Ashizawa, Izumi (Japan/USA)

Izumi Ashizawa is a Japanese playwright/director/actor who is an artistic director of Izumi Ashizawa Performance since 2002.

Her original plays have been produced both nationally and internationally, including The Blue Rocks (presented in New York, Connecticut, Romania, Japan, and Iran), Zahak (presented in Iran, Slovenia, and Romania), Minotaur (presented in Maryland, and Iran), Gilgamesh (presented in Florida, Chicago, Colorado, Maryland, Connecticut, and Slovenia), La Morte de la Fontaine (presented in Australia), Asajigahara (presented in the Cayman Island), Volund (presented in Norway), Bakeneko Kyosokyoku (presented in Russia), Haoma and the Warrior (presented in Iran), and iKilL (presented in Bulgaria and Washington DC)

Izumi has won numerous international awards including the UNESCO-Aschberg Award, the Director's Award of the Capital Fringe, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Award Faculty Meritorious Achievement Award for Excellence in Directing and Excellence in Technology, Australian Government Fund for the Arts, Best Performance Award of IIFUT Festival, Special Performance Award of the Women Theatre Festival, Tehran Municipality Culture and Arts Organization Award, Puffin Foundation Awards.

Izumi's The Blue Rocks was broadcast in a documentary format through NHK National Public Broadcasting of Japan in 2006. She also appeared as a performer and speaker in PBS's  first episode of "Invitation to World Literature", and the clips of her performance "Gilgamesh" was featured in the program.

She teaches acting, movement, and devising theatre as a professor. She lives in Washington DC where her ensemble company Izumi Ashizawa Performance is located. She is a graduate of Yale School of Drama.

Please visit her website for more information.