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).

Gabriel Jason Dean’s plays have been produced or developed at Theatre Row, Hangar Theatre, ASSITEJ International, The Kennedy Center, Dallas Children's Theatre, Aurora Theatre, Dad's Garage Theatre, Actor's Express, Horizon Theatre, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, FronteraFest, Source Festival and Essential Theatre. 

Gabriel received the Kennedy Center’s 2011 Ken Ludwig Prize for a body of work and was Runner-Up for the 2011 Princess Grace Award.  His script for children, The Transition of Doodle Pequeño received the 2011 New England Theatre Conference Aurand Harris Award and was selected for the 2012 Kennedy Center  Conference with People’s Light and Theatre Company.