The presentation given by Makoto Sakai, at Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne,
June 21 2005.

My name is Sakai from the New National Theatre. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to advertise our theatre today. I spent 25 years in a theatrical company, and it has been 11 years since I joined the New National Theatre. I spent the first 6 years in the production department, and then spent the last 5 years in the theatre business and artist development department.

Makoto Sakai

Outline of the New National Theatre

The theatre opened on 10^th October 1997, and this is it's 8^th year. We have an artistic director system, which is that each opera, ballet, and drama artistic director decides the programmes. The fiscal year is from April to March, however we have a season system for the announcing and performing of our programmes. One season is from September to the following June. In the fiscal year of 2004, 11 opera programmes (2 small theatre opera programmes), 56 performances (8 performances), spectator total 78,147, the rate of charged entrance 76%. As for contemporary dance, 4 programmes, 14 performances, spectator total 6,223, the rate of charged entrance 77%. As for drama, 10 programmes, 172 performances, spectator total 55,325, the rate of charged entrance 77%. We have maintained these high level figures.

About ballet, opera and drama sponsored performances

One of the enterprises from the donations is called ''Planning, Production and Performance of the Contemporary Dance Art'', which are the sponsored opera, ballet and drama performances. For these performances, the artistic directors create plans, produce with technical department, then tickets are sold by the marketing department. Production, technical and marketing departments are working together, and this is the New National Theatre's main job.

About our training programmes

The training programme for opera singers was founded in April 1998. The programme is designed to run for 3 years, and the maximum number of students is 5. The required eligibility for the examination is the postgraduate degree of vocal music. We have appointed Mr. Richard Harrell, who has previously held the position of director of the San Francisco Opera Center, as an artistic advisor. We also invite lecturers from Western countries and they are receiving high evaluations for their magnificent coaching skills. Many of the graduates moved on to further training in Europe and United States, and there are already some singers, who play important roles in theatrical companies, such as the Nikikai and the Fujiwara Opera. The training programme for ballet dancers was also founded in April 2001. The eligible ages for the examination are 17 to 19 years old. The programme lasts for 2 years and the maximum number of students is 8. The first students graduated in 2003, and 2 of the 7 graduates have contracts with the New National Theatre's ballet company as soloists, together with other 3 graduates. These 2 soloists have already played leading roles. Lastly, the young artists training programme for actors has finally started this year. The eligible ages are from 18 to 30. The programme lasts for 3 years, and the maximum number of students is 15. The ballet and drama studio directors' positions are held by their own artistic directors.

About our international exchange enterprises

As for our international exchange enterprises, we have carried out training programmes for technical staff mainly from Asian countries. As a part of the exchange enterprise between Japan and China, we have trained technical staff from the China National Opera House (which will be open on the Tiananmen Square in 2006) for 4 years, and practical training has also been provided for its production staff. We have also trained technical staff from South Korea this year. We are also a member of the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres.

Other enterprises

In addition to the above, we also provide training for national public bodies and creative organisations. Those are the internship training for their desired sections (production, public relations, sales, marketing, technical department and so on). Those training only take place when requested by organisations.

There are other enterprises, such as theatre on hire, lecture meetings and the facility visits. There are people from all over the world who visit us, however it is sometimes hard work to adjust our schedules to meet those demands. The back stage tours are also taking place twice a month, and the theatre exploring tours (children only in summer holidays) are very popular.

We are also recruiting supporting members, and promoting fund-raising activities. Many of the directors and councillors are financiers, and they play main roles in obtaining financial support from private sectors. There has been a decline in donations from private sectors due to the depression in the past 2 to 3 years. Although the donations from individual members are increasing, the donations from corporations are decreasing.

Currently, there are 140 full-time staff, and 80% of them are from private sectors. There are 60 season contracted dancers, and 40 season contracted chorus members. There are contracted stage setting, lighting and sound technicians, and also workers from agencies such as restaurant staff, receptionists and security staff. The budgets have been cut down every year, and there are shortages in labour. Nevertheless, we have to provide the performances without reducing the numbers and also have to maintain the quality of the productions. It is a hard task, but it has been our aim to clear those targets.

Nationwide performing trials and co-operation with other theatres

We performed our first tour last year. It was the repeat performance of ''Konnichi wa Kasan'' (produced and directed by Ai Nagai), which we performed in March 2001 and swept most of the theatre prizes for the year. Although we received favourable receptions from each place, we also encountered a few problems. Our aim was to maintain the same quality as the performances in Tokyo; as a result the transfer costs for such as stage settings increased. We also kept the same designs for the advertising leaflets and posters as those in Tokyo, and that resulted in an increase in the costs for the sponsors. We are now considering how to tackle those matters. In June this year, we have produced ''Across the River in May'' with individual theatres, as a trial. ''Across the River in May'' is a Japanese – South Korean collaboration production written by Oriza Hirata and Kim Myung Hwa, which won the Grand Prize of the Asahi Performing Arts Awards in 2003. The drama also achieved a very favourable reception. Tthe performance from the 80-year-old South Korean actress, Bark Sung Hee was especially wonderful. We are planning to perform 1 or2 dramas each year from the year after next.

