ALL THAT I WILL EVER BE

昨晩は、予定通り、MさんとALL THAT I WILL EVER BEを観劇してきました。事前にオンラインで購入したチケットには座席指定がされていたのに、当日、ボックスオフィスでチケットを受け取ると、「自由席」の文字が・・・。既にゲイグループが長蛇の列。でも、劇場自体が小さく、満席といっても観客は50人くらい。舞台もとても小さくて、中心に3メートル×3メートルくらいの正方形のステージ（床下からライトアップされてる）。そしてその三辺に、観客用に座席が作られてるのだけど、屋外野球を見るような3段のひな壇に、パイプ椅子（一応、クッションはついてる）が並べられているというステージ。いわゆる1段上のステージがあって、その反対側に階層状の座席というスタイルではない。

Last night, as planned, M-san and I went to see the play ALL THAT I WILL EVER BE. Although our seats were pre-assigned when I purchased online, the actual tickets that I received at the box office said "free admission" . . . This kind of disorder will never happen in Japan. But M-san told me that it can easily happen in the U.S. I totally agree. I understood why there was a long line of people already when we got to the theater. That said, the theater was very small and the full capacity was like 50 people. The square stage (10 ft x 10 ft) was located in the center whose three sides were faced with three-steps of seats. It was a kind of small amphitheater.

なので、座席指定はなかったけど、超狭いステージだったので、どこから見ても役者は目前。臨場感が味わえてとても満足だった。

Although our seats were not assigned, the theater was so small that we could sense actors' beat and breath very close from any seat. I was very happy with it.

予想通り、役者が全裸になるシーンがいくつかあって、Mさんも目が釘付け。事前に予告しておいたので心の準備ができていた模様。

As we thought, there were scenes that actors take off their clothes completely. M-san's eyes were fixated on them. But since I warned her beforehand, she seemed to be ready and could handle it well.

ストーリーも、ゲイならではの身につまされる内容だった。ハスラー家業を続けるOmarと、その顧客のDwightの二人が主人公だと思ってたのだけど、本当の主人公はOmarだった。Omarはドバイで生まれ育ったアルメニア人。アメリカで生計を立てるためにハスラー業を始めたけど、「アルメニア人」だとハスラーとして人気が出ないため、「アラブ人ぜつりん男」と偽って広告を掲載。もちろん、Omarというのも本名ではない。そして自分はバイセクシャルだと思っていた。だけど、Dwightと知り合って交流を重ねるうちに、徐々に本当の自分を見せるようになり、しまいには"I love you, Dwight."というセリフも言うように。

The plot is very believable and I could relate to it. Omar, a hustler, and his client Dwight were equally main characters, I thought. But a real main one is Omar. He is Armenian who grew up in Dubai. He started hustling in the US to survive but he deceptively advertised himself as an "Arab stud" because Armenian doesn't sound appealing to American customers. Of course, Omar is not his real name. He also said in the earlier part in the play that he was bi-sexual. Yet, as he gets intimate with Dwight, he started showing true himself and in the end, he even said, "I love you, Dwight," though he thought it was 'unprofessional' as a hustler.

一見順調に行くように見えた関係も、人種問題や、Dwightと恋人関係になってもハスラー家業を続けるOmarだったので、ある晩、大喧嘩に発展。この舞台の銘台詞は、「人は、ハスラーに来てもらうためにお金を払うんじゃない。（「事」が終わった後）さっさと去ってもらうために金を払うんだ」というもの。Dwightからお金を取ることは止めていたOmarに対して、Dwightは、「出てってくれ！金を払うから出ていってくれ！」とお金を床に投げつける。「オレを追い出さないでくれ」と懇願して泣き崩れるOmar・・・。

Their relationship seems going well, but there are more obstacles. Racial/ethnic issues and the fact that Omar continues his hustler business developed into a big verbal fight with Dwight at a night. One memorable line in the play is, "People don't pay for a hustler to come over, but they do to make him leave." Omar stopped taking money from Dwight long time ago, but at this argument scene Dwight smashed cash on the floor and asked, "Get out of my house. I will pay for it." Omar begged Dwight in tears and asked, "Please don't kick me out."

奥が深いっすね～。ゲイの世界では「事」が終わればさっさと出てってくれという輩が多いんだよね。深い部分でつながることは、面倒、やっかい、係わり合いになりたくないっていうの。それと、バイセクシャルだから、自分はゲイじゃないって主張する人たち。Omarも、「オレはゲイじゃないから」ってDwightに語ってました。どっかで聞いたことあるセリフだ。

The message behind the story is so profound. There are so many guys who just want to get rid of their mates after 'business' in the gay world. It's regarded as annoying and burdensome to relate with someone else at the deep level. There are quite a few guys who don't admit that they are gay, too. They insist that they're bi though they're not really. Omar also said, "I'm not gay" to Dwight. I have heard of that line sometime.

そして最後のシーンは、3ヶ月ぶりにハスラー家業に復帰したOmarの登場。（Dwightとの大破局があった後、3ヶ月は傷心してたんですね。）顧客は、ネブラスカ州出身でメディカルスクールに通う学生。まだ男性経験がなくて、何をして言いかわからないうぶな若者。彼に対して、Omarは「自分をさらけだせばいいんだ」と詰め寄る。それに対して、学生は「君はどこ出身だ？」と聞く。Omarは、広告で「ぜつりんプエルトリコ人男」と偽っていた。Omarは、この質問に正直に「ドバイで育ったアルメニア人だ」と答える。広告と違うので学生は狼狽。しかも、ドバイと聞いてOmarはテロリストなんじゃないかとパニックに。そして学生は、「金を払うからで出て行ってくれ」のセリフ・・・。

In the last scene, Omar appears as a hustler again three months later. (Omar took a break for three months after breaking up with Dwight.) Omar visits a new client who is a medical school student from Nebraska. Since the student is novice, he doesn't know what to do. Omar tells him, "Just show what you're ashamed of showing to other people." After some exchange of words, the student asks Omar where he is from. Omar's advertisement said he is a "Puertorican stud" but Omar replied honestly that he was Armenian who grew up in Dubai. The student is upset because he is not Latin as the ad claimed. Besides, the student has become slight panicked to hear Dubai since he thought Omar could be a terrorist. The student said, "Please leave. I'll pay."

だけど金を受け取っても出て行かないOmar。警察に電話しようとする学生。そして取っ組み合いの乱闘。Omarに組みふされ、目隠しをされた学生は泣きながら「なんで僕はこんな目にあわないといけないんだ」と崩れる。組み手をほどき、Omarは、優しく彼に語りかけ始める――「自分をさらけ出してくれ」。二人が抱き合うシーンで幕は下りる。

Omar takes money but never leaves. The student tries to call a police. Omar and the student started wrestling and the student was pinned down on the floor. He was blindfolded. In tears, the student asks Omar why he treats him so badly and weeps. Omar releases the student and starts talking to him gently--"Show me yourself." The two men embrace each other eventually. That's where the whole play ends.