Though widely known in the West, St. Joan of Arc is an obscure historical figure for many people in Japan. Maki Horikita, who portrays the 15th-century French war heroine in the upcoming TBS stage production "Jeanne d'Arc," rises to the challenge of making Joan's tragic life story relevant for a Japanese audience. It is also the first-ever stage performance for Horikita, who, at 22, is one of the few young actresses in Japan with a solid reputation for her craft.

"I have received feedback from people who have seen my work in the past, but I've never acted right in front of an audience, or felt people's reaction on the spot," Horikita tells The Japan Times. "I look forward to (performing on stage) very much."

Horikita is a native of Kiyose, western Tokyo. She was scouted by Sweet Power, a management agency known for aggressive scouting of young female starlets, when she was in her second year at a local junior high school, where she served as deputy president of the student body. Also the vice-captain of the school basketball team, Horikita was stopped by a scout for the agency on her way home from practice. Soon after signing with Sweet Power in 2002, she passed an audition for a part in the 2003 sci-fi movie "Cosmic Rescue," before landing her first leading role in the BS-TV drama "Keitai-Deka, Zenigata Mai" ("Cell Phone Detective Zenigata Mai") later that year.