Synopsis

Six years after the tsunami, two teenagers meet in a dive shop in Japan. Tomi desperately wants to learn how to dive in the ocean, while Emiko, whose mother owns the shop, adamantly refuses. Despite their differences, both teens have suffered an extraordinary loss, and both are still trying to heal from the disaster that uprooted their lives. Can they find common ground, and with it, what they've been seeking for so long?

"Ocean Debris is an incredibly moving work written by the very talented Cassandra Hsiao. It has been a highlight of my career to have had the opportunity to direct this piece for The Young Playwrights Festival at The Blank Theatre in Hollywood, CA. This play transports you to a small beach town in Japan and lets the audience feel what it might have been like for those fortunate enough to survive the tsunami. Soul-wrenching depth layered with a touch of levity; there wasn't a person in the audience who wasn't deeply moved by seeing Cassandra's words come to life. You'll laugh, you'll cry...and you'll never forget this experience. Wonderful for audiences of all ages, genders and ethnicities." - Angela Oh, actor, director, writer, and member of the board of directors of The Blank Theatre Company