keeps the rent when they left. He’s also a thief who had stolen the money the night Gengobei was on guard duty.

■Iwao joined the company in 1997. He’s the leader of the young actors in the company. With his own sense of beauty, he fulfills an important part as not only an actor but also a set designer.

　

Makoto Honda

As TAROSHICHI

A poor man living in the slum. He helps the ghost incident as the follower of Yasuke the landlord.

■Since Makoto Honda was a music director in a Ryuzanji Company’s production in 1995, he’s been a composer for many productions. It’s worth seeing his unique presence as an actor and his tap-dancing with wooden clogs.

　

Hiromi Yano

As NANNY, OKURO

A foster parent who is taking care of the baby of Sangoro and Koman.

■Hiromi Yano joined the company in 2000. An orthodox actress who works on acting straightforwardly. She has a great sense of music and is a singing coach in the company as well. She also acts in Indies films and other theater companys’ productions. She wants to study in Cuba in the future.

　

Takuhei Kozu

As PRIEST

He’s actually Sangoro’s father, Tokuemon. He needs 100 ryo for a samurai who used to be his master. He shaved his head and became a Buddhist priest, raising money for his former master.

■Takuhei Kozu joined the company in 1997. He has a reputation for drawing audiences with his unique comical sense.

　

Show Ryuzanji

As POLICE, TAKUBEI

The officer who comes to arrest Gengobei for killing five people.

■Show Ryuzanji founded the company in 1968. He changed the name to Ryuzanji Company in 1984, and has been playing an important role in Japan theater. Although he’s originally an actor, he has directed more than 200 plays and is also a playwright.

	Hiroko Ito
	As GENGOBEI
	He is a ronin (a samurai without a master) but originally a fine samurai whose real name is Kazuemon Fuwa. A large sum of money (100 ryo) was stolen while he was on guard duty, and he was kicked out of his clan. He needs 100 ryo in order to regain his status and lead an attack upon a rival clan that had killed his master.
■Hiroko Ito joined the company in 1986. She’s the top actress in Ryuzanji Company and also a mother of two children. The children’s duet in the play was sung by them.

	Nao Kiuchi
	As KOMAN
	She works as a geisha for her husband, Sangoro, because his father needs money. She loves Sangoro as deeply as she could die for him.
■Nao Kiuchi joined the company in 1992. She’s been in many productions, using her talents, such as dancing. She’s also in charge of hair & make-up.

	Saori Aoki
	As SANGORO
	Koman’s husband and a profligate who had been disowned by his father. In order to make his father accept his marriage, he’s trying to help him raise money.
■Saori Aoki joined the company in 1990. She received the Best Actress Award in one of the Japanese theater magazines in 2002. She’s the leader in the company, also doing costume designing and assisting artistic directors

	Nanaho Unebe
	As HACHIEMON
	Gengobei’s servant, a loyal young man who only hopes that his master, who is a ronin at the moment, becomes a fine samurai again.
■Nanaho Unebe joined the company in 1996. She not only acts but also works on producing world tours, sound, and lighting. She’s a natural-born-hard worker.

	Tomomi Yokosuka
	As GEISHA, KIKUNO
	She works as a geisha at the same geisha house as Koman. She’s been friends with Sangoro and Koman for a long time.
	■Tomomi Yokosuka joined the company in 1992. She’s the most powerful and energetic actress in the company. In 2003, she learned Asian theater by a year of studying in Indonesia where she was in many productions. She’s been refining herself as an actress

	Nanao Kobayashi
	As HOSTESS OYUMI
	An older woman who works as the leader of waitresses at the geisha house. She’s friends with Koman and Sangoro.
■Nanao Kobayashi joined the company in 1998. She’s an actress and an artistic director. In 2000, she studied theater (directing) in Canada for a year. After she returned to Japan, she received a grand prize in the Japan Young Directing Contest.

	Kazuhiro Ueda
	As SUKEEMON
	Gengobei’s uncle who is worried about his nephew. He’s raised 100 ryo, trying very hard, for Gengobei to join his clan again and make a raid on the enemy.
■Kazuhiro Ueda joined the company in 1995. He has quick reflexes and is the leader of the sword fighting scenes in the play. It’s worth seeing his spinning action.

	Kazuhiko Satomi
	As KANKURO
	Sangoro’s friend. He helps Sangoro deceiving Gengobei to take his money, by playing a rich samurai who tries to buy the freedom of Koman.
■Kazuhiko Satomi joined the company in 2000. He has a good reputation in the company. He’s a charming and serious actor, working hard on being in characters.

	Kengo Kuramochi
	As INOSUKE
	Sangoro’s friend. He also helps Sangoro deceiving Gengobei by playing Koman’s brother who orders her to forget the poor samurai.
■Kengo Kuramochi joined the company in 2001. He has his own sense of beauty and dramatic talent, and is loved by everybody. He’s a real actor who can be a male, female, &/or monster! He’s also a founder of a performance theater unit.

	Chikara Tomizawa
	As CHOHACHI
	Sangoro’s friend. He also helps Sangoro deceiving Gengobei by playing a guarantor for Koman’s debt; he tells her to pay the money back by getting married with a rich.
■Chikara Tomizawa joined the company in 2001. He is a serious actor and loves the rehearsal space more than anybody else does. He’s like a sweet younger brother and a gentle older brother in the company.

	IWAO
	As LANDLORD, YASUKE
	He’s Koman’s brother and a landlord of a house in a slum. He scares his tenants away as a ghost and keeps the rent when they left. He’s also a thief who had stolen the money the night Gengobei was on guard duty.
■Iwao joined the company in 1997. He’s the leader of the young actors in the company. With his own sense of beauty, he fulfills an important part as not only an actor but also a set designer.

	Makoto Honda
	As TAROSHICHI
	A poor man living in the slum. He helps the ghost incident as the follower of Yasuke the landlord.
■Since Makoto Honda was a music director in a Ryuzanji Company’s production in 1995, he’s been a composer for many productions. It’s worth seeing his unique presence as an actor and his tap-dancing with wooden clogs.

	Hiromi Yano
	As NANNY, OKURO
	A foster parent who is taking care of the baby of Sangoro and Koman.
■Hiromi Yano joined the company in 2000. An orthodox actress who works on acting straightforwardly. She has a great sense of music and is a singing coach in the company as well. She also acts in Indies films and other theater companys’ productions. She wants to study in Cuba in the future.

	Takuhei Kozu
	As PRIEST
	He’s actually Sangoro’s father, Tokuemon. He needs 100 ryo for a samurai who used to be his master. He shaved his head and became a Buddhist priest, raising money for his former master.
■Takuhei Kozu joined the company in 1997. He has a reputation for drawing audiences with his unique comical sense.

	Show Ryuzanji
	As POLICE, TAKUBEI
	The officer who comes to arrest Gengobei for killing five people.
■Show Ryuzanji founded the company in 1968. He changed the name to Ryuzanji Company in 1984, and has been playing an important role in Japan theater. Although he’s originally an actor, he has directed more than 200 plays and is also a playwright.