A Cage of Fireflies

by Daniel Akiyama

Three elderly sisters of the Kibei generation - sent as children to be raised in Okinawa, then returned to live and work in Hawaii - are at the heart of A CAGE OF FIREFLIES. Two of the sisters confine themselves to their Honolulu apartment where they enact the rituals of daily life and dream of one day returning to Okinawa. The third, charged with running their family’s orchid nursery, embraces the modern world and disrupts her family's delicate traditions. A CAGE OF FIREFLIES explores the tug-of-war between preservation and progress, the selfish and the selfless. "One the most fragile, heartbreaking and quietly uplifting local plays to grace the islands in years." - Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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A Cage of Fireflies

Recommended by

Chelsea Frandsen: A Cage of Fireflies by Daniel Akiyama

“

Oh my heart! This is one of the most achingly beautiful pieces I've read in awhile. The struggle of these sisters is so heartfelt i found myself rooting for each of them. Akiyama has a gift for storytelling that should be seen on stage multiple times.

Oh my heart! This is one of the most achingly beautiful pieces I've read in awhile. The struggle of these sisters is so heartfelt i found myself rooting for each of them. Akiyama has a gift for storytelling that should be seen on stage multiple times.

”
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center: A Cage of Fireflies by Daniel Akiyama

“

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Daniel Akiyama and their play A Cage of Fireflies as a finalist for our 2012 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend Daniel Akiyama and their play A Cage of Fireflies as a finalist for our 2012 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

”

Character Information

Asian American cast

Yukiko

The oldest sister

Character Age

Mature

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Okinawan American

Character Gender Identity

Female
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s,
  
  60s,
  
  70s+
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Female
Mitsuko

The middle sister

Character Age

Mature

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Okinawan American

Character Gender Identity

Female
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s,
  
  60s,
  
  70s+
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Female
Kimiko

The youngest sister

Character Age

Mature

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Okinawan American

Character Gender Identity

Female
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s,
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s,
  
  60s,
  
  70s+
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Female

Development History

Type Reading, Organization East West Players, Year 2013
Type Workshop, Organization Sundance Institute Theatre Lab, Year 2012
Type Workshop, Organization Kumu Kahua Theatre, Year 2011

Production History

Type Community Theater, Organization Aloha Theatre, Year 2019
Type Community Theater, Organization Kumu Kahua Theatre, Year 2013

Awards

Sundance Institute Theatre Lab

Selection

2012
Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference

Finalist

2012

Genre

drama

Subject Matter Keywords

Hawaii,

Okinawa,

Sisters

Length

90 minutes to two hours,

two to three hours

Cast Size

Age of Intended Audience

all ages

Narrative Attributes

Centers Characters of Color,

Centers Female Characters

Supporting Materials

Published Script

https://besspress.com/products/chiburu-anthology-of-hawaii-okinawan-literature

Script Sample

Cage of Fireflies, A (Akiyama_SAMPLE).pdf

Reviews

Hitting the Stage

“
We lean in to watch the quiet story unfold, three fates woven together by blood and the confluence of history. Skillfully written and subtly portrayed, we recognize the truthful characters.
”
Theatre Journal

“
The extended, sold-out run of the world premiere...demonstrated the importance of staging Asian American immigrant experiences for Honolulu's diverse audiences...As the diverse local population in contemporary Hawaii continues to confront many of the same cultural negotiations as Akiyama's characters, such theatrical demonstrations remain significant.
”
MidWeek

“
Shines with an expertly enacted, tightly constructed script...We grow to care about these sisters and become invested in their age-old struggle of tradition versus modernity, of ritual versus practicality, of generational, familial and social issues, of self-sacrifice...A surprisingly touching essay on the human condition.
”
Honolulu Star-Advertiser

“
One the most fragile, heartbreaking and quietly uplifting local plays to grace the islands in years.
”