Welcome to backstage…
At first, we arrive here.
It's a place, behind of stage.
It's just the place ‘real backstage,’ and
‘the beginning of the world of backstage.’
We sometimes speak the word, ‘backstage,’
as a inside-story, as a gossip and so on.
But ‘real backstage,’ it is…
always dark, chilly and deserted place.
It start from here.
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Carry in: It's the beginning a day of
stage work with a cheerful greeting by crew. ‘Ohayo-gozaimasu’ as ‘Good Morning,’ they greet each other, even so it's night. The entrance for carry is opened. And they carry in stage setting, properties etc… to dressing rooms or wing of stage. |
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Light
setting: Above stage, steel bars (baton)
run in parallel, and the number of them depend on the depth of stage. First, lighting-effect crew, they move down some ‘baton’ and hang ights on them. It is light hanging (photo left-side), it is vari-lite hanging (photo right-side). ‘Baton’ are moved down while it's nothing on stage for security. Watch your step please, for power cords and settled lights on stage. |
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Stage setting: Next, sceneshifter,
they move down some ‘baton’
without hanged lights, hang stage setting on, and set them to the best position. After this, they move up all ‘baton’ fully. |
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Light shooting: Then, lighting-effect
crew, they shoot lights. All of, various lights on stage
are focused and shot. They shoot the lights above stage from underneath with a long bar (kaishaku-bo). |
Sound tuning: Next, sound-effect crew, they set a pair of moniter speakers and some
microphones etc… on stage or both of wings of stage. And then they tune the sound
of microphones and other sound source carefully, because the reverberations is differ
from each stage and each theatre.
Rehearsal: Performer come in, and have a rehearsal on stage.
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Operation board on a wing of stage is ready. |
At last, opening and rising curtain : | |
Audience're impatient for today's performance. | ![]() |
During performance:
Clean up the stage(Barashi
): After curtain fall, crew greet each other, ‘Otsukaresama’
as ‘Let's call it a day,’ and as ‘Thanks today's performance.’ And they clean up the stage. |
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At first, a pair of moniter speakers,
microphones, and stage setting etc… on stage are
taken to pieces by sound-effect crew and sceneshifter. So it's nothing on stage, sceneshifter take the stage setting which they hanged on ‘baton’ away, and lighting-effect crew take the lights which they hanged on ‘baton’ away, and set lights where they were. For many hours to set the stage, it's very quick to clean up it. Last of all, crew sweep the stage with a broom. |
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Carry out: Crew move out dressing rooms and stage, and carry out stage setting, properties
etc… from the entrance for carry. With a greeting of ‘Otsukaresama-deshita,’ it is
over a day of stage work. You have got anything, haven't you ?
Nobody knows…
There is no one on the stage.
It's quite still now.
Just like a dream, it have been in excitement
with applause and a great cheer just a little while ago.
Now, it seems to me that the stage begin to sleep until next performance, but…
nobody knows the truth of it.
‘The world of backstage in Japan,’ it's over here.
Otsukaresama-deshita.
We are looking forward to your visit stage again.
Thank you so much.