![]() ![]() Good Kids was produced at the University of Michigan (October 2–12, 2014), University of Iowa (February 8–15, 2015), Indiana University (February 6–14, 2015), University of Wisconsin–Madison (February 27-March 8, 2015), University of Maryland (February 27-March 7, 2015), Purdue University (April 10–12, 15-18, 22-26, 2015), Penn State University, Ohio State University (October 27, 2014), and has scheduled productions at many other schools outside the Big Ten. You don't solve a problem like sexual assault with anything other than a deep shift in attitude, and a deep shift in attitude happens conversation by conversation, in dorm rooms, parties and rehearsal halls.' 'There's an enormous energy around the issue of sexual assault and what to do on campus. 'It's something that they very much want to talk about, and do something about,' she says. 'If we take it as a starting point that college campuses are not filled with sociopathic predators: What is it that creates a situation where this happens?' Through the process of creating Good Kids, Izuka collaborated with college students and solicited their input toward the issue of sexual assault and how campuses should prevent and respond to this crime. The natural question arises: who is to blame? 'I think the question that the play asks is how can this happen?" Iizuka says. The play focuses on the rumors and social aftermath. Good Kids is about a drunk high school girl who is raped by a group of football players after a high school party. Having taught at a number of schools as a guest artist, and now teaching at University of California–San Diego, it seems like the issue of sexual assault-and more importantly, the attitudes and misconceptions that create a climate where sexual assault is prevalent-seemed timely.' As part of the Big Ten initiative, universities are performing Good Kids to tackle the issue of sexual assault on campus. Iizuka says, 'I wanted to write a play that spoke to issues that were very important to university students right now. The initiative is meant to support women playwrights and increase the number of roles for women on stage. Iizuka was commissioned to write Good Kids by the Big Ten Theatre Consortium. If we want to develop artist-driven work that's keyed into the artist's process, that's not a one-size-fits-all process, universities can be a big part in solving that puzzle.' Also, in terms of human resources and the communities you find within universities. In terms of material resources: performance spaces, rehearsal rooms, shops and state-of-the-art equipment. She says the university is a particularly good pathway to develop her commissioned work because of the resources and diversity they can offer: 'I believe universities are the great untapped resource in American theatre. The Encyclopedia of Asian-American Literature cites Iizuka as 'One of the most commissioned playwrights in contemporary American theater.' Iizuka approaches commissioning through prevalent social issues. Iizuka was commissioned to write Good Kids, as the first playwright to participate in the Big Ten Theatre Consortium's New Play Initiative, which was established to commission, produce and publicize a series of new plays by female playwrights, each of which will contain several significant roles for college-aged women. She has taught playwriting at the University of Iowa and the University of Texas, Austin and was a Professor of Dramatic Arts and Director of the Playwriting Program at UC Santa Barbara until January 2008 when she took over as the head of MFA playwrighting at her alma mater, University of California, San Diego. Iizuka attended the National Cathedral School, has her bachelor's degree in classical literature from Yale University in 1987 and spent one year at Yale Law School before eventually receiving her MFA in playwriting from University of California, San Diego in 1992. Iizuka grew up in Japan, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Washington, D.C. Her mother is an American Latina attorney and her father is a Japanese banker. Naomi Iizuka was born in Tokyo, April 22, 1965. ![]() Iizuka's works often have a non-linear storyline and are influenced by her multicultural background. ![]() Naomi Iizuka (born April 22, 1965) is a Japanese-born American playwright. University of California, San Diego (MFA) ![]()
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