We also create dramas with other theatres in Japan. We performed ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' by Eugene O'Neill as an opening performance at the new theatre in Matsumoto. The production costs for both 18 performances in Tokyo and 3 in Matsumoto were to be added up, and then divided into accounts accordingly. It was a test for collaboration works in the future, as it was the first time a drama was performed, which did not have a fixed reputation, as it had not been played in Japan before. However, it was a great success at both the Tokyo and Matsumoto theatres, which were filled to capacity. It achieved the Grand Prize of the Asahi Performing Arts Awards last year as well. The artistic director, Tamiya Kuriyama and performances from Kazuyo Mita and Shinobu Otake received high evaluations. There is a forthcoming joint production with the Hyogo Prefecture Arts & Culture Centre, ''Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder'' written by Bertolt Brecht and directed by Tamiya Kuriyama, as an opening performance in November this year.

Our training programmes and nationwide collaboration

As well as the above mentioned opera and ballet training programmes, we are planning to produce nationwide performances by both current trainees and graduates, at reasonable costs. We would like to work together with other theatres to create enterprises to spread music and ballet. These opera and ballet trainees are virtually professionals and they need to have a lot of experience. At the end of the last year, opera trainees performed a Christmas concert at the Kyoto Museum. Although it was their first performance outside our theatre, they worked with other graduates and trainees from the New National Theatre Opera House; each of the three performances was a full house. We are planning to hold the training studios' nationwide performances from the year after next.

Invites from other theatres

In the past, we have invited theatre companies from Nagoya and Osaka, as sponsored performances. As for ballet, we co-operate with the Japan Ballet Association to hold Japan Joint Ballet (August, New National Theatre Opera House). We also started to co-operate with the Contemporary Dance National Festival hosted by the Contemporary Dance Association. These enterprises are regarded as an encouragement for those who study ballet and contemporary dance nationwide. We are also planning to invite regional operas as there are so many requests from all over Japan wishing to perform on the New National Theatre's stage, and it has been our aim to put those requests in to effect.

We are planning the joint production of children's opera ''Get Back the Ring!'' with other theatres after 2006. We would like to perform it nationwide with reduced costs. Opera tends to require high production costs. 1 production with a maximum number of 6 performances and the ratio of the admission tickets revenue is 40% against the production costs. As for ballet, 1 production with a maximum number of 5 performances, 30% goes to the admission tickets revenue. As for drama, on the contrary, 1 production with 15 to 35 performances, 60% goes to the admission tickets revenue. In other words, more performances mean going into the red for opera and ballet, but going into the black for dance. In the past, it has been said that the nationwide performance of the New National Theatre have been evidently expensive compared to those in Eastern Europe.

Our overseas performances・performance invites from overseas (Drama)

Our first overseas performance was in January 2000. We were invited by the Het Music Theatre in Amsterdam to play ''Rashomon'' directed by Kazuko Watanabe, which we originally performed at our theatre in 1999.

In October 2000, we were performing one of Sondheim's musicals, ''Pacific Overtures'' directed by Amon Miyamoto. Mr. Sondheim, who was in Japan to receive his Premium Imperiale Prize, saw the musical and he was so moved he then decided to invite us to the United States in 2002; New York (Lincoln Center/Avery Fisher Hall) and Washington DC (Kennedy Center/ Eisenhower Theatre/ Sondheim Celebration). As the performances were so successful, Amon Miyamoto performed its English version at Broadway in 2004.

During the same year, we performed the above mentioned ''Across the River in May'' in Seoul (Seoul Arts Centre), and it received a favourable reception, therefore we are performing again at the Seoul Art Centre in July this year.

As for opera and ballet, we invite producers, choreographers, singers and dancers from overseas for every performance. As for drama, the artistic director, Mr. Kuriyama has planned to invite about one production per year from overseas as follows;

2001: Théatre du Soleil, France, ''Tambours sur la Digue'' by Ariane Mnouchkine

2002: Russian Production, ''Hamlet'' directed by Peter Stein

2004: Hong Kong Theatre Ensemble, ''The Game'' directed by Jim Chim, Olivia Yan

2005: Germany Berliner Ensemble, ''Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui'' directed by Heiner Müller

Conclusion

I have spent 11 years at the New National Theatre, and 25 years at the previous theatrical company. My opinion about working for a theatrical company is to have your own ideology, to create pieces of work (production) and to share them. My inspiration to join a theatrical company came when I was young, I saw a production, and I was so moved then. I thought, I want to be part of creating some emotionally moving productions. There is a phrase, ''What you like you will do well''. When I look back, doing the same job for 35 years and still wishing to continue doing the same, I came to like what I am doing. However, I am still ''searching for the answer'' for what exactly made me like itÉ