premise: I was compelled to pay strict attention (for four or five hours at a time) to setting, lighting, music, gesture, singing, pace of over-all presentation; to this or that role's performance, costume, formal distancing from the audience (Noh) or Globe-like intimacy with the audience (Kabuki); to traditional methods of men's playing women's parts, audience's anticipation and shouted recognition of favorite plays and actors and moments, tone of voice, etc.
hypothesis: I was paid a lot for this work.