KOKAMI Shoji

 Playwright / Director

Thank you for visiting the website of KOKAMI Shoji.
This website will introduce you to some of my work and theatrical scripts, translated into English. Please read the introduction and click on 'Scripts' to access a synopsis and partial download of each play.   

SCRIPT OF

BETTER HALF

You can download and read the first half of the script.
 
Download BETTER HALF spcrit PDF
To purchase the full text, please contact THIRDSTAGE Ltd. by using the inquiry form of this website.
  
Better Half is a tragicomedy about two men, one young woman and one transgender woman, and their story of love, hate, laughter and struggle.

Synopsis

Title: Better Half
First Performance: 2015
Length: 2 hours
Cast: 4 (2 men and 2 woman)
Cast of Characters:
SUWA, 29, an elite salary-man who works at a PR firm.
OKIMURA, 43, Suwa’s boss. He is more invested in meeting women on-line that work.
HARUKA, 21. By day she takes singing and dancing lessons and dreams of making her big debut, while she works as a call girl by night.
MIGIWA, 27, a pianist in a hotel lounge.  She was born a biological male but is a transgender woman.
 
 
Better Half is a tragicomedy about two men, one ciswoman and one transgender woman, and their story of love, hate, laughter and struggle.
When Okimura is drawn to a woman he meets on-line, he sends her a photo of his handsome staff member Suwa instead of his own. Under his boss’ instructions, Suwa goes to meet the woman named Migiwa. However, Migiwa, who is a transgender woman, also sends a proxy -- her friend Haruka. The two surrogates meet and soon fall in love. Fortunately the original two begin dating despite initial trepidation, but Migiwa just can’t bring herself to tell Okimura that she is transgender. Both Haruka and Suwa advise Migiwa to come clean, but fearful of Okimura’s reaction, she just can’t tell him the truth. One day, Okimura orders a call girl from a hotel and Haruka shows up. They are both taken aback, and Haruka pleads with Okimura to keep her profession a secret. When his relationship with Migiwa falters, Okimura turns to Suwa for advice, and Suwa reveals Migiwa’s secret. Angry that he is the last to find out, Okimura reveals Haruka’s secret. That night, when confronted by Suwa, Haruka declares that she is free to use her body as she wishes.
Four months pass. Both couples have broken up and Migiwa has transitioned fully to being a woman. Suwa runs into Migiwa, who asks him to sleep with her. That’s the only way she will finally and fully become a woman, she explains. Meanwhile, Okimura is now supporting Haruka financially until her big break – in return he wants her to be his lover. A year later, Suwa and Migiwa are living together happily.  Haruka’s debut is scheduled for Taiwan and she goes abroad against Okimura’s wishes, determined not to return until she succeeds. But Haruka’s endeavor ends in failure. Desperate to have her back, Okimura asks Suwa to get Haruka. Suwa goes to Taiwan to find Haruka who bursts into tears when she sees him. A month after Haruka returns to Japan, Suwa realizes that Haruka is the one he really loves and breaks up with Migiwa to be with her.
Half a year later, thanks to Okimura’s efforts, Migiwa is about to make her debut as a singer. She falls in love with someone else, and turns to Suwa for advice. Haruka grows jealous and runs out. Suwa is running after Haruka when he receives a phone call from Migiwa. Okimura, who had found out that Migiwa is seeing someone else, is threatening to jump off the balcony of her apartment unless Migiwa reciprocates his love. Suwa rushes to Migiwa’s apartment and tries desperately to stop Okimura. Okimura demands that Suwa have sex with Migiwa in front of him because that’s the only way he will be able to give her up. In a last-ditch effort to appease Okimura, the two begin to kiss each other when Haruka runs in. Convinced that they have rekindled their romance, Haruka then tries to jump off the balcony herself. Chaos ensues as they all try to prevent Okimura and Haruka from killing themselves.
 

Production History

DATE Venues

APR 3,2015 - APR 20,2015

Honda Theater, TOKYO

APR 25,2015 - APR 26,2015 Sankei Hall Breeze, OSAKA
MAY 3,2015 - MAY 5,2015 Yomiuri Otemachi Hall, TOKYO 
JUN 25,2017 - JUL 17,2017
Honda Theater, TOKYO
JUL 21,2017 - JUL 22,2017
Winc Aichi Large Hall, NAGOYA
JUL 28,2017 - JUL 30,2017
Kurume City Plaza Kurume-za, FUKUOKA
AUG 5,2017 - AUG 6,2017
Sankei Hall Breeze, OSAKA