Theatre Company
Kazumi is a founding member and the producer of THE GARAGE, a theater company with world-renowned director, two-time Golden Globe and five-time Emmy Award nominee, Robert Allan Ackerman. The GARAGE presented a successful run of the world premiere of the stage production of BLOOD, written and directed by Robert Allan Ackerman in the spring of 2016. Due to high demand, The Garage opened the production in the fall of the same year with a new cast members including late Glenne Headly (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dick Tracy, Mr. Holland’s Opus), James Kyson (NBC’s Heroes, voted one of “Hollywood’s 25 Hottest” by TV Guide), Rob Yang (The Americans, Twisted, HBO's Succession) and Michael Yama (Betty White’s Off Their Rockers). BLOOD is a political thriller with music about the “Japanese Tainted Blood Scandal,” in which 2,000 people died of AIDS after the U.S. knowingly sold contaminated blood to Japan. Kazumi had one of the lead roles and produced the play. BLOOD received rave reviews and was nominated for the Stage Raw Theatre Awards in five categories in 2017.
About The Garage: The Garage was founded in April 2014 by a group of actors interested in furthering their skills in performance on stage, in film and TV. Scene study workshops under the direction of veteran director, Robert Allan Ackerman eventually led to the forming of an acting company that last year produced the highly acclaimed production of BLOOD which ran for 5 months and garnered five Stage Row Award nominations. Members of The Garage have since gone on to roles in theatre, major motion pictures, and television series.
About Dir. Robert Allan Ackerman: Two-time Golden Globe and five-time Emmy Award nominee most recently directed Al Pacino and Judith Light in ‘God Looked Away’, wrote and directed the world premiere of The Garage’s ‘BLOOD’, and 'TOLSTOY IN SUFFOLK'. Previously, Mr. Ackerman’s stage work has been seen in New York, London, Paris, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Tel Aviv. Among his films are the award-winning Life with Judy Garland, Tennessee Williams’ The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone with Helen Mirren and Anne Bancroft, The Reagans with James Brolin and Judy Davis, Safe Passage starring Susan Sarandon and Sam Shepard, and The Ramen Girl starring Brittany Murphy. Included in the illustrious list of distinguished actors who Mr. Ackerman has had the pleasure of working with are Meryl Streep, Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Glenn Close, John Malcovich, Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Alda, Frank Langella among others.
THE GARAGE also offers an on-going scene study workshop with Robert Allan Ackerman for professional actors in Hollywood. For more information, please contact projectblood2015@gmail.com.
BLOOD opened on March 5th, 2016 at The Complex Theatre in Hollywood. And it re-opened on October 14th, 2016. Here are some of the reviews!
“DAZZLING … a formidable display of small-theater invention” — Los Angeles Times
“RECOMMENDED… STAGE RAW TOP 10… lively, haunting, provocativeandfunnY.” — Lovell Estell, Stage Raw
“SMART… involving, totally wrenching… expert direction…powerful performances.” —Gil Kaan, BroadwayWorld
FIVE STARS… thoroughly gripping, deeply dark yet highly entertaining… …clearlyoneofthe most unique theater pieces ever created.” —Ron Irwin, Examiner.com
“HEADY STUFF. The show’s first half nearly splits its seams so bursting is the creativity it flings at its audience… a witty treatment of a subject that matters so much… RECOMMENDED.” — Debra Levine, ArtsMeme
“ACHIEVES AN UNQUESTIONABLE POWER… Harmoniously sung and enthusiastically performed… terrific” — Paul Myrvold’s Theatre Notes
“MASTERFUL… Intelligent, thoughtful, powerful and impactful… highlyentertainingstory telling at its absolute finest. – Suzanne Birrell, Discover Hollywood
“DEEPLY AFFECTING, CATHARTIC AND REDEMPTIVE, Blood holds your interest from beginning to end… it’s a gift to see such powerful themes and such varied theatrical discipline poured into this absorbing tale.” — Eric Gordon, People’s World
“DAZZLING… utterly theatrical… brimming with ideas and nuance” — David Macdowell Blue, The World Through Night-Tinted Glasses
“ENTERTAINING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED… beauty, music, rhythm, heart-wrenching performances, and courageous, triumphant, stylized drama.” — Carol Edger-Germain, ColoradoBoulevard.net
“BRILLIANT… RIVETING… an evening of unforgettable theatre” — Beverly Cohn, Santa Monica Mirror and LA West Media
”INGENIOUS…What makes this play a “must see” event is how brilliantly it is staged and performed.” —IngridWilmot, Will Call
“AMAZING”… will make the audience laugh and cry” — Ari Hirayama, Los Angeles Bureau Chief, The Asahi Shimbun (translated from the Japanese)
“STUNNING”… inventive in a way which few other plays emulate… a must-see play on many levels… And, besides, it’s really entertaining.” — Elaine L. Mura, LA Splash