[CH.24] Education drama audition
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**TL Notes: So as not to
confuse you all, I made a summary of the characters that appear in this
chapter that you may have forgotten before. Sumire Matsuda:
MC Touka Kimura: MC's classmate in Tokyo. She is also the class representative. Yoko Ando (Ando-san): Sumire's manager Azusa Oshima (Ms. Oshima): Sumire’s mentor Nao and Fumika: MC's close friends (Actually, they don't appear in this chapter, but their names are mentioned) |
With classmates' parting greetings, I sling the school-designated bag onto my shoulders.
"Well, do your best without pushing yourself too hard,"
Those slightly patronizing words came from Touka, my best friend in Tokyo. I had informed her about the audition I was going for later today, so I understood that this was her way of showing support, even if her delivery was a bit off.
"Yeah, thanks Touka,"
Despite her tone, I genuinely appreciated her sentiment, and I responded with a smile. Touka blushed slightly and averted her gaze, looking a bit embarrassed. I used to think that tsundere characters were only in fiction, but seeing it in real life was quite impactful. Her popularity among our classmates probably stemmed from this endearing aspect of her personality.
After waving to Touka and parting ways, I quickened my pace towards the school's entrance where I was supposed to meet Ando-san in the school parking lot. Normally, only official visitors like school staff or service providers were allowed to park there, but today, due to time constraints, our agency had applied for special permission, which had been granted.
Ando-san was standing in front of the stopped sedan, so I greeted her and climbed into the back seat. Simultaneously, Ando-san, who had taken the driver's seat, handed me a couple of papers in a folder from the passenger seat.
"These are Sumire's profile sheets that we've submitted there. It's probably a group interview, so they might not ask too probing questions, but it's good to have a look."
I nodded in response to Ando-san's words and glanced at the papers I had received. They contained basic information like my date of birth, height, weight, and even details like arm length and inseam ratio, which I rarely paid attention to. There was also a section for work history, equivalent to what you'd find in a resume, asking about the jobs I've done.
I only had two jobs listed: one in a commercial and one as a model. I still lacked any experience as an actress, and I was anxious about how this would be perceived, but there was no point in getting worked up now. Since I was informed by Ms. Oshima about participating in the audition a little over a week ago, I had diligently attended lessons and done everything I could. Now, all that was left was to face the audition head-on, come what may.
"Are you supposed to attach a photo in these blank spaces?"
"Yes, that's right. It's a headshot. We took it right after you arrived here, didn't we?"
The second sheet had a large empty space at the bottom with no writing. When I asked about it, Ando-san replied. Oh, that headshot photo. I wanted to bury the memory of being asked to wear a frilly dress-like outfit and smile so much that my face felt like it was going to freeze. I had to do various poses, and I wondered what Nao and Fumika would think if they saw it. Would they burst into laughter, or would they admire the cute clothes and make their eyes sparkle? Ma-kun is kind, so even if he secretly laughed, he would probably suppress it and just give a wry smile.
I like cute clothes too, but I'd rather not strike poses like a fake cute girl in front of people. As I was lost in thought, I realized that the car had somehow arrived near the public broadcasting station, which was today's audition venue. It pulled into the entrance of the underground parking lot.
When I informed the security guard at the underground entrance that I was here for an audition, he used a walkie-talkie to contact someone and then let us in. Ando-san showed some kind of identification card, but compared to the late Heisei era, the security measures seemed quite lax.
We went up to the 7th floor and took the elevator down. In front of us, there was a sign that read, "Audition Venue for Tomorrow is Here." Following the instructions, we proceeded, and a similar sign was placed next to the door. When we walked through the door and entered, we found a room resembling a conference room with several long tables and chairs. More than half of the seats were already occupied by child actors and their guardians, all eagerly waiting for the audition to begin.
"Is this the waiting room?"
"Yes, this is the waiting room. The audition venue is beyond that door. It's a bit smaller than this room, but it's connected."
"Have you been here before, Ando-san?"
"Yes, many times. I've been here several times. This television station has been very supportive."
