On September 7th, actor Shirota Yu accepted an interview with reporters before the opening of his stage play, "Romeo & Juliet".

Shirota, who shares the role of 'Romeo' with actor Yamazaki Ikusaburo, commented, "People will come to know the preciousness and excellence of love, and the foolishness of war. I want to be able to provide pure feelings and warmth, alongside feelings that are painful." Shirota aggressively stated, "I tackle it as if I'm 'shortening my life'," and later joked, "I think my life was shortened by about 200 days. I would like to star in something like this again."

Regarding Yamazaki, who he rehearsed with from morning to night, Shirota expressed, "I'm glad Iku-chan was my double cast partner," and continued, "We talked about many things before we started rehearsals. Our ambitions for the stage play, and the way we think; his attitude was on the same level as mine, so thanks to him, I was able to come this far." Additionally, Shirota revealed that they practiced diligently in order to master a high-level dance.

For the role of 'Juliet', rookies Kon Natsumi and Frank Risa were selected. Surrounded by reporters, the two gave stiff expressions; seeing this, Shirota blurted, "If you're nervous here, the performance will be difficult. You just have to answer what you are asked."

As Kon loosened up, she said, "At first I was nervous just to talk, but they talked to me very nicely. I'm glad these two were Romeo." Meanwhile, Frank expressed, "They always gave me advice. They are really kind and wonderful people."

"Romeo & Juliet" opened on September 7th, and will last until October 2nd at Akasaka ACT Theatre. Then the show will move to the Umeda Arts Theatre in Osaka for October 8th to the 20th.

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Source: Oricon