BALDY

In this beautifully heart-warming solo show, New York based writer/performer Yokko boldly tells the story of a young Japanese girl struggling to find herself, while living under the roof of a traditional martial arts family dominated by an overbearing, abusive father. Despite a longing for unconditional paternal love and acceptance, she perseveres, and with the spirit and discipline of a warrior, proves that she need only love herself to be enough and thrive! Yokko shows that true strength comes from having the ability to show your vulnerability...Because no battle is won without humility. If you do nothing else this month, SEE THIS SHOW! It has the kind of humanity and heart that make a trip to the LA Fringe well worth your while!!!! -Ma... full review

I thought this show was quite stirring and thought provoking. Yokko's ability to transform herself into multiple recognizable facets of consciousness on stage is amazing. She exposes her innermost demons, delights, and anxieties with great confidence all the while demonstrating a need to conform to the pressures of being a Japanese woman. This was a fun and moving show. Hope you saw it.... full review

I'm stone cold and I was weeping at the end of this piece. Yokko is an amazing performer and she makes herself completely available to the audience through her characterizations, physicality, and storytelling ability. So much is happening on stage that you forget that this is a one-woman show (I'm looking at you one-woman show haters). I particularly enjoyed how she created a cast of characters to represent her inner dialogues as she tried to reconcile her relationship with her father with her personal goals/demons and her battle with a mysterious illness. As and audience member, at the end of the piece I felt as if I have been taken on a journey and made discoveries along the way. As a performer, I felt as if I have learned a lot about craf... full review

A Japanese woman recalls growing up with her domineering father. She is a winning performer ("so much fucking heart" in my friend's words), although I don't think it was quite for me. I had reports of people leaving in tears, though by the end I was just checking my watch. fringeblog.webs.com... full review

A wonderful peek into the mind (and the voices contained therein) of a young girl coming into herself and her place in her family. All while losing and finding a piece of her identity. Like it or love it, it's worth the price of admission for the final moment of the piece. ... full review

Wow! I haven't been touched by a piece of art like this in a long time. Yokko's story grabs you by the heart and pulls every emotion out of you. There were points where I was laughing and crying at the same time. This is also the first play I've seen directed by Kaitlyn Samuel and I am so impressed that she was able to direct Yokko through what must be such a difficult story to share. You must go see this to fully understand this play however. There are no words that could do justice to this piece.... full review