Chapter 25 — Theater at the End of the Hallway

The outdoor screening took place in the backyard because the theater only had sixty seats. The fabric screen is stretched between two phoenix trees, the projector is placed on a long table, and the electrical cord runs in a protective tube. Huy checked one last time, Quan distributed paper tickets, Tran counted people.

The audience included students, parents, teachers and several alumni. Some people come because they are curious, others come because they miss a chair. An old lady brought an umbrella even though it wasn't raining yet.

Lam stood by the temporary chicken wings and heard the whispers. She was afraid that the movie would be too quiet, afraid that people would expect a dramatic secret, afraid that the council would only look at the number of seats and the cost.

Huy gave her a mint candy. “Don't look at the audience while the movie is running.”

"Why?"

"They're looking at the screen. If you look at them, they'll forget to listen to the movie."

The light is off. The movie begins with an empty hallway, footsteps, and chairs opening. Uncle Sau appears in the frame, telling about the storm. Ms. My laughed when she said the chair often lost its legs. Bao Tran talks about the hallway light. Quan appeared with the story of falling off his chair, the audience laughed but not loudly.

Huy's image is just a shadow and a hand. The sound of screwdrivers mixed with the sound of the projector. A few students recognized him, but did not call him by name.

The beach trip scene appears. At Anh Duong Theater, children set up chairs, Hoai An stood in front of the curtain but did not turn his face. Dat repaired the sign. Scenes with no celebrities, just people at work.

Mai's apology appears. The audience is silent. A parent looked at his child, then nodded. Lam didn't know what they were thinking, but she didn't take her eyes off the curtain.

Ten seconds of blackness followed. The sound of folding chairs, the sound of wind, the sound of doors opening. Nhi's sentence rang out: "Thank you for asking."

No one clapped immediately. The silence lasted long enough to hear the sound of cars on the street. Then one student patted, and another patted. The sound grew louder, not loud but sure.

Lam came out and said the group does not use images or real names of people who have not given consent. She invited the audience to write what they wanted to leave behind. The old lady with the umbrella said she used to watch movies in the theater in 1968, even though the theater at that time was just a cooperative warehouse. A former student said the green chair was where he waited for his girlfriend but ended up marrying someone else.

Quan asked if he could tell that story in the next movie. Tran glared at him.

The Council distributed feedback forms. Many theater writers need to be corrected, but should not be destroyed. Some people asked if students could hold monthly screenings. Some people contributed money to buy light bulbs, others offered to donate fabric to make new curtains.

Dat stood next to Lam, looking at pieces of paper full of words.

“What do you think?”

“I think the balance sheet will be very difficult to explain.”

“So how do you explain it?”

“By adding an extra column for something that is not easy to calculate.”

Suddenly the projector turned off. The yard went dark. Huy ran to check and discovered that the circuit breaker was disconnected. Uncle Sau shined the light, Dat called security. No one panicked. Tran asked everyone to sit still, Quan told the story about the broken chair to keep the atmosphere.

Huy found the wire was unplugged, not shorted. He plugged it back in, but the machine wouldn't start. Lam held a flashlight and asked the audience if they wanted to hear the rest in words. Everyone turned on their phone lights.

Hoai An stepped up to tell the story of the door opening, without mentioning Nhi's name. She said a final scene sometimes doesn't require a screen; the listener just needs to understand that someone has stepped out.

The projector lights up again after three minutes. The credits roll across the screen, each name with what they did. Bottom line: **For those who gave us permission asked.**

The audience left the field slowly. The last empty seat was still empty, but on the chair was a piece of paper: **I saw it.**

Lam picked up the paper, not guessing who wrote it. She just put it in the storage box.

After the audience left the field, the group did not rush to remove the curtain. They sit in a circle, each person says one thing that has been done and one thing that needs to be fixed. Quan said he read the rules and did not forget; What needs to be fixed is not to give out the wrong ticket number 32. Tran wrote.

Vy said the ocean sound was too loud at one point, causing Nhi's sentence to be drowned out in some speakers. Huy suggests checking each speaker again instead of increasing the entire volume. Mai said the apology scene still made her feel uncomfortable, but it was useful discomfort.

Lam said she did not look at the audience as they left. She still wanted to know what they thought, but understanding that the right to leave was also part of the experience. Hoai An said that was the first time she saw Lam not using other people's facial expressions to judge her success.

