Naomi Iizuka, born in Toyko on April 22, 1965, is a Japanese-born American playwright. She grew up in Japan, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Washington, D.C. Her mother is an American Latina attorney and her father is a Japanese banker. Iizuka received her grade school education from the National Cathedral School, an Episcopal private girls day school. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Yale University (1987) in classical literature, spent one year at Yale Law School, and later received her MFA in playwriting from University of California, San Diego (1992).
Iizuka’s early career includes teaching playwriting at the University of Iowa and the University of Texas, Austin. She also served as Professor of Dramatic Arts and Director of the Playwriting Program at UC Santa Barbara until January 2008, after which she became the head of MFA playwrighting at her alma mater, University of California, San Diego.
As the first playwright commissioned by the Big Ten Theatre Consortium’s New Play Initiative, she wrote Good Kids, a work that was part of an effort to commission, produce, and promote new plays by female playwrights, each featuring significant roles for college-aged women. Recognized as “one of the most commissioned playwrights in contemporary American theater” by The Encyclopedia of Asian-American Literature, Iizuka tackles relevant social issues in her work. She sees universities as a valuable resource for developing new plays, noting that they offer both material and human resources, as well as diverse communities that enrich the artistic process. “I believe universities are the great untapped resource in American theatre… they can play a big role in solving that puzzle.” – Naomi Iizuka
Making art, any art, you are in some way trying to imitate life, and the ways in which that succeeds or fails is fascinating to me…
Iizuka works are known for their inventive storytelling and exploration of complex social issues. Acclaimed works include Polaroid Stories, a gritty retelling of Ovid’s Metamorphoses set in a world of homeless youth, 36 Views, which delves into the nature of authenticity and art, and Anon(ymous), a modern adaptation of The Odyssey that addresses themes of immigration and identity. Her unique voice and innovative approaches have earned her several prestigious awards, including the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award, a Whiting Award, and multiple playwriting commissions from leading theaters. Iizuka’s work is widely produced, and her contributions have cemented her reputation as one of the most significant contemporary American playwrights.
Her plays resonate with modern audiences, particularly during times of societal and personal upheaval. Her works explore themes of displacement, cultural identity, and the complexities of human relationships, encouraging reflection on how we seek connection and belonging in an ever-changing world.
The Arts at CCBC presents Anon(ymous) as part of its 24-25 season under the theme Belonging. The season is filled with performances that celebrate stories of people finding a home, building their own community, and carving a place for themselves.
See Anon(ymous) October 31 – November 4 at CCBC Catonsville, Center for the Arts, Theatre.
Performance Dates: October 31 at 11:10 a.m., November 1, 2 at 7 p.m., November 3 at 3 p.m. ASL Interpreted, November 4 at 10 a.m.
General admission $10, Seniors, Students, CCBC Faculty/Staff/Alumni $5, FREE for CCBC Students with current ID
Purchase tickets online at www.ccbctickets or call the Box Office at 443-840-ARTS.
CONTENT WARNING: This play contains themes and depictions of xenophobia + colonization, animal cruelty, cannibalism, classism, kidnapping, discussions and sounds of war, blood, confinement, deportation, allusions to genocide, and murder.
Anon(ymous) is presented by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc.440 Park Ave S, Fl 11, New York, NY 10016 www.playscripts.com