A tender and darkly comic autobiographical play that transforms grief into a ritual of forgiveness.
The Nosebleed is an autobiographical play by Doris Duke Award–winning playwright and director Aya Ogawa that explores their fractured relationship with their long-deceased and enigmatic father. Through a series of turbulent, absurd, and poignantly comic vignettes, Ogawa reveals the seemingly insurmountable cultural and generational gap between themselves and their father, as well as the questions they face as a parent today.
Four actors play the character of “Aya,” and Aya themself plays their father and 5-year-old son. The multiple Ayas in each scene offer layered and, at times, contradictory perspectives on the story. Through moments of direct address and interactions, the audience is drawn deeper into the theatrical memorial and healing ritual. This darkly humorous, tender, and inventive play considers how we inherit and bequeath failure, and what it takes to forgive.
About the Artist
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Eiko Otake & Wen Hui | Concept, Choreography, and Performance
Iris McCloughan | Dramaturg
David A Ferri | Lighting Designer
The Nosebleed 2025 tour is produced, in part, by Lakeville Productions, and fiscally sponsored by Producer Hub.
