CHAPTER I: SALARYMAN*, Japanese, a white-collar working man in his 60’s. FRIEND, Japanese, another white-collar working man 40’s - 50’s. OFFICE LADY, Japanese, a white-collar working woman 30’s - 40’s. MIHO, Japanese, daughter of SALARYMAN, maybe 16 years of age (played by 60+ performer). CHIHO, Japanese, daughter of SALARYMAN, maybe 16 years of age (played by 60+ performer). AZUSA, Japanese, a schoolgirl, 16 years of age. MAD MAD, a shinigami or a god that clings onto those about to die. KEN, Japanese, Boss of the corporation. CELEBRITY COMMENTATORS, of a Japanese game show. CHAPTER II: CLAN OF GOATS: GURIKO, is a Capricorn. Stubborn and climbs well. GO, is an Aquarius. Overly enthusiastic. GOBŌ, is a Gemini. Nosy. KAMIYA-SAN, is a Pisces. A know-it-all. All characters will be asked to play themselves at times. Characters from Chapter I can double for characters in Chapter II.
* What is a Salaryman? He is the face of Japanese masculinity in the last century or so. He is a white-collar worker who makes a salary at a corporation. He’s one in a sea of many. He wears a suit. He often falls asleep on the last train. He’s a man of uniformity. Hostility and rage, subordination and complicity, dance chaotically inside of him.
Languages This text is bilingual, with both English and Japanese languages spoken. The Japanese language is translated into English using [ ] brackets. How much Japanese is spoken during performance is at the discretion of the collaborators. / means the next speaker should interrupt the current speaker so that their speech overlaps – means the current speaker is cut off mid speech. ~ should be treated almost like an emoji: the word preceding it should be spoken in a sing-songy way.
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Landscapes 1990’s Tokyo. Which is to say, everything is neat, orderly and well placed. It could look like a toy store made out of concrete. Or perhaps it's a very clean, very tacky Victorian style Love Hotel boasting rich pink hues with gold detailing with some kind of nod to a Japanese tradition (like a tatami floor, or a painting of Mount Fuji). This is some glorified, made up history of “East meets West”. There is one entryway in the space, abnormally small. It could be masked by its surrounding, or maybe its just a hole. There is one abnormally large portal somewhere, disguised and impossible to find. This is actually a playpen for adults.
A Suicide Forest. The ground is uneven. The woods are dense. There is very little light that trickles in from above, and when it does, they shift in color now and then. There are tiny patches of land here and there where one can stand in moderate comfort. In the distance, shadows of things hanging from trees can be seen, but this only suggests uncertainty. There is different multi-colored string tied from point to point all around the forest, some leading outward, some inward. They make tiny, horizontal rainbows throughout the forest.
A nightmare. This is generally true about the landscape.
On Audience, Race and Cultural Representation This play is undeniably a Japanese nightmare in its deep exploration of self-erasure, masochism and reflections on a shame-based society. The characters portray Japanese people, however, this play is written in English, originally intended for an English speaking audience. I’ve been told that themes of this play could transcend race and culture… Perhaps the easiest choice for an American audience is to cast Asian American actors who pass as Japanese and can speak English fluently, while ignoring the Japanese text. However, I would be interested in the more difficult and uncomfortable casting choices that could shed light on the complexity of Asian and Asian American Diaspora- a way of presenting the play that doesn’t mask the simultaneity of cultural inheritance, exploration, appropriation, breaking down of language, and generational gap that is a reality of any immigrant story, as well as this play.
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(CHAPTER I: This Side of the Mirror) 0 MAD MAD, a god who shepherds humans towards their death, is dragging a rope with a large bell on the end of it. The rope is thick and twisted. It appears to be similar, if not the same, as the kind of rope that hangs above the offering box of a jinja1. She stops to extend an invitation to the audience. Perhaps she is asking them to follow her. The bell jingles. She smiles coquettishly.
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Mountain SALARYMAN and FRIEND are looking out at the national mountain. SALARYMAN When the clouds bunch up over the mountains like that, they say it’s bad luck. FRIEND Oh yeah? SALARYMAN The air gets cold. The light goes away. FRIEND And the rain kind of, it comes out. SALARYMAN (Looking at mountain top) …Is it raining already?
1 Jinja: A Shinto Shrine
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FRIEND Rain is a big cause of suicide, you know? SALARYMAN Up over there. It’s definitely raining hard. FRIEND Why do people…? It makes sense and it doesn’t. Have you ever thought aboutSALARYMAN Doing it? Rain. FRIEND I was golfing up there in those mountains once. SALARYMAN You were golfing on the national mountain? FRIEND There’s a country club up there. It’s very elite. And I was with some guys. SALARYMAN へええ… [Wow…] FRIEND We were all using clubs made of gold. It was pure gold. And the golf ball was made of pure silver. And the putts were made of pearls. SALARYMAN That’s incredible FRIEND I was putting like this. And putting, in that direction. And out of the corner of my eye, I saw this something. A swinging in the trees. I thought, no it couldn't be. But then, why not? It looks heavy enough. SALARYMAN Are you saying it was a… body? FRIEND shrugs. Rain.
