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英語聞き流し10分間名作リスニング。英語テキストと mp3ダウンロードその他の物語はホームページよりご利用いただけます。
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When I was a 9th grader and a leader of a 9thgrade play team for the homecoming at school, Idevoted myself to dramatization and direction inthe run-up to the homecoming.
The teacher in charge of our team praised my firstdramatization. He said it was a good script and Ihad a talent.
While I was motivated, other members of the teamdidn't have a wit of interest or enthusiasm. Theytried to make me decide everything.
I took care of the set, the props and the costumeswhile teaching the lighting and acting. Above all,their acting was terrible. They were just readingtheir lines in a monotone.
No matter how strenuously I explained, they simplycouldn't act. I acted every role for them andasked them to mimic me.
As I needed to tell every member what to do andhow to do, I felt like I was working with a bunchof robots in the team.
At last, they started suggesting that I would bebetter off if I did everything in the play aloneby myself, instead of giving them each and everysingle instruction.
Maybe it was true, but there was one exceptionamong the cast members. The girl whom I cast as aleading role tackled her acting earnestly andseriously.
She followed every instruction and advice from me.Other members were still sardonic for my castingof a non-pretty, unpopular girl as a leading role,but her acting got better and better.
It seemed she felt an obligation to me for thecasting. She even brought a present for me on mybirthday although we had never been close and hadhardly talked with each other at school until theplay team got going.
With her and my effort, our team successfully puton the play at the homecoming and it was muchbetter than I had expected.
This curriculum play was part of a schoolcompetition. The faculty would vote to decide thebest play among the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade team'splays.
It was a school's tradition that a 9th grade teamwon every year. As a 9th grade team leader, I wassitting at the auditorium preparing myself forreceiving the prize out on the stage when thewinner was announced.
The 8th grade team. The announcement filled theair. That year, for the very first time in theschool history, the 9th grade team didn't win.
In the joyful clamor of the 8th graders, everymember of our team shot me a reproachful glance.It was a perfect nightmare.
Our team's teacher later told me that a big set inthe 8th grade's play had impressed the faculty. Alarge glittering sleigh with the snow queen on itappeared and that was the decisive factor invictory.
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Come to think of it, our team's biggest set was anordinary ping pong table.
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I'd like to get down to working on our next songsoon, but before that, I need to set up my studioall over again in my new apartment.
So far, piles of cardboard boxes have occupied mynew place. To make space for a studio, I shouldunpack those cardboard boxes and sort out theircontents.
Then, I'll take measures to soundproof by myself.As I did to the walls of my old apartment, I'llfix folded cardboard boxes all over the wall,cover them with soundproof polyurethane, put morecardboard boxes on it as a sandwich, and add soundproof sheets over it.
Done with only one side of the wall. I shouldrepeat this for other sides of the wall and theceiling.
I'm a little frustrated at this cumbersome processto start arranging our new song.
The melody and the words of the new song have beencompleted, so that makes me want to start workingon the arrangements soon all the more.
I know it will only take a long, long time tofinish the song once I get down to it after all.
Audio Book. Japanese Dream by Hitomi Woods on saleat online stores or apps. Apple, Audible, GooglePlay, Nook Audio Books, 43 available distributorsin total.
Back in my school days, there were required curricula specifically for the homecoming event.Students must participate in either an exhibition,retail, or a play.
I chose a play every homecoming when I was ajunior high school student.
When the homecoming's preparation began in myninth grade, my passion for the theater was at itspeak since I had been regularly cast for a majorrole in the drama club at school.
Other students knew that and I was appointed asthe ninth grade play team leader almostautomatically.
Everyone had no interest in a required curriculumand I had to put together a play by leading 50unwilling, reluctant team members.
From the first meeting, I encountered foreseeabledifficulties. No one brought up any suggestion ofwhat play we would show at the homecoming.
When I uttered a Japanese classic novel, theyunanimously shouted, that's it. That'll be ourplay. In order to finish the meeting quickly.
Our play was decided like this and I dramatizedthe novel for the first time in my life. I hadthought it would be difficult, but it wasunexpectedly so much fun.
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I finished the script quite fast. And then, thecasting. I had decided not to be cast in the playmyself because I had been already cast in a playof the drama club for the homecoming.
I didn't want to appear in every play at schoollike an attention freak.
I thought it was cool that I produced, dramatizedand directed for this curriculum play. But in theteam, everyone had neither experience nor skill inacting and they didn't want to be cast.
It was again left to my sole decision. While I waschoosing some students who seemed to likeappearing on the stage, a girl timidly raised herhand. She said she wanted to act.
Although I finally got a volunteer, I hesitated tocast her for a moment. She was not pretty.
Other students started giggling at her braveattempt. Instantly I came to myself and rememberedthe fact that I was also regarded as an ugly girlat school.
My bad looks contributed to continuous typecastingas an old, wicked woman in drama club's plays. AsI had been weary of disadvantage of appearance, Icast her as a leading role.
My decision made other students gape. Thus, I hadtrying three months for the play with totallyamateur actors and backstage staff.
I was pretty sure that they wouldn't disappoint methis time around and went there for lunch. But,sadly, my jaw dropped yet again.
It was as if the pictures I'd seen on the internethad been taken 30 years before or something. Allthe restaurants were rusty and shabby. The streetlooked deserted with nobody strolling along.
I spotted the new American restaurant among themand a man dressed in a white cook uniform wassitting in a chair in front of the place lookingat his cell phone.
The door was left open and I glanced at theinside. There was no customer in a crampedrestaurant. The online photo of the place was farbetter than the actual one.
Whoever took the online photos of the restaurantson this street must have a genius for making dreadful sights look beautiful.
As I was starving, I entered the least unsightlyrestaurant where some customers had just come out.They served the meal twice as much as an ordinaryrestaurant, and it was so delicious.
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Unexpectedly, it was a pleasant eating experience.I went home feeling like trying other restaurantson that street as well. As for the Americanrestaurant, I'm still not sure if I have thecourage to go in.
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