The Fool

A wildflower picked by the Fool at the roadside. It is not watered manually, maintained in a greenhouse or placed in an expensive vase, yet it still possesses a unique kind of beauty. The same goes for plays: even if they cannot be performed in the most luxurious theaters, their quality will remain the same.

A shadow puppet shaped like a lantern, crafted entirely by the interviewee—from material selection and coloring to assembly and calibration. Its intricate surface and harmonious colors reveal her meticulousness, patience, and passion for drama.

During the Fool's time, the ruff was a decorative item worn by the nobles. The thick and hard ruff was incredibly inconvenient, yet was seen as a symbol of wealth and status. Hence, from the Fool's point of view, wearing a ruff was enough to poke fun at the "nobles" and the "king."

No one knows what the interviewee's purse contains.

"The world is filled with countless stages, each performing countless dramas. Surely, you can see this purse couldn't possibly hold all the stories I've seen."

Unlike the other actors in the troupe, the Fool never removes his mask. All of his emotions are reflected on this mask and even his colleagues do not know what he really looks like.

"What did you see, what did you hear? Here lies a play crafted just for you, and as long as you're here, the curtain will never fall."

The interviewee always wears a mask, regardless of the genre of the play, yet he understands better than anyone how the drama will end.

The Lord Protector was averse to all pleasures. This included music, banquets, festivals ... plays were no exception.

These were all sins and not permitted. Everybody should live like puritans.

The pipe organ was dismantled, along with other decorations. Singers were beheaded, writers' pens were broken, liquor was poured down the drain and delicacies were thrown into the bins.

"It's a sin and should not be allowed."

That's what they said.

"It is indeed a sin and should not be allowed."

The people followed the tyrant and repeated it woodenly.

To be or not to be? That is a question.

To die with a smile or to live in tears? That is another question.

The Fool

The Fool: (Male bawling)

The Fool: (Female) Oh, why dost thou cry so, my friend?

The Fool: (Male) I am crying for the birth of my child.

The Fool: (Female) A birth? Should thou not be rejoicing over the birth of a person?

The Fool: (Male) When she was born, she was desolate about entering this stage filled with fools and started bawling. I decided to cry with her because I'd already been acting on this stage with these fools for my entire life.

The Fool: (Female) Fools? There might be fools in this world, but thou seem most like one now.

The Fool: (Male) I'm not a fool, but I know they are.

The Fool: (Female) Who art thou referring to?

The Fool: (Male) Some people... they're the real fools. They suppress the desires of others to satisfy their own. They're the real fools.

The Fool: Me? Are you sure you want to interview me? Not the lead or anyone else?

Pandora Wilson: I will interview them.

The Fool: Right ... I really don't understand you magazine editors. (Female) It's similar to how bats in caves can never understand what tuna think.

Pandora Wilson: What do you think of the current head, Charlie?

The Fool: Mankind is such a marvelous masterpiece! They possess such noble rationality, mighty strength, elegant bearings, and graceful manners!

Pandora Wilson: It sounds like you almost ... revere Charlie?

The Fool: (Female) And Master Charlie is the exact opposite of that.

Pandora Wilson: ... That's a good joke.

The Fool: Not entirely, my lady, not entirely. Just like the world.

The Fool: (Female) I think this world is also a joke, but within this joke, there is something that isn't quite a joke. (Male) (Horselaugh) But it wouldn't be funny anymore if I were to say it out loud, would it?