DC PREMIERE — District Fringe Washington, DC
7/12 @ 6:00p · 7/18 @ 7:45p · 7/19 @ 6:15p · 7/24 @ 5:45p & 8:15p · 7/25 @ 5:45p
University of the District of Columbia (Building 46W 4200 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008)
The Los Angeles premiere sold out in 36 hours.
Overview
A Moth StorySLAM Champion’s hilarious and moving journey through the cultural minefield of Japanese etiquette.
Miyo guides the audience through the rigid world of TPO (Time, Place, and Occasion), where even a simple funeral becomes a stressful — yet side-splitting — study in etiquette. Contrasting the meticulous customs of Japan with the casual chaos of American life, this personal, captivating performance offers a smart and deeply moving look at life, death, and identity.
Your normal is not my normal.
Genre
Comedy
Date
Saturday, 7/18 @ 7:45pm
Sunday, 7/19 @ 6:15pm
Friday, 7/24 @ 5:45pm
Friday, 7/24 @ 8:15pm
Saturday, 7/25 @ 5:45pm
70 minutes, no intermission
Location
University of the District of Columbia
Building 46W 4200 Connecticut Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20008
Tickets
Praise
Miyo’s show is a winner. Funny and intelligent.
A show you will continue thinking about long after it ends.
A masterclass in blending humor with heavy topics.
Run, not walk — she will sell out!
Press Release
- Press Release (updated on June 27, 2026)
- Press photos & assets
A Cinematic Experience
This production elevates solo theater into a multimedia event, set to an original score by Michael D. Mortilla.
Miyo
Writer & Storyteller
Jane Morris
Director
Jane Morris is the Johnny Appleseed of comedy clubs, having opened the Chicago Comedy Showcase, the Second City ETC, Upfront Comedy, the Comedy Underground and currently managing the FanaticSalon in Culver City. She has most recently been seen in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Shameless, I Am the Night, and opposite Meryl Streep in The Laundromat.
She teaches writing for performance workshops every Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and performs live at the FanaticSalon on a very regular basis.
Michael D. Mortilla
Composer / Musician
Michael D. Mortilla is an award winning composer and sound designer. His extensive work in New York theater and years working directly with Martha Graham informs his attention to narrative, movement, and expression.
Largely self-taught, Michael received his teaching license from the City of New York Public Schools and was faculty/resident composer at UC Santa Barbara for 14 years. Mr. Mortilla regularly composes and performs for the Academy of Motion Pictures. Other commissions are from Sony/Columbia Pictures, The Chicago Symphony, the Olympics, the National Film Preservation Foundation, Severin Films, and others.
Marlene Ondrea Nichols
Creative Dramaturg &
Performance Advisor
Writer, producer, scholar. Named after the transgressive actress Marlene Dietrich and raised in the Tennessee Williams South — a New Yorker at heart, an Angeleno by fate — she has performed her original works on both coasts, in Minneapolis, Paris, and the Arctic Circle. She is currently a producer with the monthly storytelling show Strong Words and the author of the forthcoming Museum of Safekeeping.
Anthony Phills
Visual Design & Animation
Anthony Phills is an award-winning designer whose work has earned a Gold Telly Award (for UNBREAKABLE: Documenting Black History in AR) and an International Design Award. His career spans collaborations with Disney and Apple and design work for Janet Jackson and Barry Bonds. Founder of the design studio Calypso Digital, he is also the creator of Slide Teller — Hearing Is Seeing, an award-winning service that makes live shows accessible to blind and low-vision audiences.
Willow McFatter
Lighting Designer
Behind the scenes
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Audience Reviews
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Kappa
A kappa is a mischievous water creature from Japanese folklore—part turtle, part goblin, all chaos. It lives in rivers, loves cucumbers, and has a mysterious dish of water on its head that powers its magic. Polite, prank-loving, and slightly unhinged—bow to it, and it might bow back. Might.
Kappy
A cheerful kappa who marches through life with a smile, a song, and zero awareness of danger.
Powered by good vibes (and head water), Kappy believes everything will work out—because so far, it usually has.
Q
A curious kappa with endless questions and questionable timing. Always wondering why, how, and what happens if I do this? (spoiler: chaos).
Q follows Kappy everywhere… mostly to see what happens next.
I loved Miyo’s first solo show, and How To Die In Japan is just as phenomenal! I found the focus of this show super interesting (I learned so much!) and each chapter featured Miyo’s signature humor and incredible storytelling. The music, multimedia, lighting, and production made it such a rich experience. I can’t recommend the show highly enough and look forward to seeing it again in the future!
