Seeing Out

 

When I was a teenager, I was a student, but I participated in many theatrical plays, and I watched stage performances every week.

I loved mini-theaters. Most of these theaters had a custom of “seeing out.” After the performance, the actors stood at exit of the theater and met the audience, who could speak or shake hands with them.

One day, I watched a play that was directed by my senior. After the performance, I said hello to him.

Then he said something shocking to me: “Please watch the show again tomorrow.”

This surprised me because I had participated in too many plays. Of course, I was an unpaid actor. I was not financially well off. A ticket for a play cost $20 or $30 at the time, which I couldn’t afford, but I couldn’t say no to my senior. What should I do?

I thought about this a lot. Then I came up with a trick. I already knew the performance time. I visited the theater at the “seeing out” time on the dot. I pretended that I had watched the show and said hello to my senior, the director.

The mini-theater was so small that one could recognize every member of the audience. My trick might not have worked. My senior didn’t say anything, but he should not have asked me to watch the same play twice in a row. I hope my trick worked.

In the 1980s, Japan experienced a mini-theater boom. Some theater groups’ tickets were almost impossible to buy, but now most of the theater groups I mingle with struggle to sell their tickets.

Dear people, let’s go out and watch plays! We don’t ask you to watch the same play twice in a row, but if there’s a repeat performance, you should watch it!

Picture by Shintako

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