OLYMPUS TECHNOZONE Vol.65 2005-11

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A science show is a forum for the expression of ideas and concepts. We need specialist performers


Singing inside a vinyl house filled with helium gas
Even a man with a deep bass voice will start to sing in a weirdly high-pitched voice after taking a deep breath inside a vinyl house filled with helium gas. Staged with assistance from TEPIA (The Machine Industry Memorial Foundation)
Tsuchida: 
We have never presented a science show in a large hall. How do you bring excitement to so many people at once?

Yonemura: 
The presentation of science shows on stage is a new field, and there are no established methods. It's completely different from plays and musicals, which are organic combinations of many elements, including performance, scenery, props, costumes, lighting and sound. I'm like an amateur actor on the stage. You can reach audiences to some extent simply by showing them interesting experiments and talking about them. However, the impact is weak. I think we'll need producers who specialize in science shows.

Tsuchida: 
Do you have scenarios?

Yonemura: 
Of course. We have proper scripts. Without scripts the people in charge of lighting and sound in the hall wouldn't know what to do. At first we didn't have anything like that. People thought we were crazy, because we simply started our shows without proper preparation.

Tsuchida: 
It's very difficult to express and represent concepts. Perhaps you have a special talent in that area?

Yonemura: 
No. I find it very hard. That's why I'm eager to train people who have a real aptitude for this work, people who are good at stage work and so on. I've been doing it for 10 years, and in my heart I feel that it's time to pass on the mantle.

Tsuchida: 
I'm sure you'll find talented successors. Show presentation is exciting work.

Yonemura: 
The first requirement for a show is to give enjoyment to the audience. If I succeed, the children and adults in the audience will experience the same excitement that I gained from my own childhood experiences, such as looking at the moon through a telescope. When that happens, I feel truly happy. Many adults have lost the ability to feel excitement and wonder. We are trying to express and present our shows in ways that bring back the extreme freshness of childhood sensations. I want people who see our science shows to leave with the feeling that they have gone through a worthwhile experience, that they would like to bring their families to see the show. If we can produce a show that creates that impression, we have staged a good event. But it's very difficult.

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