A play titled “Charlie Bartlett” was performed by members of Chuo University’s English Speaking Society (ESS) at the school’s Tama Campus on November 23, 2013. Many alumni, friends and family members, both young and old, filled a hall at C Square to watch their performance.

2013年11月23日、中央大学多摩キャンパスＣスクエア大ホールで、同大英語学会（ＥＳＳ）のドラマセクションによる『チャーリー・バートレットの男子トイレ相談室』の公演が行われた。公演にはＥＳＳのＯＢ、保護者、友人など老若男女が駆け付けた。

The play, a dramatization of the 2007 U.S. film with the same title, begins with a monologue by the main character, Charlie Bartlett, played by Katsutaka Imabayashi (first grader, Faculty of Commerce). Charlie is expelled from a private high school and starts attending a public school, where he gets bullied by his new classmates. However, when he gives away his prescribed psychotropic drugs to his friends, he becomes a darling in the school and starts counseling classmates in the boys’ bathroom. “Charlie Bartlett” is a campus comedy filled with laughter and tears.

劇は今林賢亮さん（商学部・１年）演じる主人公チャーリーのモノローグから始まる。チャーリーは通っていた私立の高校を退学になり、公立高校に通うことになるが、そこでいじめに遭ってしまう。しかし、かかりつけの精神科医に処方された薬を学校で分けたところ、皆から頼られる存在になり、トイレで相談室を始めて、一躍学内の人気者になる。笑いあり、涙もありのドタバタの学園青春ドラマだ。

  Although the play proceeded all in English, Japanese subtitles were put on a screen so that audiences who don’t understand English can enjoy it. It also contained some musical elements. At the end of the play, Akari Tostuka (first grader, Faculty of Letters) who played the role of heroine Susan sang a song a capella, followed by a chorus by all casts. The two-hour-long performance drew a lot of applause from the audiences when the curtain fell.

公演はすべて英語で行われたが、観客に向けて日本語の字幕が付くため、英語が分からなくても楽しめるよう工夫がされていた。劇の終わりには戸塚あかりさん（文学部・１年）が演じるヒロインのスーザンによるアカペラの独唱、そしてキャスト全員による合唱とミュージカルの要素もあった。公演は２時間の長丁場。閉演後、会場に大きな拍手が沸き起こった。

“I had to start from scratch,” said Haruka Kawaguchi (second grader, Faculty of Commerce), chief of the revived drama section of ESS, after the performance. She made her debut on the stage by acting as main character Brenda when ESS performed an English drama in May after a break of 45 years. None of the club members had drama experiences. They had no stage equipment. They had no seniors to reply on. Kawaguchi said she got utterly confused when she had to manage a play rather than act in it. “We had to do a lot of unfamiliar work, from allotting roles to taking care of the bills, all that we hadn’t experienced when we acted in the previous drama performance,” echoed Mai Furukawa (second grader, Faculty of Commerce) and Fumika Hayashi (second grader, Faculty of Letters) who led the play with Kawaguchi behind the scenes. They said they were happy to see the casts and backseat staffs in an accommodative mood. “What we kept in our mind most of all was to make their rehearsals as pleasant and enjoyable as possible,” they said.

「すべてイチからやらなければいけなかった」と、公演後、ドラマセクションの初代チーフ川口治佳さん（商学部・２年）は話す。５月にＥＳＳが４５年ぶりに英語劇を行った際の主人公ブレンダを演じたが、彼女自身も演劇に出るのはそれが初めてだった。演劇経験も乏しく、機材も揃っておらず、頼れる先輩もいなかった。また、演じる側からマネージする側への転身に戸惑ったという。「役割分担から、予算申請や会計まで、演じていただけのときとは違う仕事や責任が増えました」。川口さんとともに英語劇を裏方で率いた古川真衣さん（商学部・２年）と林文佳さん（文学部・２年）も同様に振り返った。練習は楽しくやることを心掛けていた。本番前のキャストと裏方スタッフの雰囲気が良かったことが嬉しかったと言う。

  Chuo’s ESS, with more than 400 members, is one of the biggest circles in the school. Organized in 1903, it has just celebrated its 110th anniversary. Other than English plays, ESS members hold discussions with their counterparts from other universities, act as tour guides for foreign visitors at Meiji Shrine, the Imperial Palace and Asakusa, gather at the club room for English lessons when they are free between third and fifth periods, and communicate with exchange students to improve their English ability on a day-to-day basis. One member said, "Because ESS has a large membership, it gives me more opportunities not only to learn English but also get many acquaintances ranging from alumni to junior fellows. Above all, its biggest merit is that you can get a lot of friends who share an interest in global matters.”

　ＥＳＳは現在会員数４００人以上の中央大学でも有数の大規模サークルだ。発足は１９０３年。なんと１１０年もの歴史のあるサークルなのだ。ＥＳＳでは英語劇のほかにも、他大のＥＳＳと集まり、英語で議論するディスカッション、都内の明治神宮、皇居、浅草で外国人のガイド、３限～５限の空き時間に会室に集まり英語の勉強を行うレッスン、そして留学生との交流と、さまざまな活動を通して英会話や英語の向上のため日々切磋琢磨している。「英語を勉強する機会が増えるだけでなく、会員数が多いためＯＢから後輩まで、知人の輪が広がる。そして、何よりも世界のことに興味がある仲間が増えるのがＥＳＳのいいところ所だと思います」と、ある会員は語ってくれた。

 “We provide opportunities to get exposed to English, learn it and use it. Do you have a place where you can use your English?” That’s the catchphrase touted by Okuto Suzuki (second grader, Faculty of Economics), who is the 111th president of ESS.

　「ＥＳＳは英語に触れ、学び、そして使う場を日々提供しています。あなたには英語を使う場所がありますか？」は、第１１１代ＥＳＳ会長鈴木奥登（経済学部・２年）のキャッチフレーズだ。

Written By : Ayako Shimatani