Dat read the council votes. One member wrote “need to consider”, one wrote “has potential”, another left it blank. Dat's empty words mean no objection. Lam replied that maybe he just didn't know.

Uncle Sau helped clear the ropes. He said that at every outdoor screening in the past, there were people who left because of the rain, but there were still people who stayed behind to cover the curtain. The theater is not a place to hold everyone; it is a place waiting for those who want to stay.

Quan listened, took a ticket and stuck it on the board: "Staying is not an obligation." Tran allowed.

Huy checked the circuit breaker again and discovered a fuse that was hotter than usual. He immediately disconnected and called maintenance. If they don't check, the next performance could be dangerous. Dat recorded the incident in the report, even though it caused the safety score to decrease.

Lam asked why the disadvantage had to be recorded. Dat said a report is trustworthy when the reader knows even the bad parts. I've been doing the opposite for too long.

Hoai An sent a message to Mrs. Nam. Nhi replied that she could hear the sound of rain through the recording, and liked how the group did not force the audience to sit until the end. She agreed to use her sentence in future shows, on the condition that they would still ask again if the context changed.

Lam saves messages, does not take photos to share.

When the curtain was removed, one corner of the fabric was torn. Duc Minh sewed it back together with purple thread and asked if the whole thing needed to be replaced. Huy said no, just as long as the seam can withstand it.

Tran looked at the six-month trial schedule. They have two community screenings left, one classroom and one report. The theater hasn't been made permanent, but it passed the first try.

Lam picked up the "I saw" ticket and put it in the box. She didn't know who the writer was, and for once didn't feel the need to know.

The next morning, the group gave their report to the council. Tran presented data, Huy presented problems, Vy presented usage rights, Lam presented feedback. Quan was in charge of the most difficult part: explaining why some people left but the show was not considered a failure.

Quan said: "Some people leave because they're busy, some people leave because they don't like it, some people leave because they've had enough. We don't know each person's reason, so we can't tell it ourselves. We can only do better for those who stay."

A board member asked if we don't know the reason, how can we improve it? Tran responded with optional feedback questions, not forcing the leaver to explain. The Council noted.

Dat submitted a commitment to maintain the theater and a financial plan. Hoai An submitted a consent form to use his audio. Nhi sent the paper to Mrs. Nam, limited to the sentence "Thank you for asking".

Decision The agreement was not immediately signed, but the council allowed the group to continue operating for six months. Huy said six months is enough to train his successor. Lam said enough to prove that theaters do not live on nostalgia.

In the evening, the green chair is placed back. Under the chair is a new piece of chalk: "I looked, then I went home." Lam read, smiled and did not ask who wrote it.

The council's message came at seven in the morning: they needed a further report on maintenance costs and the possibility of opening after hours. Lam wanted to answer immediately, but Tran reminded them to check the data. Huy created a price list for light bulbs, wires, and filters; Quan called three clubs to ask how often they used it. Vy looked for old invoices in the filing cabinet and discovered two accounts with the wrong year.

Dat admitted that the design of the commercial area did not include the cost of relocating cultural activities. He asked the group for a day to update. Lam said they would send data, but did not promise results. Dat nodded, for the first time not using the words "optimize" or "utilize". In the afternoon, the group took him into the theater and let him sit in a green chair. He looked at the piece of chalk and asked if he could keep it. Lam said it's okay, as long as you don't take the writer's name. Dat sat still for a while, then asked Mr. Quang if it was possible to redesign the plan without removing the projection room. The question is not yet a promise, but opens up a space for negotiation.

Dat brought in the revised version, in which the theater was kept intact but the roof needed reinforcement. The commercial area was converted to a row of vacant warehouses, in exchange for which the school had to share part of the walkway. Mr. Quang asked the group if they accepted that the theater would have an earlier closing time. Lam does not answer for everyone. They set up a priority table: safety first, usage rights second, opening hours can be negotiated.

Quan wanted to reserve the late night slot because that was when students were free, but the security guard said there was a shortage of people for the night shift. Huy suggested organizing a weekend session with adult supervision. Tran asked if parents could register by shift. Some people agreed, others just helped with cleaning. Each contribution is recorded separately. Lam filmed people sitting around a drawing table, but only used the sound of pencils and hands pointing at the diagram. No one needs to say “we won”; The drawing itself shows the theater has another chance.