Chuck Lacson and Jed Parsario Photo by Robbie Sweeny

The story starts off simply: The Boy (Jed Parsario) goes to a library to return some books and tells the Librarian (Chuck Lacson, in one of many roles) he's looking for more books. Without looking up from the massively wide tome she is reading, she tells him, "Turn right at the bottom of the stairs. Go straight down the corridor to Room 107."

In Murakami's world of magical realism, this simple instruction starts The Boy on a journey into the maze-like bowels of the library (marvelous staging of rotating and sliding walls by Mikiko Uesugi, augmented by projections and other effects designed by Lana Palmer) where he meets The Old Man (Ogie Zulueta). After making his request for books on an obscure topic–seemingly in hopes of leaving The Old Man's lair, which has him a bit creeped out–he is surprised when told that they "possess a number of volumes" on the topic. Always a polite and cooperative sort, The Boy agrees to let The Old Man fetch the books, only to learn they cannot be checked out, but must be read in the Reading Room.

This entails another circuitous, labyrinthine journey that leads to a "reading room" that is not at all what The Boy expected to find. In order not to spoil the many odd, even nightmarish surprises that await The Boy, I will say no more of the plot. Rest assured, it will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what the hell is going to happen next.

As unique and imaginative as Murakami's story and style are, it is a perfect match for a Word for Word production. If you've never had the pleasure of attending one of Word for Word's shows, they are truly one-of-a-kind theatrical experiences. The company doesn't produce plays, per se, but rather takes short stories and presents them without a single word omitted. The text is divided among the actors in ways that deepen it and reinforce characters' actions and emotions. For instance, when The Boy says "ever since I was little my mother had told me, if you don't know something, go to the library and look it up," it is the mother, placed elsewhere on stage, who speaks the last part of that sentence.

Not only is the full text spoken, but the actors stand in for props–most marvelously in this case when Chuck Lacson becomes a lamp by sitting on a stool with a shade perched like a crown on his head. When The Boy is descending a staircase, it's indicated by an actor moving a pair of stools to simulate the steps, and another actor extends an arm to stand in for a handrail.

Though the acting can be a bit uneven–Jed Parsario tends to overuse a wide-eyed look to indicate a range of emotions–the stunningly imaginative work the two directors have accomplished far outweighs any minor quibbles with performances.

Just as The Boy has an immersive (if often morbid) experience in The Strange Library, we patrons of Word for Word are treated to an immersive experience of our own. When you enter Z Below and make your way down the stairs to the tiny lobby, there are visual treats galore. On a screen in one corner is a video with instructions in Japanese (with subtitles in English) on how to use a Western toilet. In the actual toilets are posters in Japanese with ideograms repeating these instructions. There is a "rare books room"–a closet with a computer scrolling a list of books that have been banned in some American schools, plus shelves of books and file folders. The snack bar has been dubbed "Peter's Cat Cafe," and another area is cordoned off as "under construction" but will be revealed post-show. When you enter the theater, you are welcome to borrow a Japanese book from a library cart packed with volumes and have your card stamped by the Librarian.

As ever with Word for Word productions, this method of presenting short stories opens those works in ways no single reader could ever decode, for we as theatre patrons get the interpretation of those works from the points of view of the director(s) and each of the actors. This is, perhaps, the most wondrous aspect of the company's productions.

Many of the performance dates are already sold out (the theater accommodates only 85 people), so I'm begging you, get your tickets now.

The Strange Library runs through December 8, 2024, at Word for Word, Z Below, 450 Florida Street, San Francisco CA. Performances are Wednesdays-Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. There is no show on Thanksgiving Day. Tickets are $40-65. For tickets and information, please visit ZSpace.org or call 415-626-0453.