FIVE TO PLACES FOR OUR ASIAN AMERICAN SHOW BY JEFFREY LO
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Backstage at a small regional theatre.
NAOKO is sitting on a chair, mind wandering.
Not too far off is HIRO who is stretching and warming up.
We hear the sound of an audience on the monitors.
…
STAGE MANAGER JOE enters.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Hey Naoko.
NAOKO: Hey Joe.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Everything ok?
NAOKO: Huh?
STAGE MANAGER JOE: You doing alright? Your eyes looked a little glazed there for a second.
NAOKO: Oh, yeah. I’m fine.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: You sure? You need water or anything?
NAOKO: No, I’m fine. Thanks, though.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Sure.
NAOKO: Joe –
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Yeah?
NAOKO: What’s the house like?
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Another sold out night. This show’s been a real success.
NAOKO: Right. But like…
STAGE MANAGER JOE: What?
NAOKO: Are there any… groups, tonight?
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Groups? Like… groups together? Probably –
NAOKO: No, like…. I don’t know, outreach groups. Or… Community groups. School groups… temples…
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Oh. Not today. Pretty silver haired today. The usual.
NAOKO: Right.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: But real full!
NAOKO: Right. Great. Thanks.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Yup. I better go check in with the house manager.
NAOKO: Alright.
STAGE MANAGER JOE exits.
NAOKO sits.
NAOKO’s eyes start to glaze again.
Silence.
HIRO changes warm up, and is now making noise.
This gets NAOKO’s attention.
NAOKO: Hey Hiro.
HIRO: Hey.
NAOKO: Can I ask you something?
HIRO: What’s up?
HIRO walks over to sit with NAOKO.
Pause.
HIRO: You ok?
NAOKO: Um…
Pause.
NAOKO: How are you feeling?
HIRO: In general?
NAOKO: Sure.
HIRO: Fine, I guess.
NAOKO: Or… How are you feeling about the show?
HIRO: Great. House is pretty packed every night. We’ve all gotten amazing write ups and it looks like we’re for sure going to extend.
NAOKO: Right…
HIRO: How about you?
NAOKO: Huh?
HIRO: How about you? … There’s a reason you’re asking me, right?
Pause.
NAOKO: I don’t know…
HIRO: Why not?
NAOKO: Not sure…
HIRO: Did anyone do anything to you?
NAOKO: No. Not really.
HIRO: Not really? Naoko, Not really isn’t no.
NAOKO: No. Sorry. Absolutely no.
HIRO: Ok, so what’s wrong?
Pause.
NAOKO: Has it ever struck you as odd when the curtains go up?
HIRO: How so?
NAOKO: Like the curtains go up and the lights are shining bright on us in this replica of Manzanar.
HIRO: It’s true that it’s hard to put ourselves in that frame of mind every night –
NAOKO: No, it’s not that. It’s not… As the show starts. As the curtain rises, we have a split second before we open our mouths to sing the opening number where we take a look into the audience. And every single night who is sitting there but an auditorium full of white audience members…
Pause.
HIRO: Sure. That’s true. But not entirely –
NAOKO: Yes, true. Not entirely. But god is it close to it.
HIRO: Yes… But… What do you want? Do you want to only be performing for Asian American people? Or… Japanese American people?
NAOKO: We’re sitting there in Manzanar…
HIRO: It’s important we share this audience with white people too.
NAOKO: Yes. I’ll give you that. Yes. But… I can’t put my finger on it but there we are… being I don’t know – lifted onto the stage by these folks. Stared at. Applauded. As they cry and shake their heads at history. Slapping their wrists and patting themselves on the back simultaneously… It feels… wrong. Doesn’t it?
HIRO: I don’t know.
Pause.
NAOKO: Yeah, me either.
HIRO: And even so – what’s our alternative.
NAOKO: Still don’t know.
HIRO: Exactly. We can go back to not having our stories on stages. Nobody wants that.
NAOKO: I wouldn’t say nobody…
HIRO: True…
NAOKO: But even so… I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know why I don’t just feel appreciative. I guess I’m just… sharing my undecipherable emotion with someone who would hear me out.
HIRO: … well… I guess I’ll think of it too… Shit. Curtains are gonna come up and I’m gonna feel a whole lot different tonight.
NAOKO: Sorry.
HIRO: Don’t be.
NAOKO: We can’t solve everything, not right before we’re about to perform.
STAGE MANAGER JOE enters.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: Hey Hiro. Hey Naoko.
HIRO: Hey Joe.
STAGE MANAGER JOE: I’m about to call five to places.
HIRO: Thanks Joe.
STAGE MANAGER JOE exits.
HIRO looks at NAOKO.
HIRO: I better finish my warm-ups.
NAOKO: Alright.
HIRO: Naoko.
NAOKO: Yeah?
HIRO: You gonna be good to perform tonight?
NAOKO: Always. I’m a professional.
HIRO: Of course.
HIRO goes back to warming up.
NAOKO sits and contemplates.
STAGE MANAGER JOE (Voiceover): Five to places everyone. Five to places.
Lights fade.
END OF PLAY.