
Source: ©︎studio_daikokuten ©︎TATSUYA MATSUKI.SHIRO USAZAKI/SHUEISHA
Acting manga Act-Age stage play announced; remote auditions held for lead Kei Yonagi
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- Act-age / acting / audition / Horipro International / Kei Yonagi / Kei Yonagi Actor Project / Manga / Shiro Usazaki / stage play / Studio Daikokuten / Tatsuya Matsuki / Theater
As fans probably know by now, the popular acting-themed manga Act-Age is being adapted to the stage in 2022 by Horipro International. The play will focus on the "Night of the Galactic Railroad" 銀河鉄道の夜 arc of the manga, and remote (online) auditions are now being held for the lead role of Kei Yonagi.
What is Act-Age
Act-Age (アクタージュ act-age Akutāju) is a riveting manga series about Kei Yonagi 夜凪景, a high school girl with a prodigious natural talent for Method Acting, and her development as an actress. Written by Tatsuya Matsuki, illustrated by Shiro Usazaki and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since January 22, 2018, the manga has gained attention both at home and abroad for its novel subject matter, its compelling character development, its insightful depiction of the sometimes cut-throat world of Japanese film, television and stage acting, and the brilliant artwork expressing the subtle and sometimes conflicting emotions the characters go through both on stage and off.
The manga, which now has sold over 3 million copies, is also popular outside of Japan thanks to simulpublications from Viz since December 2018 and Shueisha through "Manga Plus" since January 2019. Viz Media will release the first volume in English next month, with the second and third volumes planned for September and November after that.
Kei Yonagi Actor Project
As we introduced last year, publisher Shueisha has taken a unique promotional approach with Act-Age. Under the banner of the "Kei Yonagi Actor Project" 夜凪景女優化計画, they're treating the protagonist as if she were a real-world actor, affiliated with the acting agency Daikokuten. In addition to acting roles within the narrative world of the manga, she has made real-world appearances such as being a store manager for the Tsutaya bookstore chain, modeling in posters, doing a gravure photoshoot for Weekly Playboy, and serving as brand ambassador for JVC.
Now, it would seem that they're taking the concept further by holding an audition for Kei Yonagi as the lead in a real-world stage adaptation. The girl who lands the role will not only get to play the heroine, she will be launching her career. In other words, a real-world actress will make her debut signed on to Horipro International just as the fictional character Kei Yonagi made her debut at Daikokuten in the manga.
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Stage Play "Act-Age: Night of the Galactic Railroad"
The stage play "Act-Age: Night of the Galactic Railroad" will be produced by Horipro's Theatrical Production Department, known for successful plays and musicals like "DEATH NOTE: The Musical" and "Ikiru," the musical adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's film of the same name. The play will be based on the "Night of the Galactic Railroad" arc in Act-Age, which depicts the complex relationships between Kei Yonagi, grappling with her first theatrical role, her fellow actors, many of them more experienced, and the veteran director trying to realize his vision of the Japanese literary classic penned by Kenji Miyazawa.
The play will be directed and based on a script by playwright, actor and director Shu Matsui, who won the 55th Kishida Drama Award for his 2010 play Jiman no musuko (My son, my pride) and is highly praised for his portrayals of contemporary society with a combination of dry wit and an intense aesthetic focus.
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Out of consideration for safety during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, auditions for the lead role of Kei Yonagi will be conducted "remotely" online (details follow below).
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Auditions for the lead role of Kei Yonagi
Duration:
June 1st, 2020 to July 10th 23:59 (JST)
Grand Prize benefits:
Sponsor:
Horirpo / Horipro International
Original work / Project cooperation:
Shueisha Inc.
Support:
Warner Brothers Japan LLC
Qualifications
Audition schedule:
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So, if you speak native-level Japanese (and meet the other conditions listed above), the lead role of Kei Yonagi could go to you! Remember, all nationalities are accepted and they particularly welcome applicants who can also speak English (or Chinese, if you happen to be reading this but Chinese is your first language). This could be the chance of a lifetime. Why not give it a try and send in your application?
APPLY HERE
Read Act-Age
You can read Act-Age on Shueisha, or on Viz. You can pre-order Vol. 1 of the English version from Viz Media at Amazon.com and if you can read Japanese, the tankōbon are available on Amazon.co.jp. You can also keep up to date with Kei's latest projects by checking her page at acting agency Daikokuten.