Hi there, friend!
My name is Devon Hayakawa - I'm a theatrical jack of all trades currently living in Chicago, Illinois.
What does that mean? It means I'm an actor-dramaturg-playwright-director-stage manager-teacher-storyteller-heck I'll give any job a go if it means I get to play pretend with the other kids-multi-hyphenate type of human being.
I grew up in Davis, California with my parents, two younger siblings (also theatre kids), and two cats (named Princess & Angel).
I went to school at Ball State University (chirp chirp) where I am now an Alumni Ambassador and a member of the Department of Theatre & Dance's Alumni Council. I graduated in 2019 with a BFA in Musical Theatre.
I've been happily living and working in Chicago for about five years with my playwright of a roommate, Emma. As an actor, I'm repped by DDO Chicago.
Here are some more words I'd use to describe myself:
Genderfluid
Multiracial
Queer
Quite Small
Stubborn
Nerdy
Compassionate
Hard Working
In Need of a Good Nap
Constantly Crocheting
Proud Plant Parent
Optimist
Food-Lover
Advocate
Good Friend
I believe that the future of theatre relies on diverse representation being an expectation, not an afterthought. I also value accessibility in theatre for all, not only the affluent.
Artistically, I find that stories featuring magical realism, whimsical settings, queer characters, multiracial characters, AAPI+ characters, and complex child protagonists tend to be my favorite stories to tell, in any capacity.
New work holds the most special place in my heart because those stories are young, they are growing, and they are still learning who they want to be, and participating in that process as a playwright, as a dramaturg, as a director, or as an actor allows me to help nurture that story as it grows, bit by bit.
I'm a human of many hobbies, some of which include:
DND & Other Table Top Roleplaying Games
Crochet
Cosplay
Collecting An Absurd Amount of Plants
Playing Stardew Valley
Listening to DND Podcasts
Finding the Best Deals at Michaels
Learning to Cook
Helping Proofread Plays, Resumes, and Emails
Napping
