Kazu Kusano Makes Toronto Fringe Festival Debut in July

Growing up in a dysfunctional family in Japan, Kazu dreams of escape. Raised by a distant, alcoholic father, and a mother suffering from schizophrenia, Kazu learned to use humor to heal her wounds and process her trauma. In school she was frequently considered the “class clown,” an identity at odds with Japanese societal norms for women and girls. Despite the odds, she discovers her voice and sense of purpose in comedy. Armed with her newfound superpower, she embarks on an internal journey to find self-acceptance—and overseas to find a new life. An award-winning performer Kazu Kusano delivers a one-two punch of wry observation, and raw physicality in this exuberant, rebellious ride from childhood to adulthood, self-doubt to self-reliance, emotional abandonment to love. Winner of “Best of the Fest” at the Crazy Woke Asians Solo Fest, “Pick of the Vancouver Fringe”, and “Best of the San Francisco Fringe.”

Kazu Kusano is a LA based Japanese comedian and actress. Her credit includes America's Got Talent  and Channel Hopping on Comedy Central as a Japanese correspondent.

Pretty Beast takes on family mental illness, stigma, societal sexism, and what it means to discover your  own superpowers, while there's still enough time to use them for good.

About:

Pretty Beast by Karate Chop Teriyaki Productions
Presented as part of the 2024 Toronto Fringe Festival
Written & performed by Kazu Kusano
Directed by Jane Morris (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Shameless)
Schedule: July 3-14
Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille, Backstage, 16 Ryerson Ave, Toronto

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