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SALARYMAN I heard of something once too. FRIEND What’s that? SALARYMAN About a forest where this kind of stuff happens. FRIEND Oh, I know about / that forest SALARYMAN The actual forest, at the base of the national mountain. It’s full of demons. A moment of sincere eye contact. FRIEND There’s that old story. You know the one? About a woman who lived in the forest. She shepherds the weak towards their death SALARYMAN ああ… [Ahh] FRIEND She’s one of those- you know. A family left grandma in the forest to die. But then she didn’t dieSALARYMAN はい、はい… [Yes yes] FRIEND And she herds goats. SALARYMAN ん？ [Huh?] FRIEND People go in and they never come back. Rain.
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SALARYMAN Truth is… I’ve thought of going in there once. Thunder approaching. (SALARYMAN Cont.) The forest floor is thick and dense. Once you enter, you can never find your way out. So you have to take a spool of colored string and tie it around the branches to mark your path. Just in case you change your mind. What do you think it would be like? Hanging… SALARYMAN is suspended in a storm. FRIEND (Interrupting) Are you crazy?! SALARYMAN (Nervous laughter) そうですよね。 [You’re right.] FRIEND Men who choose the forest path are all cowards. SALARYMAN Yes… FRIEND Like I said, it’s the rain that makes one do it.
FRIEND slithers out through a hole and exits.
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OFFICE SALARYMAN is sitting in his cubicle. There is a knock at the door. SALARYMAN はい？ [Yes?]
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OFFICE LADY 失礼します〜 [Excuse me~] OFFICE LADY crawls in from the entryway. (OFFICE LADY cont.) Sir, there’s a client here to see you. SALARYMAN For me? OFFICE LADY They’re young girls. They say they’re here for an interview… SALARYMAN Are you sure they’re here for me? OFFICE LADY Yes. They’re very young. SALARYMAN Which is it? Are they clients or are they young? OFFICE LADY They’re young. SALARYMAN I’d like to see it with my own eyes. The air shifts. OFFICE LADY (A wry smile) Sir? SALARYMAN はい？ [Yes?] OFFICE LADY Do you think I’m young? SALARYMAN What?
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OFFICE LADY Am I young enough for you, sir? SALARYMAN You- you’re fine just the way you are… OFFICE LADY (Posing on the desk) Would you like to taste me to make sure? SALARYMAN
OFFICE LADY Are you a pervert, sir? SALARYMAN
OFFICE LADY I can see it in your eyes. They got bigger when I mentioned the word. SALARYMAN You can’t talk to your superiors like that! OFFICE LADY Tell me what you’re thinking of, old man SALARYMAN Old man?!OFFICE LADY (Words cracking like whip) I said: What are you thinking of in that disgusting, perverted little brain of yours? Do you imagine my thick black bush bulging out of the sides of my panties? Do you salivate bending me over your desk? Do you touch yourself while smelling my old high school gym shorts? Do you imagine me held down with octopus legs squirming into my holes? IS THIS WHAT YOU’RE / THINKING ABOUT SALARYMAN (In ecstasy) はい！ はい! そのとおりです!
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(SALARYMAN Cont.) [Yes! Yes! It’s all true!] OFFICE LADY DID I SAY YOU CAN THINK THOSE THOUGHTS? SALARYMAN Oh no! OFFICE LADY THAT’S RIGHT. YOU DIDN’T ASK FOR MY PERMISSION, BAD BOY SALARYMAN I’ll never think it again! OFFICE LADY YOU’LL NEVER THINK IT AGAIN BECAUSE I SAID SO SALARYMAN YES! I’LL NEVER THINK IT AGAIN! OFFICE LADY I OWN YOUR IMAGINATION SALARYMAN YOU OWN MY IMAGINATION! OFFICE LADY I DESTROY YOUR IMAGINATION SALARYMAN YOU DESTROY MY IMAGINATION! PLEASE, DESTROY ME! A calm shift back. OFFICE LADY Sir? SALARYMAN …Go ahead. Bring them in. OFFICE LADY (As she exits) Oh! I’m supposed to remind you, the company retreat at Fuji-san is coming up! I’m taking a survey of what people would like to eat for dinner.
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(OFFICE LADY Cont.) Would you like Fish or Meat? SALARYMAN What’s that? OFFICE LADY Fish or Meat? SALARYMAN I don’t plan on attending this year… OFFICE LADY Oh no! Why not? SALARYMAN My wife is… very sick OFFICE LADY I’m so sorry to hear that! SALARYMAN Yes, OFFICE LADY But everyone wants you to be there. And the boss says you must. So, Fish or Meat? SALARYMAN Neither… OFFICE LADY So… just vegetables? SALARYMAN Uh, no. That’s not what I / meantOFFICE LADY Got it. I have you down for ‘just vegetables’! I’ll go ahead and bring in the girls now. OFFICE LADY exits. SALARYMAN Fish… or… Meat
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