Independent Arts News Reporting In recognition of the 80th Anniversary of the Bombing of Nagasaki Amaterasu Za Presents the New York Premiere of FROM TRINITY TO TRINITY
Reported Friday, September 26, 2025.
Pictured Above: Acclaimed actress Ako. Photo credit: ako-actress.com
NEWSROOM POST: NEW YORK, NEW YORK
A One-Woman Play Performed by Ako, Based on the Writing of Nagasaki Survivor Kyoko Hayashi. Begins September 25 – Opening Night September 28 – Through October 5 at HERE Arts Center.
New York, NY — Amaterasu Za, New York’s only bilingual Japanese-English theater company, proudly presents the New York premiere of From Trinity to Trinity, a searing one-woman play based on the autobiographical writings of Kyoko Hayashi, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The production, performed by acclaimed actress Ako (Shogun, God Said This (Lucille Lortel Leading Actress Award nominee), Snow Falling on Cedars), will run from September 25 to October 5, 2025, with opening night set for September 28. This production is part of HERE HOSTS, a curated rental program that provides artists with subsidized space and equipment, as well as a technical liaison.
At 14 years old, Hayashi was working at the Mitsubishi Munitions Factory in Nagasaki when she survived the bombing on August 9, 1945. Decades later, in 1999, she traveled to the Trinity Site in New Mexico, where the first atomic bomb had been tested. That pilgrimage became the foundation of her autobiographical narrative, From Trinity to Trinity, a meditation on memory, survival, and how history is remembered across cultures.
August 9, 2025, marked the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. In this milestone year, the world remembers not only the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki but also the liberation of Nazi death camps—twin reminders of humanity’s capacity for cruelty and survival. From Trinity to Trinity amplifies Kyoko Hayashi’s powerful voice, urging audiences to reckon with the chasm between national myths of “heroism” and the lived reality of indiscriminate violence.
Translated into English by Eiko Otake (of the legendary performance duo Eiko & Koma), the work interlaces Hayashi’s recollections with history and reflection. Ako’s performance—supported by projected imagery and soundscape—renders an intimate yet universal story of trauma, resilience, and the urgent need for remembrance.
This production marks only the third staging of From Trinity to Trinity, following workshop presentations at New York Theatre Workshop (2009) and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival Midnight Project (2010). Ako, who is also the founding artistic director of Amaterasu Za, brings decades of stage, film, and television experience in both Japan and the U.S., most recently winning acclaim as Daiyoin/Iyo no Kata in FX/Hulu’s Shogun.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, but whose eyes we remember through matters just as much,” notes Amaterasu Za. “In the 80th anniversary year of the bombings, Hayashi’s voice challenges us to confront the disconnect between heroic national myths and the lived truth of survivors.”
Performance Details
From Trinity to Trinity
September 25 – October 5, 2025; Opening Night: September 28
Presented by Amaterasu Za
Performed by Ako; Translated by Eiko Otake
Running Time: 55 minutes
Performance Schedule: Tuesday- Saturday at 7 PM; Saturday Matinee at 2 PM; Sunday matinee at 2 PM.
HERE is located at 145 6th Ave. (Enter on Dominick, 1 block south of Spring)
For tickets and Information: visit here.org
About Amaterasu Za
Founded by actress-director Ako, Amaterasu Za is New York’s only bilingual Japanese-English theater company, dedicated to presenting culturally authentic and socially resonant works. Its most recent production, Chushingura – 47 Ronin (2022, ART NY Mezzanine Theater), received wide acclaim for its thoughtful, spirited, and innovative storytelling.
