SP002 This Is Dramaturgy
Executive Summary: Reurent teaches the new actresses how to 'ghostwalk'. Features the debut of Yukino, the ‘'cunning’' actress and her two friends! Originally posted on youtube!
"... and thus to act, is to understand... Girls? Girls? Are you all... alright?"
Under the point spotlight of the main theatre stage, a tall boy with messy hair and ponytail slung over his shoulder is shuffling back and forth the wooden theatre floor in an impossible manner.
That person... is floating.
Or at least, he looks like he is floating.
His long theatre robes fall all the way down, a perfect tailored inch above the floor. Despite the rapidity in his movement, his robes remain perfectly still as he moves, giving the impression that he is 'gliding' across the stage...!
Just like...
... a ghost...
This spectral procession is repeated in multiple directions, his hands and arms raised and clasped before him under those long and wide sleeves, to show that there is no trick! No matter how much he moves, the bottom of his theatre robes do not even flutter upwards even once; not even when he rocks his body
back---
forward---
back---
and then---
Throwing his head upwards he spins his dark robes around, revealing that underneath those phantomic movements, there indeed are a pair of real legs underneath! Just as quickly as he reveals that flashy movement, he goes into a crouching stance, blending with the low and misty fog on the stage, before going back into the rapid back and forth movements once more!
This boy had been practicing this impossible movement non-stop for the last fifteen minutes. And yet, he shows zero sign of fatigue, his ghostly steps continuing as if this were the most natural thing in the world to him!
"Heh. So what was it you all were saying about this being... easy to do?"
Sharing the stage with him, a trio of actresses have fallen face-down on the floor in exhaustion. Forget fifteen minutes, a normal person wouldn't even be able to last one!
This is "鬼步“, "Ghoststep", one of the highest forms of traditional theatre! It gives off the illusion that one is moving like a ghost, by standing on one's toes and rapidly moving with just toe movements! When combined with long robes that remain absolutely still during any and all movement, the result is 'impossible theatre' that cannot be seen elsewhere!
Seeing that their Dramaturg was still at it after so long, the orange-haired Yukino raises a staggering finger in his direction...
"H-how can something so simple be so hard...?!"
The only one out of the trio with actual dance experience, she was the only one who had not completely keeled over trying to learn this movement trick! When the Dramaturg bragged about creating 'impossible theatre', Yukino had laughed a bit. Everything could be performed in her eyes, was there anything new she could even learn from this theatre house?
When the boy with one eye hidden behind a veil of bangs heard that, he laughed.
And chose to show off the 'easiest' trick to do.
Even when he demonstrated the 'trick' behind "Ghoststep", the raised toes and rapid movements, actually doing it... was no simple task!
For starters, even though there were no ropes or special props involved, the dramaturg bound his legs in wrappings, wearing only a simple pair of cloth stage shoes. Yukino had checked for herself that there was no trickery there.
Putting it into practice... was the hard part!
For starters, one had to maintain a perfect posture, otherwise the robes would start moving, and the illusion would be shattered. Next, one had to go fast with one's toes! The illusion depended on how fast one went, while still maintaining the decorum of the theatre robes being 'unmoved'! Lastly, there was the issue of stamina! Moving about on one's toes alone put your entire body weight on them! To constantly move about like that was extremely painful for the untrained, let alone a full fifteen minutes, and STILL going strong!
"Oh please, when it comes to actual performances, one might have to move for two to three hours like this at least."
Yukino's face falls flat back onto the stage!
Two to three hours!
TWO to THREE HOURS!
Within the fog produced by a smoke machine at stageside, the 'cunning' one realized something...
... this theatre house is no joke...!
She had come here thinking that she would just stay here and make off with some money.
What could a pair of small-time stage directors teach her anyway?
Heh.
When the boy with auric flame in his eyes laid down that challenge...
... he did so with full confidence in his acting ability...!
"Reroo~ Isn't it mean to bully the new actresses like this?"
From the direction of the smoke machine, another 'impossible performer' glided towards the three actresses lying facedown. Her movements even more absurd and exaggerated, for she was doing "Ghoststep" with a single foot, the other foot suspended in a 'L' shape in the air behind her...! Through all this, she carried a tray before her with both hands, not a single drop spilled, top of all five glasses of lemonade still as calm waters!
"Look who's talking! You just wanted to show off your version of the "Ghoststep"!"
"Teehee~ was it that obvious?"
As the boy reached for a glass and drew from the plastic straw, no matter how much he rocked his body back and forth , the surface of the lemonade remained perfectly still!
"No trick, by the way, this is all basic movement."
"You three will get it after a few weeks of training~ Hopefullé~"
Upon seeing this scene, the young actress thumped her head on the floor once more!
Crazy!
These people are crazy!
Reurent Incognito
HouseDelaroux.com
#stagestories #bitsborough #reurentincognito #housedelaroux
