CURRENT ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS
With You! [2016-present]
WITH YOU!
Written and Performed by Una Aya Osato Directed by Nelson T. Eusebio III
WITH YOU! is a queer sports rom-com about a U.S. college rugby team's love for the game and each other, brought to the stage via one woman's body. A hilarious show about figuring out which team to play for. The newest, quasi-autobiographical comedy from award-winning performer/playwright Una Aya Osato, this show pays homage to a unique subculture: U.S. College Rugby -- a sport and place where all people and bodies are welcome.
• Winner of “Audience Choice Award” (for WITH YOU!, FRIGID NY Festival, 2016, NYC)
• Winner of “Exceptional Storytelling” (for WITH YOU!, FRIGID NY Festival, 2016, NYC)
Press for WITH YOU!
"She (Una) charmingly and empoweringly relates one woman’s experience... If you’ve seen Una Osato perform, it may not surprise you that she has enough energy to play an entire rugby team. Her earnestness is quite inspiring.. The many references to a decade some of us remember are quite joyous and full of hope. She also offers a window into a sustainable world of cooperation." -- NYTheater Now (NYC)
"Osato gives a marathon performance… With You is a triumph of a solo piece. The story is clearly special to Una Aya Osato, giving her full heart, soul, and body to the production. And by doing so, it becomes special to all who watch her.” -- Theater in the Now (NYC)
Currently taking bookings:
una.bookings@protectyoupro.com
exHOTic other [2013-present]
exHOTic other
Written and Performed by Una Aya Osato Directed by DawN Crandell
exHOTic other: a multi-layered one-woman mash-up of political burlesque and personal stories.
How many layers must you lose to get to the center of yourself? Join critically acclaimed writer/performer Una Aya Osato and her burlesque alter ego, exHOTic other, as they take on the world and take off their clothes! Journey through a world of bedazzlement and bleeding hearts for an hour of full-bod- ied storytelling.
"Una blends political burlesque pieces with personal and political stories from her life." – Feministing.com (NYC)
Through the use of storytelling and burlesque, exHOTic other engages audiences in unexpected ways far removed from a typical theater show or burlesque performance.
This autobiographical tale literally strips away the pieces of Una’s self to reveal and share universal pain, love, and laughter, blending the personal, political, and physical in a way that appeals to our senses, our emotions, and our intellect.
Una’s use of burlesque harkens back to its origins as a satirical art form of both seduction and political commentary. The show explores Una’s life as a queer Japanese Jewish American woman, born and raised in a working class NYC family that transitions to the middle class as the city around them rapidly changes.
exHOTic other traces how Una came into her politics through her body, showing lots of skin and lots of soul. From body image to gentrification, to nationalism and war, to Zionism and Judaism, to heartbreak and healing – this show broadens audiences’ understanding of the world in sexy, funny, profound ways.
• Winner of “Encore Performance Award" (for exHOTic other, Boulder Fringe Festival, 2013, CO)
• Winner of “Audience Choice Award” (for exHOTic other, FRIGID NY Festival, 2013, NYC)
• Winner of “Most Tickets Sold Award” (for exHOTic other, FRIGID NY Festival, 2013, NYC)
• Winner of “SOLD OUT Award” (for exHOTic other, FRIGID NY Festival, 2013, NYC)
Currently taking bookings:
una.bookings@protectyoupro.com
Recess [2007-present]
RECESS
Written and Performed by Una Aya Osato Directed by Moises Belizario
RECESS is one woman show that takes audiences on a nuanced, politicized, imaginative field trip into the hearts and minds of 7-year-olds navigating their way through life and public school in NYC.
Performed by Una Aya Osato, Recess is an impassioned response to her experiences attending, witnessing, and teaching in NYC schools. Get inspired by a piece that has been described as “a tour-de-force” by The Montreal Gazzette, “a winning performance” by NYtheatre.com, and given five out of five stars by Toronto’s Eyeweekly.
Focusing on a group of 7-year-olds, this multi-media, nonlinear play takes audiences’ on a field trip into the hearts and minds of children navigating their way through life and the New York City public school system. In the Bronx, we meet Sherita Johnson, the 7-year-old protagonist whose tumultuous home life sets the stage for her daily battles at school. Recess shines a light on Sherita's tense and unpredictable interactions with her classmates and teacher, their struggles for power, as well as the criminalization of youth, and the effects of a suffocating bureaucracy that are part of the children’s everyday reality. Ultimately, we witness how children encounter difficulties beyond their making, and still find ways to prevail. Recess is not just relevant to youth or to those who work with youth, it is a story about how and where inspiration can be found if we take the time to listen to the voices of those who typically get silenced.
More Press for RECESS:
“This is possibly the best show I have ever seen. Ever.” – Plank Magazine (VANCOUVER)
"...funny, sad, inspirational and eye opening." – Theasy.com (NYC)
“... incredible concentration, discipline, and lightning agility from Ms. Osato as a performer ... allows the audience to witness a virtuoso performance...” – My Cultural Landscape Blog (SAN FRANCISCO)
“... pure and compelling... undeniably powerful and very well put together piece of performance... Osato's freakily flexible dramaturgical hands - she powers through personas like an Olympic shapeshifter - it comes off with resonance and poignance...” – The Hour (MONTREAL)
• Winner of “Best of the Fest” (Winnipeg Fringe Festival 2011, CA)
• Winner of "Best Female Solo Show" (San Francisco Fringe Festival 2009, SF)
• Winner of "Volunteer Pick Award" (FRIGID NY Festival 2009, NYC)
• Winner of "Outstanding Solo Performance" (New York Independent Theater Awards Nomination 2009, NYC)
The script for "Recess" has been published and is available for purchase online HERE
Currently taking bookings:
una.bookings@protectyoupro.com