While we were talking, we took our seats and settled in. After a while, it seemed to be time, as a man in a suit entered the room.
"Thank you for coming. We will now hold auditions for the new season of our educational program 'Spread Your Wings.'"
As the man spoke at the front, others began distributing materials. I was given a packet, and when I looked at it, it contained a casting sheet and the lines and settings for the audition scenes.
I was auditioning for two roles: a rich young lady and a shy, introverted girl. The rich young lady was portrayed as a troublemaker who used her parents' influence and caused various problems in the class. The introverted girl had trouble fitting in with her classmates and had a fight with her best friend, despite being encouraged by her, leading to a misunderstanding. Both roles seemed interesting to play, but in terms of similarity to myself, the introverted girl might be easier to portray.
As I familiarized myself with the lines, they handed me a slightly larger badge with a number on it, so I removed my school name tag and attached the badge. Both the name tag and badge were attached with safety pins, and I preferred not to poke holes in my clothes if I could avoid it. Although it was navy blue and not very conspicuous, it still gave off a somewhat shabby feeling when viewed up close.
It seemed that interviews would be conducted in groups of three, and my number was 21, meaning I would be called third in Group 7. Attendees were not allowed in the interview room, so I took the opportunity to ask Ando-san for advice. She replied lightly, saying that, of course, it would be best if I passed, but even if I didn't, it would be an experience for me. She reassured me that acting jobs wouldn't be the end of the line and that she would ensure I got the jobs I wanted.
"Of course, passing would be the best outcome, but even if you don't, it's an opportunity for you to gain experience, right? Don't worry; your acting career won't end here. You'll probably do other jobs as well, but I'll make sure to secure the ones you want."
So, I felt a sudden lightness in my body as Ando-san told me to relax and take it easy. Maybe I had been more nervous than I thought, and following Ando-san's advice to not put too much pressure on myself, I decided to do my best.
With that determination in mind, an announcement came in that numbers 19 to 21 should enter. I picked up the materials and a pen, stood up, and walked through the door held open by the staff. Being the last to enter, I bowed and said, "Excuse me," prompting the two people in front of me to follow suit. I have this habit from my past life due to job interviews, but it's true that most kids just have the habit of saying "good morning" and "goodbye." It can't be helped.
"Please have a seat."
Facing us, there was a long table, and three men and women were seated there. At the request of the woman on the right, we took our seats in the chairs provided.
"Thank you for participating in the audition today. I am the producer of this program, Mr. Kitazawa."
"I'm the director, Mr. Fukui."
"I'm the public relations officer, Ms. Ishida. Nice to meet you."
Starting with the man on the left, they introduced themselves. Producer, director, these are roles I've heard of often, but they're probably important people within the production team.
"We'll save the details for later. For now, we'd like to see your acting, so... let's start with number 19. Please tell us your preferred role, and you can start your performance whenever you're ready. For those who have two role preferences, you can repeat the same scene after the first one."
At the moment when Mr. Kitazawa said that, I felt the atmosphere in the room become tense. Number 19 seemed to aspire to play the role of a mischievous boy's childhood friend, which was the heroine's position. I didn't have the career to make authoritative comments on other people's acting, but it seemed like they were so focused on reading their lines that their performance lacked depth.
Next was number 20, who also aspired to play the heroine. This child's dramatic acting was quite impressive. Then it was my turn. First, I would perform the role of the young lady.
As instructed by Ms. Oshima, I've made it a daily habit to observe various people. For this young lady role, I had an image of Touka because she somewhat resembled the character. Similarly, I had Fumika in mind for the shy girl role. I tried to add my own touch to avoid it being a mere imitation, but I'm not very confident about how well it turned out.
After the performances of the three of us were done, Mr. Kitazawa released his clasped hands and nodded quietly.
"Thank you, each of you brought out your unique qualities, which is good. Now, I'd like you to answer some simple questions."
With that, Mr. Kitazawa began to ask questions in order of the numbers again. However, the questions were clearly unrelated to the audition, such as "Do you enjoy school?" or "Do you have any siblings?"
