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 (who met in choir), two younger siblings (also theatre kids), and two cats (named Princess & Angel) - so as you can imagine - a very, very loud house full of music & storytelling.

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 six years, and I now live with my lovely partner, Rosie, and our two kitties, Maki & Miso. As an AEA actor, I'm repped by DDO Chicago.

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.

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