Roland Ruiz and Kurt Kanazawa star in “Luca & Uri.”
By J.K. YAMAMOTO
Rafu Staff Writer
For actor Kurt Kanazawa, Playwrights’ Arena’s production of “Luca & Uri,” running through March 15 Victory Theatre Center in Burbank, is a reunion of old friends.
The two-character play, written by Nicholas Pilapil and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, chronicles the ups and downs of a decade-long relationship between Luca (Roland Ruiz) and Uri (Kanazawa). The two men are described as “fiercely bound by love yet unable to hold on … As their dreams and desires pull them apart, their intimacy dissolves into quiet compromises and mounting silences, exposing the gradual erosion of self.”
“This is my first time being directly involved with ‘Luca & Uri,’” Kanazawa said. “I had read an early draft that Nicholas shared with me about a year ago, which I enjoyed. So happy our schedules all aligned to make this production happen.”
This is also the first time Kanazawa has worked with Rivera, but the actor is “feeling very much at home amidst the joyful Filipino energy of his rehearsal room as a half-Pinoy myself. When I first came back to Los Angeles from after living abroad in Italy and in New York, I had seen Jon’s production of Boni Alvarez’s ‘Bloodletting’ at the Kirk Douglas, and loved it. I’m thrilled to finally get to work with him.
“My buddy and co-star Roland Ruiz and I actually go back a few years to the Ojai Playwrights Conference, when we were in different plays, but hung out lots together during that fun week. It’s been a thrill to work opposite him in ‘Luca & Uri.’ Roland is such a generous actor, who makes me feel safe on-stage and off-stage, always.
“My all-time favorite playwright and close friend Nicholas Pilapil and I have worked together many, many times before, and I’m beyond grateful to do so again. I did a workshop of his hilarious solo show ‘My Dog Died; And Other Concerns,’ one of my favorite theatrical experiences.
“I then understudied George Salazar’s role in Nicholas’ first world premiere, ‘The Bottoming Process,’ with IAMA Theatre at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and played Tanner in a workshop reading of his beautiful play ‘God Will Do the Rest’ with Artists at Play. Interestingly, Tanner is also the name of Uri’s ex-boyfriend.
“I love playing in Nicholas’ world. As perhaps the only playwright who’s ever gotten multiple plays produced featuring a gay Asian male lead, Nicholas is simultaneously breaking heroic grounds in the theatre world, while defining entire emotional universes in myself, that I could have never articulated so poetically.”
NoHo Arts District said of “Luca & Uri,” “The performances are utterly riveting. Each character beautifully realized, perfectly formed, wonderfully played. Believable, lovable, unmissable.”
“Speaks Volumes to Me”
Asked what “Luca & Uri” means to him, Kanazawa responded, “Nicholas’ dramatic pacing and sequencing of this decade-long relationship, told out-of-sequence through fragmented memories and scenes full of both regret and joy, speaks volumes to me. How much of a relationship do we remember chronologically? Or does it all come back to us in broken images, moments, sounds?
“Nicholas’ play answers this question beautifully. It’s been so exciting to see him both tinker with details and make dramatic global cuts during rehearsals into this tight and poetic gem.”
Regarding LGBTQ representation in the arts, and AAPI LGBTQ representation in particular, Kanazawa is optimistic, pointing to “Heated Rivalry,” a series about two professional hockey players who maintain a secret romantic relationship while playing for rival teams. “‘Heated Rivalry’ is the moment. I sobbed, endlessly. I am curious whether the show’s ripple-effect will opens doors for more diverse representations of queerness, racially speaking. In the meantime, I eagerly await Season 2!
“As far as in the arts in general, a particularly fun brand of ‘gaysian’ is increasingly finding its voice both within and outside of the mainstream, which is cool. I’m also hopeful we’ll continue to see more AAPI queer artists in more joyful narratives, over traumatic ones.”
Memorable Projects
In addition to acting, Kanazawa is an opera singer and a playwright. He listed some of the most memorable projects he has worked on.
One was “No No Girl,” now streaming on Amazon Prime. Mika Dyo starred in Paul Daisuke Goodman’s film about the impact of the wartime incarceration on Japanese Americans today. “This featured an all Japanese American family, and it struck so close to home, as a Yonsei myself. It also introduced me to a community of soulful and funny artists I will collaborate with and support for the rest of my life.” Kanazawa’s solo show “L’Opera!” (2024, revised 2025) has been presented by the Japanese American National Museum’s Democracy Center, off-Broadway at Pan Asian Repertory, and UC Irvine. “It is both a fun-loving biography of my time as an opera singer, as well as my most direct and passionate response to what is happening in this country today, as we see ICE committing the same sins the War Department made 80 years ago.
“Kimber Lee’s ‘Untitled Fck Mss S**gon Play’ workshop at Ojai Playwrights Conference, where I played Afi/Goro. I love this play and desperately want to see it performed in a full production in the U.S. Also, that conference featured so many great artists that I got to witness in action. Hands down, one of my favorite theatrical experiences, ever.
“My East West Players debut in “Pacific Overtures,” where I played The Fisherman singing “Four Black Dragons” with my bestie Scott Keiji Takeda [who also appeared in ‘No No Girl’]. My late Uncle Dingo (Simeon Den) was in the original Broadway cast with Gedde Watanabe. It was a full-circle moment to be a part of Tim Dang’s production with Gedde, and have my uncle with us in the audience. He was so proud. And I was so thrilled. (Den passed away on Feb. 17, 2025 at age 74.)
“A workshop of the musical ‘The Four Immigrants’ with Artists at Play, by Min Kahng. Just a crazy good score with a crazy good story, based on the first manga in the U.S. by Henry Kiyama in 1904. I would love to see this musical staged in Los Angeles one day!”
As for upcoming projects, Kanazawa said, “I’m finishing my second year MFA in Acting at UC Irvine, where I’ll next appear in Benjamin Benne’s ‘at the very bottom of a body of water’ in May, directed by Juliette Carrillo. I’ve also been loving teaching acting and voice to the undergrads there. “I’ve co-written a new solo show, ‘No No Boy, A Solo Show’ with my close friend Scott Keiji Takeda, and we’re looking forward to workshopping the play at UC Irvine in the fall.
“Recently, opera has come back into my life, and I’m looking forward to singing Tamino in Mozart’s ‘Die Zauberflöte’ (The Magic Flute) at the Irvine Barclay in 2027.”
“Luca & Uri” is being performed at Victory Theatre Center’s Little Victory, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank, on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 4 p.m. Pay-what-you-can shows on Feb. 27 and March 6. For tickets and information, For tickets and information call (818) 841-5421 or visit ovationtix.com, playwrightsarena.org or thevictorytheatrecenter.org.