One day in 2022, inspiration struck Tacoma filmmaker Derek Nunn as he was walking down a back alley in Tokyo's Shibuya district...

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Amid the ramen joints and drinking stalls, two men were seated across from each other in an outdoor izakaya.  Surrounded by patrons chowing down on small plates of food and drinking beer, the two men were arguing loudly. Initially unnerved by the sight, Derek soon discovered that their argument had been staged for the patrons' entertainment and that they were actors performing a uniquely Japanese form of  street theater.  Stunned by what he saw, Derek immediately  wanted to do something similar in Tacoma.   

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Back at home, Derek shared his idea with Masahiro Sugano. Originally from Japan, Masahiro was a fellow filmmaker and UW film professor who'd been teaching his students about Tokyo’s Angura Theater movement. He'd long felt it was a shame that the US art scene neglected underground theater when so much bold experimentation could take place and so much talent could be nurtured. 

 

It didn't take much convincing for Derek to bring him on board and One Table was born. 

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