After finishing the questions for the other two, Mr. Kitazawa turned his gaze towards me.
"Did you come straight from school today?"
I had been mentally prepared for all sorts of questions, and his harmless inquiry left me feeling somewhat deflated. Come to think of it, both in the waiting room and here, I was the only one who had come directly from school still in my uniform.
"Yes, I came right after classes, so I didn't have time to change."
Upon hearing my response, Mr. Kitazawa casually flipped through the documents on the table.
"Your first job was a commercial, and then you worked as a magazine model. Matsuda-san, what's your ultimate goal?"
Although he had been asking safe questions all along, he suddenly asked a probing one. However, I only had one dream or goal.
"I want to become an actress."
"In that case, it might be a good idea to think about diversifying your roles. Isn't that right, Director Fukui?"
When Mr. Kitazawa directed the conversation towards Mr. Fukui, he seemed to be wearing a somewhat exasperated expression. I didn't fully understand the dynamics, but I had a gut feeling that Mr. Fukui might often find himself inconvenienced by Mr. Kitazawa.
"Well... yes, Matsuda-san's acting was natural and good. If we were talking about movies or typical dramas, I believe she has more than enough talent to be cast."
Speaking of directors, they are people who handle direction and play a role somewhat like a conductor for actors. To receive praise from someone in such a role was building a solid sense of confidence within me.
"However, I have to say that your performance in this audition leaves something to be desired. Can you guess why?" Mr. Kitazawa continued after Mr. Fukui's remarks.
Taking Mr. Fukui's words into account, my acting had been praised as good for movies or typical dramas. So, the implication was that this program was not something considered a typical drama.
I carefully considered my thoughts and then responded.
"Um... because it's a different medium?"
It seemed like my answer was correct as Mr. Kitazawa smiled and nodded in satisfaction.
"That's right. This drama is intended for children on educational television. The viewers are, to put it bluntly, kids who lack life experience and are being forced to watch the program by their teachers. We're looking for actors who can perform in a way that is understandable to such viewers, actors who can draw in kids who are not watching of their own accord. Can you deliver that kind of performance?"
I couldn't back down from such a challenge. After all, I was here as a disciple of Ms. Oshima. I couldn't afford to tarnish my mentor's reputation in a place like this.
"I can! So, please let me perform again."
When I said that and bowed my head, Mr. Kitazawa turned his gaze to Ms. Ishida, who was seated on the right. Ms. Ishida glanced at her wristwatch and nodded with a wry smile.
"Well then, let's see it. We don't have much time, so just one role will do."
Without hesitation, I chose to perform the role of the wealthy young lady. Considering the previous discussion, it seemed that the emotional depth and direction of my acting could remain the same. However, I needed to make it slightly more exaggerated, or rather, more understandable for the viewers. That's what I believed was expected. As for the shy girl, I thought it might be challenging for a beginner like me to differentiate between normal and exaggerated acting.
Balancing natural and exaggerated acting is difficult, but I managed to perform it on the spot. Soon after, the audition ended with Mr. Kitazawa's words.
I returned to the dormitory, feeling uncertain about how I had done. Unable to contain my anxiety, I decided to talk to Ms. Oshima honestly about what had happened today and seek her advice.
Ms. Oshima explained that while adapting your acting to different media was important, at this stage, she wanted me to perform naturally without overthinking things. She hadn't told me because she believed it was something I would naturally learn through experience.
"You don't need to overthink it. I like your acting just the way it is, showing your true self," Ms. Oshima said.
With those words from Ms. Oshima, my anxieties about the results and frustrations about my lack of skills disappeared. I realized that getting worked up wouldn't change the outcome, and I should simply be myself every day. If the results weren't favorable, I would accept them and work hard to succeed next time.
I embraced this new perspective, and as December approached, almost a month after the audition, I received the results.
I had passed the audition, which was great news, but what I found strange was the role I had been assigned. It wasn't the shy girl or the wealthy young lady, it was the energetic friend of the shy girl. I wondered if it was common to receive a role you hadn't even auditioned for. It was quite baffling.
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