Yes.

During the course of the performance, Leonard only got more confused at both the overarching plot of the “play” (and yes, it did have a plot) as well as the intricacies of the necessary audience participation elements. Earlier he had feared Ms. Prift was taking him to some sort of sex dungeon where she’d stomp on his balls or cut off his dick.

This was worse than that.

Mostly it was because the theater “experience” was worse in a fundamentally different way than he had mentally braced himself for. He’d prepared his nerves for physically hurtful ordeals, not abstract orders to fulfill a narrative that made no logical sense. It was the kind of thing you probably needed some kind of **** to enjoy, and he had always been too afraid to consider trying any.

Eventually something aside from a recorded voice was on screen, a woman in a morphsuit that did very precise motions. Just about the only thing he thought was clever, interesting, or impressive was the time the directions called for the audience members to throw a variety of very bouncy rubber balls at her, like the kind you’d get from a machine for a quarter only bigger.

Most of them just hit the woman and bounced away, but she actually caught some of them and began to juggle. A few thrown after the juggling started even managed to get integrated into the cycle of throwing and catching. Really, it was the only bright spot in a theater show full of confusion and anxiety.

After what felt like five hours, though the clock on the wall confirmed it had only been two, the lights came back up. The woman Leonard imagined was in the skintight costume was back on stage, though now in clothing that let him perceive more of her actual appearance.

She looked to be middle-eastern, at least in terms of her ancestry, and not just because she was now wearing a hijab. Beyond said head covering, the woman wore what looked to be a black turtleneck, jeans, and leather dress shoes. She had a piercing on her left nostril, near where the nose meets the larger face, and wore thick-rimmed square glasses.

She snapped her fingers, and a couple of theater technicians set up a microphone and stand in front of the stage. “Alright, the show is over. Does anyone have any questions?” the woman on stage asked, with a cold and piercing voice.

Basically everyone just got up and left, but Ann excitedly ran to the microphone. When the incredibly small line formed, his boss seethed when an uninterested guy with a shaved head and beard wearing a tank top got the first spot in line instead of her. Lenny got up too, figuring Ms. Prift would find it odd or suspicious if he didn’t go do the impromptu Q&A with her. He got in line behind a couple of giggling women, maybe students, since they had backpacks on and were holding notepads and pens.

As the line settled, and the room emptied of everyone not intending to ask a question, the woman on stage declared “Alright, one question then you go to the back of the line.”

Tank top cleared his throat, and asked “Are you ‘Cheryl Faheem’?” while reading directly off of his program.

“Yes, I am she.” Cheryl confirms.

The man nods, then says “Okay, good. Your show sucks.”

She reiterates “One question please.”

“Wasn’t a question.” Tank top clarified, before turning to leave the theater. As he did, Ann stepped up to the mic excitedly.

“Miss Faheem, do you know that you’re a genius?” she asks, a wide grin on her face.

Cheryl stares blankly at her, until she answers “… yes, I do. Please stop coming to my shows just to ask me that.”

Ms. Print nods, saying “Got it, got it…” as she joins Leonard at the back of the line. “Oh, hey Lenny. Amazing show, right?” she whispers.

The next two approach the mic together, and ask “Okay, two questions back to back if that’s fine Professor Faheem. One: Why is seeing this show a necessary part of our curriculum?” before following it with “And Two: Why is it 40% of our final grade?”

“The same answer applies to both. If you want to appreciate fine art, like the course demands, you must experience fine art. Thank you for the questions, I’ll be sure to mark you two down for Extra Credit.” the apparent college professor explained, as her students giggled and left the auditorium as well.

Now, Leonard was up next.