Originally a joke folktale that became adapted by Akutagawa to explore faith and deception, the story follows a priest who makes up a false prophecy that gains widespread belief, causing him to question the nature of faith as the prophecy unexpectedly comes true. This theme of a lie becoming too powerful to control is then adapted by LaChiusa into a musical where a street preacher fabricates a prophecy about witnessing Christ that he alone ends up experiencing, questioning what it means to hold and spread faith.

1. Originally a gossipy account turned folktale, then adopted by Akutagawa into the
two-monologue short story, and then into the 1953 movie “Gate of Hell” directed
by Teinosuke Kinugasa.
Original Folktale:
Kesa and Morito is a morality story from the mid-13th century about an
impetuous teenager, the Genji Clan samurai Morito, who lusts after a young
woman, Kesa. When she was 14 she was betrothed to a man named Wataru
Saemon, another samurai in the Genji clan, instead of being betrothed to Morito.
At the time of the story, 3 years have passed and Morito sees Kesa again at a
ceremony celebrating the completion of a new bridge. Morito’s lust for her is
renewed and so he schemes to kill Kesa's mother for ignoring his previous request
for Kesa’s hand in marriage. He threatens Kesa's mother with death if she does
not summon Kesa immediately, and so Kesa sacrifices herself and submits to
Morito in order to save her mother. Then, to save the family's honor and destroy
Morito's, she demands that Morito kill her husband that night. She places herself
in Saemon's room that night and Morito comes in to slice off his head -- because
he is a coward he doesn't even have the wits about him to duel him. Then he runs
away with the head in his kimono sleeve, and hears of the tragedy of Kesa's death.
He looks at the head and is shocked to find that it is his beloved. He brings the
head to Saemon and confesses his crime. The two samurai mourn together.
Saemon concludes that Kesa must have been the deity Kannon (the Buddhist
goddess of mercy) in disguise, who descended to teach the men of the world the
sin of desire.
The twist: the first sentence of this fable provides the context for this gossipy
account of a rape-murder or an affair. “The origin of Priest Mongaku’s religious
devotion was nothing but sexual desire.” In the end of the story, Kesa’s mother
becomes a nun while Saemon and Morito both become priests – Morito becomes
Mongaku. For him, it was his guilt and repentance that led him to intense training
to be the holiest man in Japan. At his chest, he was said to carry a portrait of
Buddha and of Kesa to gaze upon whenever grief or longing consumed him.
Kesa & Morito
See What I Wanna See
Michael John LaChiusa
Dramaturgy Notes
Cordelia Driussi
Jan 8 2016
Two lovers find
themselves at the
climax of their
relationship: one of
them must die to
redeem the honor of
the other.
“Tonight I kiss my
lover for the last time.”

2. 2
Kesa to Morito (Akutagawa) Kesa & Morito (LaChiusa)
袈裟
Kanji meaning: “pure (e.g., buddhist) robes”
She has her soliloquy after Morito's.
Moon: pale, even sickly, light flooding
in through the shutters.
In this version she chose to sleep with
Morito without the death threat. She
plans to trick Morito into killing her
instead of her husband (Saemon), which
becomes the greatest sacrifice for love,
referencing the original tale.
“How can a woman’s heart ever be comforted
once it has known the ugliness of her own
person?... Oh, am I not—is not a woman a
being that feels joy in being loved by a man
even if she has to kill her own husband?”
She hates Morito for knowing her true
ugliness both inside and out, and wants
to solidify her virtue as a good wife
while also condemning Morito for his
actions. She grieves the actions that led
to this point of no return.
Kesa – as a word, means “this morning”
We hear her side of the story first:
"tonight I'll kiss my lover for the last
time." We wouldn't know this was
adultery if she didn't clarify that he is
"thicker than her husband", and it is
revealed that she is actively, rather
than passively, adulterous in this.
Sleep & breathe & wake & sigh;
laugh & kiss & fuck & lie
She has confessed her guilt to her
husband, which is different than both
the original folktale and the short
story. Kesa also owns her attraction to
Morito in this version – he is declared
her lover rather than the reason for
shame or the person who dishonors
her. She will end Morito’s life and
return to her body, to her room.
“Time will resume.”
盛遠
Kanji meaning: “blast, copulate, distant”
His soliloquy comes first.
