Haruna Lee


Haruna Lee, formerly Kristine Haruna Lee, is a Taiwanese Japanese American theatre maker and writer.

Haruna Lee
BornHong Kong
Notable awardsObie Award
Website
www.harunalee.com/home

Early life and education

Lee was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Japan.[1] They moved from Japan to the United States when they were eight. They did an undergraduate degree at NYU.[2]

Career

Inspired by a myth about Sedna, Lee wrote War Lesbian. The musical, composed by Katie Hathaway, who Lee met at New Dramatists,[3] premiered at Dixon Place in 2014, co-presented by Lee's company, harunalee.[4][5] Lee appeared in the show playing Ellen DeGeneres.[6] In 2016, Lee performed Communing with You with their mother, Aoi Lee. The 30-minute Butoh piece was performed at Brooklyn Arts Exchange.[7] Lee played Jackie in The Offending Gesture at the Connelly Theater in 2016.[8] They played Meryl Streep as Francesca from The Bridges of Madison County in STREEPSHOW! in 2017.[9]

Lee's play, Suicide Forest, premiered in 2019 with Ma-Yi Theater Company and directed by Aya Ogawa.[10] Lee played the schoolgirl, Azusa, in this production.[11][12] Lee's mother, Aoi, also appeared in the show, which Ma-Yi remounted in 2020.[13]

In 2023, Lee was invited to join the New Dramatists' resident playwright company until 2030.[14]

Personal life

Lee is half Japanese and half Taiwanese.[15]

Plays

  • Suicide Forest
  • plural (love), with Jen Goma and Morgan Green[16]
  • Communing with You
  • Memory Retrograde[16]
  • to the left of the pantry and under the sugar shack[17]
  • War Lesbian
  • Drunkfish Oceanrant
  • Plum de Force[18]
  • Troika

Filmography

Television

YearTelevision showCredited asNotesRef.
Writer
2020The Flight AttendantYes
2022PachinkoYesSeason 2

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2020Obie AwardsPlaywrightingSuicide ForestWon[19]
2021Steinberg Playwright Awardsn/an/aWon[20]

References