A performance of YA-KU-ZA

The VORTEX and Generic Ensemble Company in Austin, Texas presented 893 | YA-KU-ZA—a new play written by Daria Miyeko Marinelli, livestreamed on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Friday 2 February at 9 p.m. EST (New York) / 8 p.m. CST (Chicago) / 6 p.m. PST (Los Angeles).

"The way to make a person make a decision is to convince everyone around them / Maybe that's what I'm doing / I said win, Aya, not kill"

Set over the course of a business lunch in a Japanese restaurant somewhere in the United States, 893 | Ya-ku-za follows Aya's bid to become the first female member of the infamous Japanese crime syndicate. Exploring themes of ambition, power, and loyalty, 893 | Ya-ku-za asks what it means to be first and what we're willing to do to get there. The VORTEX and GenEnco are pleased to produce this edgy new play by Daria Miyeko Marinelli for three weeks only at The VORTEX.

Featuring Mia King and kt shorb. Fight Choreography by Chris Tacderas. Lighting Design by Aaron Curry. Costume Design by Jana Zek. Scenic Design by Iman Corbani, Sound Design by Jess O'Rear, Stage Management by Margaret Jumonville.

The Generic Ensemble Company (GenEnCo) makes the invisible visible through bold, socially relevant, body-centered theatre. www.genenco.org. GenEnCo's The Mikado: Reclaimed was nominated for two B. Iden Payne Awards, receiving the Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role (Musical Theatre).

kt shorb’s work has won multiple FronteraFest "Best of Fest," and been shown at the Menil Collection, the Pulitzer Foundation, and in many venues across Texas. They are an invited member of the National Institute for Directing & Ensemble Creation.

"...As profound as it is heartrending."
—Orange Magazine on Generic Ensemble Company's The Mikado: Reclaimed

“…Ambitious, timely, and vitally important…”
—Austin American-Statesman on Generic Ensemble Company’s Robin Hood: An Elegy

"I love what kt shorb does and how she does it, both onstage and off. Whatever she is up to is not to be missed." 
–Anne Bogart, Artistic Director – SITI Company

Generic Ensemble Company and The VORTEX are funded and supported is funded and supported in part by VORTEX Repertory Company and by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

The VORTEX conjures and navigates the storm of imagination with urgent, unashamed art that dares to dream the world in which we want to live. This magic emanates from our cultural harbor, embraces diverse communities, breaks down barriers, and opens channels for vital exchange.

About HowlRound TV
HowlRound TV is a global, commons-based peer produced, open access livestreaming and video archive project stewarded by the nonprofit HowlRound. HowlRound TV is a free and shared resource for live conversations and performances relevant to the world's performing arts and cultural fields. Its mission is to break geographic isolation, promote resource sharing, and to develop our knowledge commons collectively. Participate in a community of peer organizations revolutionizing the flow of information, knowledge, and access in our field by becoming a producer and co-producing with us. Learn more by going to our participate page. For any other queries, email [email protected], or call Vijay Mathew at +1 917.686.3185 Signal/WhatsApp. View the video archive of past events.