Imagine that you're mindlessly scrolling through your phone, jumping from one random story to another—a failed business deal here, a messy breakup there, someone's grocery shopping disaster. Now imagine if all those disconnected moments suddenly revealed themselves as part of one giant, chaotic web where every action ripples outward in ways you never expected.
That's exactly what Nagoya Players is serving up with their bold new production, Scenes From A Bad Film Lived Out in Real Time, hitting the stage September 27-28, 2025.
Theater That Feels Like Life (The Messy Parts)
Forget everything you think you know about traditional theater. There's no hero's journey here, no villain to hiss at, no tidy ending wrapped up with a bow. Instead, this production throws you headfirst into what the company calls "doomscroll theater"—a theatrical experience that mirrors the chaotic, hyperconnected way we actually live.
The show features a revolving cast of characters who feel ripped straight from real life: an accountant wrestling with secrets, a dominatrix navigating vulnerability, a homemaker questioning everything, a graduate student drowning in uncertainty. They appear in the spotlight, bare their souls in rapid-fire scenes, then vanish—only to have their choices echo through the lives of complete strangers.
With a cast of 18 actors, including R. Taylor as Devin, Asumi Ida as Dominique, Emily Bailey as the Devil, and Michael Kruse as George (among many others), this ambitious production promises the kind of ensemble energy that makes every moment electric and unpredictable.
The Butterfly Effect, Live on Stage
What makes Scenes From A Bad Film particularly brilliant (and unsettling) is how it captures something we all know but rarely acknowledge: we're all connected in ways we can't see. That rude comment you made to a cashier? The investment you didn't make? The grocery item you forgot? In this production, these seemingly tiny moments cascade outward, affecting lives in ways both profound and absurd.
Shawn Mahler, the Creative Director of Nagoya Players who wrote and directed this piece, has crafted what he calls "hyperlink cinema for the stage"—multiple storylines that crash into each other with the unpredictability of real life and the impact of a perfectly timed punchline or devastating revelation. A multimedia artist originally from California with a background in film theory and production, Mahler brings his deep understanding of Japanese storytelling traditions (influenced by directors like Shohei Imamura) to create something uniquely suited to our hyperconnected age.
Why You Should Care
(And Maybe Squirm a Little)
This isn't comfortable theater. It's funny when you least expect it, heartbreaking when you're still laughing, and honest in ways that might make you want to text your ex or call your mom (maybe don't do either during the show).
The production tackles sexuality, modern dysfunction, and what it feels like to live through societal collapse—themes that couldn't be more relevant as we navigate 2025. But it does so with a razor-sharp wit and an understanding that sometimes the most profound truths come wrapped in the most ridiculous circumstances.
Fair warning: This is mature content designed for adults 18 and older, with content warnings including blood, consensual pain, death, drug use, gun violence, impact play, and flickering lights. It's theater that doesn't shy away from the full spectrum of human experience.
The Company Behind the Chaos
Nagoya Players isn't just putting on a show—they're continuing a nearly 50-year tradition of bringing quality English-language theater to the city. Founded in 1975 by professors and dramatists, this is Nagoya's first and longest-running English-language theater group, with over 80 productions under their belt.
What makes them special is their dual mission as entertainers and educators. Most members are professional teachers who blend language and arts education, creating a learning theater where veteran members mentor newcomers. It's this collaborative, educational spirit that allows them to take risks on bold, challenging work like Scenes From A Bad Film.
Fair Warning: You Might See Yourself
The creators promise you'll recognize yourself somewhere in the chaos—maybe in the accountant's quiet desperation, the businessman's misguided confidence, or the waitress's sharp observations about everyone around her. More unsettling still, you might start seeing connections between your own life and the lives of the strangers sitting next to you in the theater.
This is theater that doesn't just entertain—it holds up a mirror to our messy, interconnected existence and asks uncomfortable questions about the ripple effects of our choices. With choreography by Valeriya Takazato adding another layer of visual storytelling, expect an experience that engages all your senses while messing with your head.
Ready to laugh, cringe, and maybe question everything you thought you knew about your own life? Scenes From A Bad Film Lived Out in Real Time promises to be the kind of theatrical experience that lingers long after you've left the theater—probably while you're scrolling through your phone and wondering which of your actions might be setting off someone else's story.
The Details
Scenes From A Bad Film
Lived Out in Real Time
Date: Sept.27–28, 2025
Time: *18:00
(Some Times Sold Out)
Runtime:
Approximately 2.5 hours with intermission
Age Restriction: 18+ only
Tickets:
Adult: ¥3,000 advance / ¥4,000 door
Senior (65+): ¥2,500 advance / ¥3,500 door
University Students: ¥2,000 advance / ¥3,000 door
Get Advance Tickets Online HERE
Venue:
Estudio Marzo
Nichiei Culinary College
Kanda-cho 5-4, Chikusa-ku
Nagoya
Tel: 052 (962) 9612
Website
How to Get There:
Located near Imaike Station (Higashiyama or Sakuradori Lines)
MAP
#NagoyaPlayers #NagoyaTheater #EnglishTheater #ExperimentalTheater #DoomscrollTheater #JapanTheater
#名古屋演劇 #英語劇 #実験演劇 #名古屋プレイヤーズ #演劇 #舞台芸術
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