Interview with Seimiya Rei - BRODY August 2021 Nogizaka46 Special : The Reason I am Standing on the Stage

(original article : BRODY magazine, August 2021. Nogizaka46 Special : The Reason I am Standing on the Stage)

Q : Question / Interviewer

R : Rei's Response

Q : Seimiya-san, were you interested in acting or stage plays before joining Nogizaka46?

R : I've never watched any stage play before, but I've been keeping on watching TV dramas or movies. I really like Hirose Suzu-san's acting in particular, and surely I have admiration towards actresses.

Q : So, you do want to experience it yourself?

R : I sure did. However, it was just about wanting to do it back then, yet I didn't really pursue it (like participating in auditions or so).

Q : But just by becoming a member of Nogizaka46 doesn't necessarily mean that a chance to do acting related job will come, right?

R : More like I didn't really think about acting when I joined Nogizaka46. I thought more about things like「 I will perform on stages wearing Nogizaka's costumes!」or 「I'll get to meet the seniors!」 instead of having a job for myself out of the group's activity. But recently, I've been thinking more about it.

Q : I believe the first stage play for the 4th-gen members was the 「3-Nin no Principal」(April 2019), right?

R : That's correct. In my opinion, the rehearsals were tougher than the actual performance. We were quarantined in the rehearsal hall for one month. You see, the first thing that we did was not to remember the lines. Instead, we learned things like 「How to read the script」and got taught on how to remember the lines. We did those on repeat including the acting part for many hours each day, it was really tough. For example, we were instructed to remember 10 pages worth of dialogue (I assume in one day). Perhaps now, it is possible to do that, but back then I couldn't even manage to remember the slightest bit of it. Remembering all the lines of all the three roles was such a high hurdle. Aaa, but then again even now it seems impossible (www). In my point of view, what happened in the rehearsal hall back than was more like a test. Everyday, I was feeling anxious.

Q : Indeed, even if you remember the lines for a certain role, there are still the flow of dialogue before and after your part, so in the end you must remember the dialogue for all three roles, right?

R : Yeah, looking at one page full of letters just made me panic, like「Uwaa~ no way I'm going to remember all of this......」(www).

Q : Also, it's not just about remembering the lines but your movement on the stage is also important, right?

R : Yes, exactly! However, back then we totally had no idea how to act, so more than anything we just tried to look the part, making sure that our performance were not much different from the others. So I think the movement is not much of a trouble.

Q : But how you deliver the lines is also related to the how you express it with movements, right?

R : Back then, I actually didn't think at all about expression. It was more like loudly reading the script.

Q : There also lots of difference when doing it in the real stage compared to the rehearsal hall, right? Surely, when preparing for the real deal, you need to be able to express properly. How did it go actually when performing on the stage?

R : I think there was not much difference with how I did it during the rehearsals (bitter laugh). Even so, I don't think it troubled me. If anything, my feeling was more like「I'm looking forward to perform an act in such place!」. Regarding the audience...... You know, they were giving judgement to our performance. But now thinking back about it, I was not even looking at the audience that much.

Q : So, their presence didn't affect you that much?

R : Yes. Rather than thinking about the audience, I was too busy thinking about my lines. In the theater, there are three lights placed around the seating area which are used to indicate where we should look at. Hence, I don't remember anything but the view around those area. I was like,「Eh, were there people over there?」 .

Q : Seems like you were really getting into the role (www).

R : Seems like it (www).

Q : If so, then you were not feeling nervous at all?

R : Ah, but I couldn't pull off the thought that I was being tested. Instead of nervousness about being watched, it was more about 「Am I going to say the lines wrong?」. In the end, because of that I couldn't get my feelings into the lines (www). I tried my best, but somehow until the very end it just ended being a moderate performance. Although I am the type who sleeps at 10 PM, every day I stayed up until 2 AM practicing, but still I couldn't remember the lines at all. I wished I didn't cause trouble to the others. There were times where I felt relieved to not be chosen for the roles, thinking things like「Oh, thank God I'm not chosen, because today I didn't manage to remember the lines.」. Perhaps, if I'm feeling confident of myself back then it will hurt me instead.

Q : So you were still in the stage where you were just enjoying the stage play, it seems.

R : I was just thinking「Can I do it without making a mistake?」. It just felt like an additional school activity. That's why it was more enjoyable in the dressing room, thinking what kind of refreshment we'll get or who will come to watch the performance. Hmm, why I couldn't remember the other stuffs? Probably because I keep on reading the script, it is harder to get my feelings into it.

Q : If so, then the stage play this time,「3-Nen B Gumi Minagawa Sensei~2.5 JigenMe~」, would be the first time for you to be fully engrossed working for a stage play?

R : Yes. This time, even without bringing the script to the rehearsal hall I'm feeling confident, since I'm really putting my thoughts into it. This is the first time I ever did so (www).

Q : When you heard that you are casted for the first time, frankly how did you feel?

R : 「Ee~, so I will be doing stage play as well!」. There was a fellow 4th-gen member who  is great in acting that were casted for other stage play as well, so I was actually surprised, wondering whether someone like me is suited for such work. I certainly was very excited about it, not to mention that I'm happy to get a personal job.

Q : Surely, for Seimiya-san it's a new challenge. How did it go during the introduction?

