-ここまでのSTORY- The play opens with Marlene in a restaurant, waiting for her friends to arrive.
The dinner is celebrating a promotion Marlene received at her job at an employment agency. マーリーンの人材会社での昇進を祝うためのディナー
As the women arrive and settle into their dinner, they begin talking about their past lives and what they did. 到着した友人たちと過去の出来事などについて話始める
Nijo recalls how she came to meet the ex-Emperor of Japan, and her encounter with him. While the women assume that she was raped by him, she later explains that it was her destiny; she was brought up for that purpose. 二条から後深草院とのなり染め話を聞いた出席者は、 二条は後深草院にレイプされたのだと思う しかし、彼女はその目的のために育てられたのだから、 それは運命であると説明する
Within the context of Pope Joan's narrative, the women discuss religion. 教皇ヨハンナの話から宗教の話が始まる
At this point the waitress, who punctuates the scene with interruptions, has already brought the starter and is preparing to serve the main courses. この時点では、すでに前菜が終わりメインデッシュの用意ができている
All the women except Marlene discuss their dead lovers. 彼女たちは、死んだ(マーリーン以外)恋人について話す
They also recall the children that they bore and subsequently lost. また、彼女たちは失った子供たちのことを話す
Nijo’s first baby was His Majsty, but unfortunately died. 不幸にして亡くなったけれど、二条の最初の子は帝の子だった
Pope Joan was stoned to death when it was discovered that she had given birth and was therefore female and committing heresy. 教皇ヨハンナは出産時に女性であることがバレて、異端者として 石を投げつけられて死んだ
Griselda was told that her two children had been killed, in a cruel test of her loyalty to her husband. グリゼルダは、夫に従順であると証明するために、2人の子供は 殺されたと思っていた