Moon: horrifyingly bright. Exposes his
crime and his shame at the choice he's
making -- he's planning to kill a man he
doesn't hate… for a woman he does not
love, or so he wonders.
“What is that great power which impels me, this
coward ‘me’, to murder an innocent man? I
cannot tell. But possibly… No, it cannot be. I
despise her. I fear her. I hate her. And yet, and
yet, it may be because I love her.”
He hates Kesa for revealing herself to
be much different than his fantasy had
always been. Instead, he sees her now
as a ready adulteress, with dark circles
under her eyes and with sweat sticking
her dark hair to her face.
Morito
His monologue comes after Kesa's.
Nearly the same lyrics except for some
alterations. Brings us back to the
framing device of such a simple but
challenging moral dilemma.
Sleep & breathe & wake & cry;
sweat & shit & screw & lie
Both of them say that they are
ambivalent as the innocent die – but
that’s an idea from Akutagawa’s story,
which seems different from the
sentiment of this version of the plot.
He claims he’ll strangle her and then
return to his body, to his bones, to his
skin, implies that he needs to regain
his self-control.
“Time will begin.”
Akutagawa
vs
LaChiusa
Akutagawa:
“If I don’t kill her husband,
she will kill me one way or
another. I must kill him else
she will kill me,” I thought
desperately, looking into her
tearless but crying eyes.
(Morito)
If my husband sees my body,
he will… no. I won’t think of
him. My husband loves me.
But I have no strength to
return his love. I can love
only one man. And that very
man is coming to kill me
tonight.
(Kesa)
Soon the faint sound of the
opening of a shutter is heard,
and pale moonlight floods in.

3. 3
Originally a folktale teaching about the dangers of trusting a stranger, then
adapted by Akutagawa to illustrate the power of the speaker’s perspective
compared to others in a confusing series of events, and then most famously
adapted for the screen when it was combined with another Akutagawa story,
“Rashomon”, in Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 film of the same name. Has been so
influential that lawyers can call a case a “Rashomon case” when the testimonies
conflict too much to get a clear idea of the truth and what really happened.
Original Folktale:
Of a Man Who Accompanied his Wife to Tanba and Was Tied to a Tree is a tale
from the 12th century. He was walking as she was on horseback when they
encountered a suspicious man who offered his beautifully engraved sword to our
protagonist, in exchange for his bow and arrows. Of course our protagonist
accepts, because his bow and arrows are worth nothing comparatively. They walk
along with the stranger into a grove of trees, when suddenly the evil man readies
the bow and strikes the arrow, pointing it at the husband. He demands that the
wife dismount the horse. Thus, he ties up the husband to keep him from coming
after him and then sees the wife in the light -- then realizes she looks like a
bodhisattva (a person who could reach nirvana but refrains from doing so in
compassion for other suffering beings) and desires her "even though she is of the
common class". He loosens her robes and she submits to him, allowing him to
take her in the grass as her husband looks on. He takes pity on her when he is
done, expressing his fondness and sympathy, letting her keep her robes as he
steals the bow and arrows and mounts the horse. He apologizes for this, as he
needs the horse to make a speedy getaway. She then goes to her husband, unties
him, and the two continue walking to Tanba without speaking a word to each
other.
The twist: this tale implies that the thief has a sense of honor by not taking her
clothes, because they were very expensive and part of a person's personal assets.
He feels bad for her because her husband is so inept. The tale also implies that the
husband was a fool for letting a total stranger take his bow and arrows in the dark
in the mountains.
In A Grove /
R Shomon
See What I Wanna See
Michael John LaChiusa
Dramaturgy Notes
Cordelia Driussi
Jan 8 2016
Conflicting testimonies
create a blurry account
of the events that
transpire in a rape-
murder case in a grove
of trees.
“I see what I wanna
see, I know what I
wanna know.”

4. 4
In a Grove (Akutagawa) R Shomon (LaChiusa)
Facts of the case:
• Takehiro is dead.
• Tajōmaru raped Masago.
• Tajōmaru stole Takehiro's bow
and quiver, as well as the
woman's horse.
• In each of the accounts,
Masago wishes Takehiro dead,
although the details vary.
• Masago and Tajōmaru did not
leave together.
Facts of the case:
• Louis is dead.
• Jimmy and Lily had sex, though
consent is unclear.
• Lily is unhappy in the marriage,
but in the men's accounts she wants
him dead. In her account she wants
to fix the marriage once there's no
turning back.