R : I wore somewhat a sharp-looking collared one-piece. I got nervous since it felt like an interview.

Q : You did talk about being able to say the lines without even bringing the script, but compared to the 「Principal」back then, seems like you really deal with it differently.

R : Totally different. The other casts are all professionals, so I don't want to drag them down. I'm working hard to fulfill my role...... Too bad I'm still not able to (bitter laugh). Right now (at the time of the interview), I'm in the process of perfecting it. But a while ago, when I staggered when saying my lines, I realized how I am still lacking. When the others around you are gradually perfecting their part, won't the quality of performance that is acceptable becomes higher and higher? When that happens, the difference in each other quality becomes more noticeable, and I will get like「Aa~！」, getting panicked because of it.

Q : Do you talk with someone regarding that problem?

R : Not at all. I personally think that it's not good to consult someone before I think about what's the problem by myself. However, even though I tried to think about it, in the end I don't even know what I don't know, so I ended up not knowing it (www). But don't you think I kind of easy to read? I don't even aware of doing it, but they said I sometimes sitting in my desk, burying my head in my hands while reading the script (www). Looking at that, Hosokawa (Tooru)-san the director will come and say 「You okay? Which part you didn't understand?」. After that, yesterday when I asked him 「I couldn't get my feelings in this scene and this scene...」, he taught me very thoroughly that there is a lot of interconnecting part in a story, so first I should read the previous scene and think of things like「I am thinking about such things here」or 「That's why here I should show such kind expression」. That gives my confidence back and helped me to look into things more clearly.

Q : So that was when you got the stage play baptism. (figuratively)

R : Yes. The people from Otona Keikaku (the management company of the other cast members) told me that「It's comedy, so there is no need to get worked up about it.」, but that being said, they are all great actors. I'm doing my best every day to not drag them down.

Q : The first performance will be held on June 17th, but your feelings might change again around that date. I also think at the moment when you finally stand on the stage in front of the audience, there might be a lot of things coming into you.

R : I'm the type who do it well when it counts (www). This time, I'm also more excited about the actual performance rather than the rehearsals. However, unlike 「プリンシパル」back then, this time we don't use mics but our raw voice, so I'm a bit worried about it. Minagawa (Sarutoki)-san, for instance, got a very loud voice (www). It's awesome that although he keeps on shouting, his voice never withers.

Q : I actually got the chance to interview him before. In normal situation, his voice is not loud at all, but once he stands on the stage his voice really does become loud.

R : Normally he would speak really gently. The gap is something else. I think all the people from Otona Keikaku got such gap. I think it is only Murasugi (Seminosuke)-san who almost doesn't have such gap (www). He always seems nice, so it's amazing how he can change his personality in a somewhat natural way for his role.

Q : Given this is the first time you experience working in a stage play together with people outside your group, I wonder how it will change your perspective after you come back to the group.

R : Now we're still in the rehearsal stage, but slowly but surely I'm feeling a change inside me. Feels like I'm becoming an adult (www). I might feel it right now because I'm concurrently doing two activities, but should I return to just doing activities in Nogizaka46, perhaps I will completely return being the usual me(www).

Q : Oh, but even from now on there are surely things that you acquire naturally without realizing. I'm sure it will be something positive for Seimiya-san's life from now on.

R : Hopefully so. Aa, speaking of which, back then when I was doing skits for the 「Nogizaka Skits」(TV program) there were certainly some hesitations, but right now it feels like I can overcome it.

Q : Being able to think like so is already a growth by itself. Do you think you'll become to love stage plays more and more?

R : The more I do something and understand it, the less confidence I have about doing it. If I just do it lightly, there won't be a stage when I realize that I was actually unable to do it. Although I might just get through it with pure guts, the more I do it there will be a moment when I realized 「Aa~, it's no good」. That applies for everything I do.

Q : Are you like, looking for perfection?

R : I ended up overanalyzing, I guess. The more you go deeper into something, won't you be unable but to think about it? It's not about being a perfectionist, but more like subconsciously wanting to do more about it. However, I think it's even a good thing to feel cornered like this for now. In the end, no matter how people feel like they hit a wall, things will somehow worked out after they sleep.

Q : I see... (www)

R : Recently the rehearsals usually ended around 6 or 7 PM. After going back to home, I'm getting prepared to sleep in 1 hour, since I believe having a good sleeping habit is important. Should I come to the rehearsal hall after lots of other works, a lot of times Arakawa (Yoshiyoshi)-san will get worried about me, but if I said 「I slept at 8 PM」, he'll be relieved, saying「Oh well, all is good then (www)」. Up until now, in the night I will compile all the things I must do in tomorrow. I also make sure to sleep at 8 PM and get up at 5 AM. It feels like such lifestyle is suitable for me (www).

Q : Such a healthy one, that is. The stage play will be ongoing until July 4th, which is quite time-consuming. For now, it's important to finish the stage play successfully while building up your confidence. Should you have more interest with stage plays afterwards, that'll be great, don't you think?

R : That's right. As a member of Nogizaka46, there are lots of work that I can experience. By doing this job outside from the group activity, I got to know「Oh, actually that is not all of it」. So far, I am giving my very best to things in front of me, but now I become to thinking more about things that I want to do or how my future would be.