A musical drama based on U.S. philosopher Leo Buscaglia's illustrated children's book "The Fall of Freddy the Leaf" will be performed Oct. 29 in Tokyo, according to the production's organizers.
Shigeaki Hinohara, 88, board chairman of St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo's Chuo Ward, wrote the script and will play a philosopher in the musical.
About 30 children will play the roles of leaves, which symbolize the natural cycle of life and death.
"This drama will provide an opportunity for children to think about life and death with their parents and grandparents," said Hinohara, who is also a terminal-care physician.
Hinohara said the script is his first attempt at writing a drama scenario. He added it took him only eight hours to complete the script after being impressed by the best-selling children's book.
Writing the scenario was much easier than any of the 3,200 academic papers he has written, he said.
The scenario will be published in book form by Dowaya, the Tokyo-based publisher of the book's Japanese translation, in October. The scenario, to be titled " 'Freddy' Kara Mananda Koto" ("What I Have Learned From 'Freddy' "), will also include an essay by Hinohara explaining his philosophy on life.
The musical drama will be performed at Showa Women's University Hitomi Memorial Hall in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward.