Youth Theatre Northwest on Mercer Island will present four performances of “A Story of Sadako,” written and directed by Mimi Katano, from May 30 to June 7.

The story is the account of Sadako Sasaki, the most well-known victim of the Hiroshima bombing, who, at the time of the bomb, was unharmed, but 10 years later developed leukemia. In hopes to be cured, Sadako folded over 1,300 origami cranes, but succumbed to her illness and died at age 12. In this 2025 remount, Katano has reworked the script into a one-act play done in a “choral reading” style. The actors will tell the story using narration and dialogue.

Katano has also reworked the script to include more of her native Japanese language because of the eight actors in the show, three are fluent in Japanese and two have a working knowledge of it.

“Sadako became famous because, after her passing in 1955, her classmates spearheaded the building of a monument in Sadako’s memory and to send a message about all the children of Hiroshima,” Katano said.

Sadako became world-renowned from Eleanor Coerr’s book, “Sadako and the Thousand Cranes,” published in 1977.

“In writing this play back in 2001, I did extensive research, including a trip to Hiroshima, and read a lot of interviews with Sadako’s family and classmates,” Katano said. “The part I was most interested in was the aftermath of her death. How her friends came together and mobilized children from all over the country to make this happen. It’s an important story to tell, not just because of the tragedy of Sadako and what war does to civilians, particularly children. It also shows the resilience of these children, who were survivors and victims of war themselves, and what they were able to do after her death.”

When the actors gather for rehearsals, they begin and end by folding origami cranes, partly to display as set dressing in the performance, but also to have some focused time to reflect, chat, and leave the difficult subject in the room when they part.

“A Story of Sadako” marks Katano’s last project at Youth Theatre Northwest as the executive artistic director. Katano is launching her own production company, Za Trans-Pacific Productions, to create more cross-cultural projects, and hopes to continue including YTN in that work.

Check it out

“A Story of Sadako” will be performed by Youth Theatre Northwest from May 30 to June 7 at Parish Hall Theatre, 4400 86th Ave. SE, Mercer Island. Tickets are available at YouthTheatre.org and range from $17 to $35. Shows will be 7 p.m. May 30, 7 p.m. May 31 (pay what you can), 7 p.m. June 6, and 7 p.m. June 7. The show is recommended for ages 10 and up. To learn more, email mimi@youththeatre.org.

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo

Courtesy photo