Prologue (To be performed before Act I. Lights low; soft snowfall SFX; distant sleigh bells.)Stage Picture:A gentle tableau forms in dim light:Upstage right, Coppélia sits motionless on a small balcony, book in her lap, a lantern glowing beside her.Upstage left, Dr. Coppélius stands in silhouette behind a sheer curtain, tinkering with a tiny clockwork heart … [Read more...] about Coppélia at Christmas: A Tale of Love and Laughter
The Asymmetry of Tolerance: Europe, Islam, and Faith’s Future
Introduction by Nick Sasaki Welcome, friends. Today we embark on a journey through one of the most profound paradoxes of our time: the asymmetry of tolerance between Europe and the Middle East. In Europe, Muslims worship freely, build mosques, and shape cultural life openly. Yet in many Middle Eastern countries, Christians cannot do the same — restricted to … [Read more...] about The Asymmetry of Tolerance: Europe, Islam, and Faith’s Future
Charlie Kirk on Japan: Lessons America Must Learn
Introduction by Charlie Kirk When I first set foot in Tokyo, I was struck not just by the dazzling skyline or the efficiency of the trains, but by the feeling that society itself still worked. People respected one another. Streets were clean. Crime was rare. It made me ask: what makes Japan different, and what can we learn from it?Over the next discussions, … [Read more...] about Charlie Kirk on Japan: Lessons America Must Learn
The Secret of Secrets Movie: Dan Brown’s Infinity Mystery
Introduction by Ron Howard When Dan Brown and I first discussed Threshold, I knew immediately this would be different from our previous Langdon adventures. This wasn't about hidden conspiracies or secret societies. This was about the most intimate mystery of all: what happens when we die?But more than that—it's about what happens to us, the living, if … [Read more...] about The Secret of Secrets Movie: Dan Brown’s Infinity Mystery
What Awaits Beyond Death? The Secret of Secrets
Introduction by Robert Langdon For years, I studied symbols carved in stone and painted on canvas—halos, infinity knots, spirals of light—thinking they were metaphors for human longing. But in Prague, amid shadows of the Threshold Project, I began to wonder: what if these symbols were not metaphors at all, but messages?The Secret of Secrets asked the oldest … [Read more...] about What Awaits Beyond Death? The Secret of Secrets
The Secret of Secrets: Dan Brown on Mind Beyond Brain
Introduction by Dan Brown When I began writing The Secret of Secrets, I never imagined it would change my own beliefs. For years, I thought of consciousness as the brain’s creation, nothing more. But the deeper I studied—through history, science, and myth—I began to wonder: what if awareness is not confined to the skull, but part of something universal?This … [Read more...] about The Secret of Secrets: Dan Brown on Mind Beyond Brain
Kakigori Summer: A Family Drama of Silence and Healing
Introduction by Emily Itami This play begins, as so many Japanese summers do, with cicadas humming endlessly and the smell of the sea pushing through a half-open door. But beneath all that noise, there’s something else—silence. The kind of silence that grows between sisters when grief is too heavy to talk about, or when anger has been folded away so many … [Read more...] about Kakigori Summer: A Family Drama of Silence and Healing
Staging the Surreal: Directors and Writers on Adapting 1Q84
Introduction by Tony Kushner (Lights low. Kushner steps forward, a script in hand, but he doesn’t read from it. He speaks as though to the actors and directors present, and to the audience beyond them.)When we gather around 1Q84, we aren’t only talking about staging a novel. We are opening a door into a world already leaning at an angle. Haruki has given us … [Read more...] about Staging the Surreal: Directors and Writers on Adapting 1Q84
Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84: A Theatrical Adaptation of Surreal Love
Introduction by Murakami Haruki When I began writing 1Q84, I didn’t set out to create an alternate world. I only wanted to follow the quiet footsteps of a woman descending a staircase, and the inner life of a man rewriting a story. But once I opened the door, the world had already changed.In our lives, the strange often appears without ceremony. You wake up … [Read more...] about Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84: A Theatrical Adaptation of Surreal Love
Kazuo Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day with Mentors & Friends
Introduction Kazuo by Ishiguro When I think back to The Remains of the Day, I see not only the butler, Stevens, but also the many voices that shaped the book behind the scenes. Angela Carter, my fierce mentor, who never let me hide behind politeness. Malcolm Bradbury, who insisted stories must also wrestle with history. Deborah Rogers, who believed in my … [Read more...] about Kazuo Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day with Mentors & Friends