A Japanese-American Clown Tries on the Samurai Mask to Find Out If It Fits. It Doesn’t. It Kind Of Does.
Alex Nauta’s Hollywood Fringe debut runs June 7–27 at Eastwood PAC, following a sold-out premiere that beat out 300 submissions and received a standing ovation at the Elysian’s Spaghetti Festival.
LOS ANGELES — Alex Nauta, a Japanese-American performer and clown, brings SHOGUN, his Hollywood Fringe Festival debut, to Playhouse Paradiso at Eastwood PAC (1089 N Oxford Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029) for five performances June 7 through June 27, 2026.
When the Emmy-sweeping TV series Shogun came out, everyone called it the Game of Thrones of feudal Japan. Nauta though, couldn’t quite shake this question: who is this for? The answer came in the form of a clown show. SHOGUN follows a Japanese-American clown as he dons the samurai mask—the most commercially viable form of Japanese identity prestige-television has to offer—in an effort to find out if wearing it might make him feel more seen. The show moves between a clowning of his best impersonations of a ronin, to a shrouded figure reminiscent of Butoh, to a pokemon card obsessed little boy who somehow manages to be a synthesis of both. Audience members of Shogun’s Spaghetti fest premiere weren’t sure what to expect, but even those less privy to conversations around race and identity found themselves laughing at his absurd exploration of nuance. One texted Nauta hours later to say she still felt high. At last, he was seen.
“SHOGUN is a vessel for me to reconcile the pent-up bullshit I’ve felt about my identity as it relates to America. In clown, everything applies. There’s no part of your humanity that’s irrelevant. That’s why I could take all of this and just let it out.” says Alex Nauta.
Alex Nauta trained at the Idiot Workshop with John Gilkey and with Spy Monkey’s Aitor Basauri. A regular presence at the Elysian Theater performing with the Asian-American comedy troupe Pot Hot and at East West Players through the Tuesday Night Project, he has spent the past two and a half years building a practice in LA’s clown and physical theater scene. SHOGUN is his Hollywood Fringe debut.
SHOGUN made its Los Angeles premiere at The Spaghetti Festival in November 2025, where it beat out over 300 submissions, sold out the house over capacity, and received a standing ovation.
PRODUCTION DETAILS
SHOGUN
Conceived and Performed by Alex Nauta
Produced by Ian Solano
Venue: Playhouse Paradiso at Eastwood PAC | 1089 N Oxford Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Runtime: Approx. 50 minutes
Tickets: $15 | hollywoodfringe.org/projects/13500
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
- Preview — Sunday, June 7 @ 4:00pm
- Sunday, June 14 @ 3:30pm
- Wednesday, June 17 @ 8:00pm
- Saturday, June 20 @ 7:30pm ★ Recommended for press
- Saturday, June 27 @ 8:30pm
Press comps available.
Contact Ian Solano at ian22craig@gmail.com to request tickets. Bring yourself, bring your family (13+)!
ABOUT ALEX NAUTA
Alex Nauta is a performer, poet, and clown based in Los Angeles. His training includes time at the Idiot Workshop with John Gilkey and Spy Monkey with Aitor Basauri. He is a regular presence at the Elysian Theater and performs with Asian-American comedy troupe Pot Hot and at East West Players with the Tuesday Night Project. SHOGUN is his Hollywood Fringe Festival debut.
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