Another fantastic show from Miyo. Her signature culture clash humor really shined among the touching moments. And it was beautiful to get a peek into her life and experiences.
What a great show! Not only were we entertained, we learned a lot about Japanese culture. Miyo kept everyone involved with her descriptions of her relatives, and the rituals that go around death in Japan. My favorite was the little animations between the “chapters”. Everything went together to make the show enthralling from beginning to end. This show is amazing, and I can’t wait to see what Miyo does next!
This was a fantastic show! Miyo had a great balance between moments that made you laugh out loud and some very poignant reflection. She manages to provide insight into other cultures and make you think more deeply about your own and keep you smiling while you do. The combination of Miyo’s storytelling alongside the multimedia and musical components were great. I would highly recommend going next time it is staged!
What could be a dark or depressing subject, was surprisingly upbeat, humorous and revelatory. Miyo’s solo show How To Die in Japan shows us an alternative way of viewing death and processing grief. This multi-generational journey rich in culture, ceremony. traditions is told through humor and vulnerability by Miyo, in a stand-out performance. The use of music and imagery adds another layer to this immersive, moving tale. This is a show you will continue thinking about long after it ends. Miyo is a remarkable talent as a gifted storyteller and dynamic performer.
Miyo performed such a humorous, unique, and highly entertaining love letter about the preparation of dealing with death in her quirky Japanese family. I loved watching her relatives come to life right before our eyes as Miyo takes us on this endearing journey into a culture with rituals most of us know nothing about. This show was beautifully directed as well.
Miyo takes us on a journey into the cultural dynamics and expectations for how families “should” behave in her native Japan, educating the audience while poking fun along the way. Her jokes and stories weave into a vulnerable, beautiful offering about how to honor your history while making your own way into an unknown future. What a delight.
A fine evening of theater. Go see Miyo. You’ll laugh and learn something about her and her Japanese relatives. Miyo’s show is a winner. Funny and intelligent. She makes the Japanese view of funerals and her family’s view of death close, real, accurate and very funny.
What makes you laugh until you cry? Strange rituals or traditions? Maybe. Complicated family relationships? Possibly. Death? Eh . . . not so much. Unless, of course, you’re watching Miyo’s production of “How to Die in Japan”! Miyo has a preternatural ability to “see the funny” in any situation and bring those experiences to her audiences in ways that have us laughing uproariously, tearing up in unison, and taking a look at our own lives from a different perspective. It’s a unique talent to take people on that much of a journey in less than 90 minutes, and I can’t wait for the next opportunity to enjoy one of Miyo’s performances.
Educational, humorous, relatable. All three were possible in Miyo’s new solo show, “How to Die in Japan.” She strung together stories of the aftermath, or to be polite, cultural traditions, following the deaths of her family members, one by one. Grandparents, father, mother, and even a little foretelling of her own “aftermath.” The cultural traditions were new to me and kept my eyes wide open the entire show. But those traditions laid back a bit as the family relationships took center stage. Oh my god. Really? She said that? He did that? My jaw dropped to the ground as each story was told, alternating to smiles and laughter as she laced her humor through the weight of loss and grief. Many of us have family stuff, I know I do, and even though I know little of Japanese cultural traditions surrounding death, Miyo was able to make her well crafted stories VERY relatable. I highly recommend to everyone to see Miyo in her new solo show, but I warn you, your face will be sore for a few days in the aftermath.
Watching Miyo in her new show “How to Die in Japan” was amazing. She’s so good, all one has to do is sit back and have a fantastic ride! The entire show is a feast for the eyes,
heart, and every funny bone in your body! I highly recommend that you run, not walk to get a ticket to her next performance before she sells out, cuz she will, it’s that good.
I love Miyo. She is so bright, energetic and playful. I didn’t expect to laugh this much while learning about Japanese culture and death, but that’s exactly what Miyo delivered. With a sharp sense of humor, perfect timing and supported by sound effects and cartoonish visuals, she cast a spell on her audience. It was riveting and a pleasant reminder of the beauty of diversity and our common humanity.
Not too many people can address the subject of death as Miyo did!
Death is a tough subject, but Miyo presented it showing her remarkable perception and insight, exceptional bicultural awareness, and educating humor. I recommend the show without reservation. I actually would love to see it again!
Such a fun show & I laughed out loud so much :). I loved hearing Miyo’s take on American & Japanese culture!
Miyo’s show is a masterclass in blending humor with heavy topics. As a Japanese person, I was impressed by how she provided fresh insights into our traditional funeral and death rituals. The way she used Thanksgiving to visualize the interment ceremony was a stroke of genius! I’ll certainly never see those ceremonies the same way again! The performance was clever, educational, and absolutely hilarious. I can’t recommend it enough!
