Japanese Comedian Kazu Kusano makes her debut in Santa Clarita with her solo dramedy, Pretty Beast, playing June 10, at The MAIN in Old Town Newhall.

Growing up with a schizophrenic mother and a distant, alcoholic father in Japan, Kusano learned to use humor to heal her wounds and process her trauma. In school Kusano was frequently considered the “class clown,” an identity at odds with Japanese societal norms for women and girls. Despite the odds, comedy became more to Kusano than just a shield, it was her ticket to freedom.

In her solo show, Pretty Beast, Kusano revisits the past in order to reclaim her present as an in-demand, L.A.-based comic and storyteller. At turns devastating and devastatingly funny, Pretty Beast takes on family dysfunction, mental illness, societal sexism and what it means to discover your own superpowers while there’s still enough time to use them for good.

Winner of “Best of the Fest” at the Crazy Woke Asians Solo Fest, “Hottest Selling Show” at the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2019, and “Best of the Fest” at the San Francisco Fringe Festival in 2022.

Pretty Beast, written by Kazu Kusano and directed by Jane Morris, plays on June 10 at The MAIN.

“Kazu Kusano is… a consummate storyteller,” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Hilarious and devastating…Pretty Beast signals a bold and important new voice in comedy and theatre.” —The Georgia Straight

“Kusano’s energetically uproarious story is one of courage, persistence, and self-determination.” —Thinking Theater NYC

Schedule: Saturday, June 10, at 8 p.m.

Ticket Link: Tickets

Show Length: 60 min (Plus a 10 min opening act)

Warnings: Coarse Language

Age Limit: 18+

Location: The MAIN, 24266 Main Street, Santa Clarita, CA 91321