５月６日（日曜日）２０１８
カフェが終ってからT氏のお誘いで「野外劇団 楽市楽座」http://yagai-rakuichi.main.jp/を観に長浜八幡神社へ向かいました。夕方からポツポツ降り出した雨は次第に本降りになり、途中のコンビニで傘を購入。雨なのに野外で？と初めての私には状況が理解できないまま現地到着。見ると神社の境内に小さな野外劇場が作られていました。円形に観客用のベンチが３列に置かれ、その真ん中に直径６メートル、深さ５０センチほどの円形のプール。プールには円形の木のステージが浮いてゆっくりと回っていました。観客のところは雨よけのテントが張られていましたが、ステージの上は何もなし。何コレ…？やがて異様な衣装の３人が現れて、新作「赤いクツ」の始まりです。入場無料とはいえ「おひねり」用の紙が配られ気に入った所で観客がステージにお金を包んで投げるという前代未聞の芝居見物です。雨は容赦なくステージの三人に降りかかります。３人は親子で座長で父親の長山現さんの巧みなギターが間合い良く入り３人の熱演を盛り上げます。政治色がチラリと入るところは個人的には好きではありませんが、雨の中、絵になる動きで歌いながらまさに体を張って芝居をするその集中力と独自性に拍手喝采です。勿論、おひねりも特別に弾みました。「楽市楽座」はこれから全国を行脚して上演するそうです。After the café had closed, I headed to Hachiman shrine in Nagahama upon receiving Mr. T's invitation to see "Open-air theatre, Rakuichi-Rakuza" http://yagai-rakuichi.main.jp/. The rain had started in the afternoon and there was no sign of the weather clearing up, so Mr. T and I stopped by the convenience store and we both bought umbrellas. I wondered "Is the Open-air theatre still going to be held in the rain?". Without having any idea of what the stage would be like, we arrived at the shrine. There was a temporarily assembled playhouse with three rows of benches surrounding a round shaped stage. The stage was floating in the round shaped water pool (20 feet diameter, 1.6 ft depth). A blue sheet was covered over the bench area in order to avoid the audience from getting wet but there was no roof in the center. What is it ?! I have never seen such a strange stage. At 7pm three actors started the play titled " the Red shoes". It was free of charge but we were given several sheets of paper which were for Ohineri (wrapping money), to be thrown to the stage from the audience to praise the actors. It was a completely new experience for me to see this sort of play. The rain kept falling on the stage and I felt sorry for the actors who were moving around and acting with full energy. Three are family members and Mr. Nagayama who is a father and the leader of the group played guitar very well. Although I didn't like the political part, it was well directed and fun. I applauded for their energetic acting despite the rain and their originality. Of course I didn't forget to throw Ohineri many times. The troupe will go on a national tour of Japan.
