Past Performing Arts | Theater

Aya Ogawa

The Nosebleed 

Artist conversation follows on Feb 9

Theater | Award Winning Project | Ohio Premiere

An actor with an open mouth and bright orange hair is sitting in a chair holding a box as another actor looks on.

Catch the Ohio premiere of this healing, humorous, Obie Award–winning play that explores Ogawa’s fractured relationship with their father across time—and multiple Ayas.

Through a series of vignettes, playwright and director Aya Ogawa reveals the seemingly insurmountable cultural and generational gap between themself and their father and explores the questions they face as a parent today. Four actors play the character of Aya, and Ogawa plays their father and five-year-old son. The multiple Ayas in each scene offer layered and at times contradicting perspectives on the story. Through moments of direct address and interactions, the audience is drawn deeper into the experience. This darkly humorous, tender, and inventive play considers how we inherit and pass on failure, and what it takes to forgive. Ogawa won an Obie Award for the conception, writing, and direction of The Nosebleed. (Program approx. 85 mins.)

A conversation with the artists follows the performance on Friday, February 9.

See the entire performing arts spring 2024 lineup.

IMAGE CAPTION  
The Nosebleed, Drae Campbell and Ashil Lee (left to right); photo: DJ Corey.

Know before you go

  • Due to special event parking in Arps and Ohio Union North Garages that prohibits discounted parking, we recommend parking in Ohio Union South Garage for the February 9 and 10 performances so your validation sticker for $2 parking applies. Learn more about parking validation.
  • Please note: The Nosebleed contains sudden loud sounds, fog, fake blood, parental estrangement, depictions and mentions of death, profanity, microaggressions, and mentions of sexual harassment.
"Exquisitely crafted performance…clever, playful, tender, and poetic."
Gregory Ford, DC Theater Arts 

Read more

An actor with an open mouth and bright orange hair is sitting in a chair holding a box as another actor looks on.

The Nosebleed, Drae Campbell and Ashil Lee (left to right); photo: DJ Corey.

A person with their head in their hands kneels as 3 other actors are consoling them.

The Nosebleed, photo: DJ Corey.

our actors in white shirts are holding up their hands.

The Nosebleed, photo: DJ Corey.

The Nosebleed was copresented by the Japan Society and the Chocolate Factory Theater in October 2021.

Produced by Lincoln Center Theater, New York City, 2022.

PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Doris Duke Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Ohio Department of Development
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
CampusParc
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme
The Columbus Foundation
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Axium Packaging
Nancy Kramer
Ohio State Energy Partners
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection
Larry and Donna James
Bruce and Joy Soll
Rebecca Perry Damsen and Ben Towle
Jones Day
Alex and Renée Shumate

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Past Performing Arts

Aya Ogawa