Suicide Forest

Written by Haruna Lee and directed by Aya Ogawa, Suicide Forest is a bilingual nightmare play excavating the Japanese-American consciousness and its looming relationship with sex, suicide, and identity. In 1990’s Japan, a teenage girl grapples with her sexuality in a nightmarish, male-defined society as a salaryman desperately tries to escape his masochistic psyche. Both are clawing for their self-worth. When their two journeys collide, they expose their darkest desires fueled by shame as they now confront life and death with the notorious Suicide Forest looming over their imagination. Performed by a Japanese heritage cast, Suicide Forest examines the role of community and the inner struggles of emotional, psychic and social suicide through the playwright’s lived stories and inner landscape.

The world premiere at The Bushwick Starr in a co-production with Ma-Yi Theater Company, was presented February 27 - March 23, 2019. Featuring: Akiko Aizawa*, Yuki Kawahisa*, Keizo Kaji, Aoi Lee, Haruna Lee*, Eddy Toru Ohno, and Dawn Akemi Saito* with Mariko Takizawa (Stage Manager). Creative Team: Jian Jung (Scenic Design), Alice Tavener (Costume Design), Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Lighting & Video Design), Fan Zhang (Original Music & Sound Design), Jen Goma (Song Composition & Arrangement), Brian Bernhard (Assistant Scenic Design & Props Master), Raphael Regan (Assistant Costume Design), Christina Tang (Assistant Lighting Design & Master Electrician), Mariko Takizawa (Production Stage Manager), Kiyo Kamisawa (Assistant Director), Patrick Murphy (Production Manager), Jay Maury (Technical Director), Padra Crisafulli (Production Intern), and Denise Shu Mei & John Del Gaudio (Co-Producers)

*Appearing courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association. Equity Approved Showcase. Production photos below by Maria Baranova.

Suicide Forest had an off-Broadway remount in February-March, 2020 produced by Ma-Yi Theatre Company (Producing Artistic Director Ralph B. Peña). The run of this production was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, with the final performance on Thursday, March 12, 2020. Featuring: Ako, Yuki Kawahisa, Keizo Kaji, Aoi Lee, Haruna Lee, Eddy Toru Ohno, and Dawn Akemi Saito with Nina Teramachi-Williams (Stage Manager) and Plato Seto (Assistant Stage Manager)*. Creative Team: Jian Jung (Scenic Design), Alice Tavener (Costume Design), Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew (Lighting & Video Design), Fan Zhang (Original Music & Sound Design), Jen Goma (Song Composition & Arrangement), Brian Bernhard (Assistant Scenic Design & Props Master), Christina Tang (Assistant Lighting Design), Pleiades Theatre Collective (Production Manager), Melissa Liu (Community Building & Outreach Coordination), John Del Gaudio (Co-Producer), Everyman Agency (Press Agent), Jorge Z. Ortoll (Executive Producer).

*Actors and stage managers in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association. Production photos below by Richard Termine.