During Seisen’s Fall Break, recent Seisen graduate Cassie Bucy marked her Tokyo debut as a theatre artist out in the world at large.

Cassie served as Assistant Director/Choreographer, Female Understudy, and Assistant Stage Manager in charge of props for the Tokyo International Players (TIP) production of Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville, The show performed at Geki Shogekijo in Shimo-Kitazawa from October 16-19. 

The show was a comedic retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes story, written by author Ken Ludwig. Cassie contributed in several ways to the show’s success. She was first brought into the company as an understudy for all the female actors. Then, as she proved her reliability and commitment to the project to Director Michelle Yamazaki, Cassie was asked to do more. 

One of Cassie's direct contributions to the show was her choreography during a scene in which the characters are walking in a storm, where actors had to walk as if walking against strong winds. The effect was a very funny, and memorable moment of movement and comedic storytelling. It was so effective that during the last performance, that sequence alone garnered a round of applause. 

In a recent interview, Cassie shared her thoughts and sources of inspiration that drive her love for theatre:

Q. When did you start doing theatre and what made you want to start doing theatre in the first place?

CB: I started doing theatre around the 5th grade, when I joined a drama SASA. I initially joined because I liked the teacher who was running the SASA, but after getting to actually perform, I found that I liked acting itself. After that, I sought out any acting activities I could be a part of, becoming a big fan of musical theatre in my free time, too! 

Q. What was your experience like working on a production outside of Seisen?

CB: I was pretty nervous about doing a production outside of Seisen at first, since there would be a bunch of more experienced people than me. Once I got accepted as an understudy/rehearsal assistant, though, I felt much more at ease. I figured I wouldn’t get a role, so knowing I was involved in the production in some way gave me a lot of hope. Being everyone’s understudy, I got to play over 40 characters all by myself, which helped build my acting range quite a bit. I also got to spend rehearsal, I wasn’t acting in, studying how the “professionals” acted. But beyond that, I got to help out a lot backstage, something I hadn’t done much before. I ended up taking charge of organizing the props, as well as some odd jobs with pretty much every aspect of the show. In the end, I got to make some good connections and gain a lot of respect for theatre as a whole. 

Q. What are your next goals as a theatre artist?

CB: My main goal for this upcoming season is to be a part of TIP’s Evita. I plan to audition as an actor in the show (since I do miss being on stage), but I’d also love to work with the backstage crew if I don’t get cast! Beyond that, I want to try and get into voice acting for movies and TV shows. I also want to keep doing plays and musicals on the side, though! 

Cassie is currently a student at Temple University Japan, taking various courses while also trying to develop her resume in Theatre. This production for TIP marks Cassie’s first production since graduating from Seisen in May. 

Seated next to Director Michelle Yamazaki (SMIS’s new MS Drama Teacher), Cassie was introduced to the audience during a Director’s Talk at Baskerville.