See What I Wanna See, a musical by Michael John LaChiusa, is based on three short stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. The story unfolds like a classical Japanese screen painting, opening each act with a prologue inspired by Kesa and Morito, a pair of fatally contentious lovers. The first act, set in 1951, follows a murder in Central Park from contradicting perspectives where everyone’s truth may be a lie. Act two centers on a priest in 2002, wavering in his faith and creating a hoax about a miracle. His ruse attracts attention; however, the result is something he hadn't bargained for.
Out of the Box Theatrics' production of See What I Wanna See features an all-AAPI cast of actors and elements inspired by traditional Asian theater practices, bringing LaChiusa’s Americanized adaptation into conversation with the Asian-American experience.
