Marie Gonohe

Photo: Maiko Miyagawa

Marie Gonohe

The director and playwright Marie Gonohe was born in Sanda, Hyogo. She graduated from Waseda University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences with a major in theater and film arts. She founded her own theatre troupe and took part in small stage theater before joining Bungakuza Actors Institute in 2005. In 2010, she became a full member of Bungakuza. In 2016, she directed her first play for Bungakuza, Kaji/Rudder in the double bill Kadode/Kaji (Bungakuza Atelier no Kai). In addition to directing, she also writes plays and children’s stories. Plays she has directed at Bungakuza include The New Hamlet (reading) in 2014, Two Men at Play with Life (independent project) in 2021, Coffee to Ren’ai (adaptation and direction) in 2022, and Arabian Nights (Bungakuza Atelier) and Ishi o Arau (Bungakuza Atelier no Kai) in 2024. She directs many works outside of Bungakuza as well, such as Maxim Gorky’s The Lower Depths for the New National Theatre, Tokyo in 2019. In 2023, Gonohe won Excellence in Directing at the Yomiuri Theater Awards for Coffee to Ren’ai, The Visit (both at the New National Theatre, Tokyo), and Venus in Fur (Setagaya Public Theatre). (Updated July 2024)