• Jimmy and Lily did not leave
together.
Tajomaru
多襄丸 "Many cyclical truths"
Blue silk kimono
Claims that he did violate Masago
and then she said the winner of the
duel would get to have her as a wife.
Jimmy Mako
真子 "Child of truth"
Claims it was her own damn fault for
leading him on. Then he dueled with
Louis and won (though it’s 23 strikes in
the story and 4 bars in the musical)
Takahiro (Takejiro)
敬浩 "Great Nobility"
Lilac kimono
Claims that the thief seduced Masago
and that she then turned against him,
screaming to “Kill him! Kill him!”
Also adds that the thief gave him the
option to just kill her for him if he
wanted. Then left alone, suicide.
Louis
From German: Ludwig, "Great warrior"
Claims that his wife falls in love with
Jimmy – I’ll go away with you, which is
straight from the short story [quote in the
sidebar]. Jimmy offers to kill her if
Louis wants him to, but she runs, and
Jimmy runs out after her. Louis commits
suicide when he’s left alone.
Masago
真砂 "Sand" or "Eggs", also the fish roe
often found in sushi.
Claims she killed Takehiro, and then
attempted suicide many times
unsuccessfully.
“I must have been forsaken even by
the most merciful Kannon.”
Lily
Pale white flower. "Purity"
Claims she was raped and then awoke to
see Louis looking at her with hatred.
Tries to fix the relationship, tell me what
to do, I’ll do as you say, then agrees to
die with him. Kills him, then blacks out,
and then runs away, too scared to die.
Woodcutter Janitor of a movie house
Medium Psychic/Medium
Buddhist Priest (Well… Priest in Gloryday!)
Bounty Hunter The Cops interrogating everyone
Mother of the Wife (Mother of Louis is mentioned)
Akutagawa
vs
LaChiusa
Akutagawa:
“Once your virtue is stained,
you won’t get along well
with your husband, so won’t
you be my wife instead? It’s
my love for you that made
me be violent toward you.”
While the criminal talked, my
wife raised her face as if in a
trance. She had never looked
so beautiful as at that
moment. What did my
beautiful wife say in answer
to him while I was sitting
bound there? I am lost in
space, but I have never
thought of her answer
without burning with anger
and jealousy. Truly she
said… “Then take me away
with you wherever you go.”
(The Dead Husband’s
Testimony, as told
through a Medium)

5. 5
Originally a farcical story told as a joke with a pun as the punchline, then adapted
by Akutagawa to tell a story about personal truth and public deception becoming
personal faith, and what faith really means for religion and for the believers
themselves.
Original Folktale:
Tokugo the Storehouse Official and the Incident at Sarusawa Pond is from the
13th century, telling the tale of a priest with the nickname Hanakura, or
"nosestore", because of his red nose that is apparently swollen with all the official
titles he's earned. He puts up a sign by the pond saying "A dragon will rise from
the pond on a certain day of the upcoming month." Then as masses are coming to
see this prophecy come true, he is amused at their gullibility. But as it gets closer
to the day of his own fake prophecy, he realizes that this many people cannot
possibly be wrong, so he positions himself to see the pond as well. In the end, it
doesn't happen, and so he runs away as night falls and bumps into a man who he
thinks is blind. "Watch out, mekura [you are blind]!" he shouted. "No, I'm not,
hanakura [it's dark beyond the nose]," the man replied. The wordplay here isn't
easily translated, but it means that the night is so dark that one cannot see past
one's nose, and it is an added joke that this stranger would say a phrase that
includes the priest's silly nickname, "Hanakura".
The twist: In the original, it is a lie that becomes far too powerful and is proven to
be untrue when the dragon does not ascend from Sarusawa pond. But in
Akutagawa’s version, the dragon really does ascend! And everyone rejoices in the
miracle that it is, and doesn’t listen when Hanazo tries to convince them that it
was his lie that came true. In our version, it is the same situation of a lie that gets
blown out of proportion, but then Michael ends up being the only person who
witnesses the appearance of Christ and it falls apart in his face when no one else
sees it. In addition, in Chinese mythology, the dragon represents the Imperial
Throne, making it a Godlike and supreme experience to witness. But in Japanese
folklore, seeing a dragon is a great blessing, and has to do with renewal and
miracles. In our show, this symbol of hope and renewal is represented in Jesus:
"In three weeks, on Tuesday, at 1 p.m. sharp, a miracle will occur here in Central
Park... from the depths of the pond Christ will appear, believe and be free"
The Dragon /
Gloryday
See What I Wanna See
Michael John LaChiusa
Dramaturgy Notes
Cordelia Driussi
Jan 8 2016
A priest makes up a
prophecy about the
arrival of Christ in
Central Park. As more
people start to believe
in the prophecy, he
starts to question what
faith really is.
