Tomohiro Maekawa
Photo: Akihito Abe
Tomohiro Maekawa
Playwright and director Tomohiro Maekawa was born in Kashiwazaki, Niigata Prefecture, in 1974. After graduating with a in philosophy from Toyo University, he founded his theater company and the base for his activities, Ikiume, in 2003. His unique style incorporating elements of science fiction, philosophy, and the occult has attracted much attention and acclaim.
Internationally, productions of his work are increasing. Maekawa’s work was performed in Seoul by Korean actors, first in 2019 with Strolling Invader, followed by The Sun in 2021. When The Sun was then restaged at the National Jeongdong Theater in 2023, a dance piece of the same name was also performed.
In 2021, Ikiume staged À la marge in Paris to critical acclaim. In recent years, his plays continue to be published in a variety of languages, including French, Korean, Spanish, English, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese.
Maekawa has won several prizes in Japan, most recently the Excellence Award at the 31st Yomiuri Theater Awards for To Deliver a Soul, which was staged in 2023. (Updated April 2024)