Excellent show. Not only is it hilarious, but it has real emotion, and I learned about Japanese culture. I love the fact that Miyo finds humor in serious–even dark–topics. I also like the cartoon transitions. I highly recommend the show.
I have no word how much l enjoyed your show. The way you collaborated with with Jane Morris to bring it to life with lighting, transitions…. The musician elevated the show to another level. Excellent writing, entertaining, funny. Sharing your family story gives us insight on how you became a centered, fearless woman.
I went to Miyo’s show with my son for his birthday, and I’m really happy we decided to go. It made his birthday feel so much more special and memorable.
Before the show started, we really wanted to sit close to the front because we’ve followed Miyo for a long time and wanted to be close to someone we admire. After the show ended, we got a tote bag from the sticker in the envelope. There were so many people there, so it felt really lucky and special that we got it.
I loved the stories Miyo talked about, especially about cultural differences. Some parts felt very relatable because I’ve experienced similar situations before too. It made me feel better knowing that other people feel the same way sometimes, and that we are not alone.
I think we will definitely go to Miyo’s future shows again 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed Miyo’s show How to Die in Japan. As a Japanese-American, I found that there were many things that were familiar and strong connections to my Japanese heritage. While still finding much of Japanese culture and customs foreign to me, I was able to embrace what was familiar to me and to better understand my parents and grandparents. The information she shared was enlightening and both humorous and touching. Her delivery is excellent and I would highly recommend her performances to anyone. You do not need to be Japanese or Japanese American to appreciate the humor and cultural information shared in a loving and touching way.
Growing up in Japan, those customs felt very normal to me. But after living in the U.S. since 1999, I’ve come to realize how unique and sometimes even surprising some of those traditions can seem — like the custom of picking up the bones after cremation.
I’m very glad I had the chance to see Miyo’s show. She shared these stories in such a funny yet thoughtful way, balancing humor with the seriousness of the subject beautifully. It made me laugh, reflect, and appreciate the cultural differences even more
Miyo is a perfect guide to both Japanese and American culture, sharing with us her happy surprise at each new discovery.
I really enjoyed this show! Everything was well choreographed between the story, music and animation. I learned a lot about Japanese funeral culture, and appreciated how Miyo wove in her parents story. Ms Tanaka is my favorite character! I left very entertained and in a happy mood.
It was fantastic! I loved how much I learned, the emotions behind it, and how skillfully Miyo navigated the line between humor and pathos. She was flawless in her act-outs and gestures, and I absolutely adored the animation. Brilliant!
Such a wonderful show and all around evening. It was more like an immersive experience as Miyo draws the audience in with her storytelling, humor and expression. The soundtrack and animation was great. I highly recommend this or any other shows that Miyo is a part of. SO much fun!
Greta job, Miyo!
I had exact same experiences as Miyo in the U.S and Japan! I wear basically a pajama set (scrub!) to work in the hospital here in the U.S, so I did not have any conservative clothes. I had to run to the store to get “a very formal” set of skirt, jacket and shirt for my father’s one year anniversary (since passing). No fancy design, No gold (or silver) buttons, oh no. After the anniversary ceremony, I happened to see one of my classmates from middle school on the street. She was like, “You look sharp, what’s up?” LoL.
Oh, I chat with a taxi driver in my hometown about “hidden family issues come up to the surface” when someone in the family is dying or dies! I have heard/seen and dealt with such things at work, AND the taxi driver said the same thing!
Miyo, I was glad that I got a last-minute ticket that night and went to see your show.
Really, there were SO MANY great moments, so many “favorite moments”. I found myself chuckling and OUTRIGHT LAUGHING many times over, during the show. So many funny moments/lines, so much WIT (and GRIT) contained within. It wasn’t exactly, “You have to laugh to keep from crying,” or “You have to laugh to keep from SCREAMING” . . . no, more so it was, “You have to laugh because this is oh so true, or could be, and I WAS THERE, I was/am part of the story, so, yeah, I’m gonna tell it!” I truly felt inspired and affirmed. Also, as it’s now been 35 years since I returned from Japan (Toyama — I was a JET Program English teacher), yeah, it made me think that I just HAVE TO get back soon. Yeah . . . before it’s too late!
The whole show was a pleasure to watch because you never know where the next laugh will come from. Also, the little animated intros were a great way to define the segments.
Thank you for a wonderful performance yesterday of “How to Die in Japan.” As a Catholic, I very much appreciated the description of what it is like to go to a mass as a non-Catholic! Too true! My whole family learned a lot and really enjoyed it!