“This is what it’s like
to be God!”

6. 6
The Dragon (Akutagawa) Gloryday (LaChiusa)
Basic storyline: Kurudo Tokyugo
(nicknamed Hanazo) is tired of being made
fun of and decides to make up a prophecy
that a dragon will come out of the pond on a
specific day at a specific hour. He manages
to fool his fellow priests, which makes him
triumphant, until the word gets too far out
and he realizes the scope of his actions. His
dying aunt, a priestess, comes to see it with
the hordes of people. He is crawling out of
his skin with anxiety at being found out, but
cannot convince anyone to leave, so he hides
with his aunt and then everyone sees the
dragon burst out of the pond and ascend to
the heavens. He tries to tell everyone it was
a fake prophecy, but everyone hails the
miracle as one from the heavens and Hanazo
must grapple with the lie he told to others
and the truth he has to grapple with.
Basic storyline: A priest is overwhelmed by his
duties in post-9/11 New York and searches
desperately for something to help people. He
makes up a message about Christ returning to
Earth from the pond in Central Park on a specific
day at a specific hour. He manages to convince
everyone, despite initial skepticism. Everyone
needs something to hope for, everyone's story
comes to light and then it comes to a peak when
the hour strikes. His aunt, who is atheist, is
eventually convinced to come see the miracle
occur. Gloryday arrives! A storm comes crashing
down over the park and everyone runs away, so
the Priest is the only one who sees it. Everyone is
angry at him for lying and run away soaked by
the storm. He is rejected by all, and realizes that
he told the lie for everyone else, but he was the
only one to receive the truth.
Kurudo Tokyugo
Known by general population as
"Hanazo", or "nose-store", because
of all his honors and titles as a priest
swelling up his red nose.
Priest (Michael)
Heavy with the weight of post-9/11
Manhattan pain and suffering, and trying
to find a way to give people hope even
as he's lost his faith.
Aunt
Dying, very religious, a priestess
even, who comes to stay with
Hanazo in order to see the dragon
ascend from Sarusawa pond.
Aunt Monica
Communist, socialism or death, atheist,
even anti-religious, but comes to see
Christ appear. Also dying, according to
the doctors
Other Priest
Named “Emon” (interesting because
Kesa’s husband is named Sa-emon),
suspicious of Hanazo but gets swept
along with the lie as well.
Reporter
Suspicious of the miracle but is looking
for answers. “That’s what people do.
The instinct to wonder is human. The
instinct to survive is, too.”
Old lady at the pond
The old woman, who had always
been convinced that a priest never
lied, was astounded out of her wits.
“Is it possible that a dragon still lives
in this pond? The color of the water
over there does look suspicious!”
Actress (Deanna)
Had a crisis in Hollywood (potentially
because of 9/11?) and suffered a car
crash, loses her boyfriend and is
desperate for help or hope. Also,
despoils Priest Michael behind a bush in
the park when they first meet.
A man in the village
He claims he saw a dragon once, and
everyone laughs at him and thinks he
just saw an otter, but he’s back at the
pond to see the miracle occur.
CPA
Had an episode of religious crisis that
led to a break with society leading him
to the bedraggled state he’s in – “don’t
you lie to me: will God see me again?”
Akutagawa
vs
LaChiusa
Akutagawa:
“In that instant, between the
spray and the clouds, his
eyes caught the faint image
of a hundred-foot-long black
dragon rising straight up
into the sky, its golden talons
flashing. That lasted but a
split-second, and then, I’m
told, all you could see was
the storm whipping cherry
blossoms from the trees
around the pond up into the
pitch-dark sky. Had his eyes
been playing tricks on him
when he saw the image of the
dragon? The thought made
him feel – especially since he
had been the one to put up
the signboard – that the
ascent of the dragon could
not have happened. Still,
he’d seen what he’d seen.”