Note

 After a play rehearsal, a director provides directions to the actors. Theater people call this “note.”

 In Japan, we call this dame dashi. A direct translation is “bad putting out”—a very negative word.

In 2005, I talked to a famous Japanese director about this topic. He was impressed with the English word “note.”

 He said, “I hated the word dame dashi. It is a negative term. We say positive things during dame dashi. From now on, I will use the English word ‘note.’”

　Some Japanese directors started to use “note” instead of dame dashi. I think it is a good change. The word “note” itself is neither negative nor positive.

 Recently I told this story to an actor whose mother language is English. He said, “After all, in most cases, directors say negative things after rehearsals.”

 Actors and directors are usually very busy before a show. There is no time to say positive things.

 “Note” and dame dashi might have the same essence.

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Picture by BNP