SCRIPT OF
HALCYON DAYS
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Download HALCYON DAYS spcrit PDF
To purchase the full text, please contact THIRDSTAGE Ltd. by using the inquiry form of this website.
The story of three people and one ghost who meet on a suicide website. Examining the cult popularity of suicide websites in contemporary Japanese culture, the play looks at a decade where conflicts with other nations are sensationally streamed on 24 hour rolling news channels and terrorist organisations boast about their achievements on YouTube. Even chronic depression is catered for by the increase of ‘informative’ suicide websites. Are people becoming more jaded with their real existence? Has life lost sanctity and meaning?
Synopsis
Title: Halcyon Days
First Performance: 2004
Length: 2 hours
Scenes:1prologue and 13 scenes
Cast: 4 (3 men and 1woman)
First Performance: 2004
Length: 2 hours
Scenes:1prologue and 13 scenes
Cast: 4 (3 men and 1woman)
A woman, Kazumi, who is actually a counselor, once let a client commit suicide. In the hope of stopping others from killing themselves, she joined the suicide site, where she met Tetsuzo and Masayuki.
Tetsuzo is a middle-aged gay up to his ears in debt. He is determined to die. Not suffering but "die all at once at the peak of happiness".
Masayuki is sending e-mails without himself knowing that he is; he joined the suicide site unconsciously.
Akio, the Kazumi's client who killed himself, is seen only by Kazumi. Although he is dead, Kazumi can see him for real; he tells her to die as soon as possible.
Tetsuzo is a middle-aged gay up to his ears in debt. He is determined to die. Not suffering but "die all at once at the peak of happiness".
Masayuki is sending e-mails without himself knowing that he is; he joined the suicide site unconsciously.
Akio, the Kazumi's client who killed himself, is seen only by Kazumi. Although he is dead, Kazumi can see him for real; he tells her to die as soon as possible.
The story begins with the three and a ghost name Akio (who can only be seen by Kazumi) meeting at a park. They decided on-line to meet and talk about how to die together happily. However, Masayuki gets confused and the meeting does not go as planned. Later everyone meets again in Masayuki's flat. Masayuki, again confused, thinks that it is wartime and they all are human shields to stop the war.
Tetsuzo, in order to die happily, Kazumi, to stop others from dying, and Hirayama, to have Kazumi die -- each for his own purposes -- begin to live life as a human shield.
One day Masyuki proposes a visit to a nursery school as an activity of the human shield: it is to put on a play.
Tetsuzo, in order to die happily, Kazumi, to stop others from dying, and Hirayama, to have Kazumi die -- each for his own purposes -- begin to live life as a human shield.
One day Masyuki proposes a visit to a nursery school as an activity of the human shield: it is to put on a play.
Production History
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