The musical “Play a Life” tells the story—through song—of a couple who fell in love and married after watching the 1989 film *Dead Poets Society*, starring Robin Williams, and a student teacher who was once the wife’s student, all centered on the theme of “living in the moment.”
The production was first staged in 2015 by the TipTap theater company, led by Kazuhiro Ueda—a director known for his work with Toho’s Theater Division. It has since been revived in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021, and was adapted into a radio drama in 2017. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, it was presented in various formats—including a live 8K video stream—as a model production for the Agency for Cultural Affairs’ Revenue Enhancement Project.
In February 2023 , it was broadcast as a video production—directed by Ueda himself—marking Fuji TV’s first full-scale musical drama. It is a beloved classic cherished by many.
28 August 2026 14:00
“Play a Life” Synopsis
A student teacher, asked by their supervising teacher during a high school teaching practicum what their favorite movie is, answers, “*Dead Poets Society*” starring Robin Williams.
Her answer reminded her supervising instructor of the past. It was *Dead Poets Society* that had brought him and his wife together.
The two, who were fans of Robin Williams, met at an art house cinema, fell in love, and got married. Inspired by the film, she became a teacher, while he aspired to be an actor.
Before they knew it, the wife had quit teaching, and he had become a part-time high school instructor. And sharing their life was a cat.
What changed the couple’s life? Why did the wife quit teaching? Why did the husband become a teacher?
The theme of “living in the moment” guides the story toward its conclusion.
Reading Musical “Play a Life”
28 August 2026 14:00
