‘Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan’ in North Hollywood

“Madame Butterfly” A Tragedy of Japan,” a play by David Belasco, is being performed at TU (Theatre Unlimited) studios, 10943 Camarillo St. in North Hollywood.

Kazumi Zatkin plays the title role in “Madame Butterfly.”

Directed by Aramazd Stephanian, the one-act play features Japan-born actors Kazumi Zatkin as Chocho-san, Chihiro Kawamura as Suzuki and Yuji Hasegawa as the Nakodo or marriage broker. The cast also includes Jonathan cousins as Sharpless, Ray Chao as Yamadori, Beau Ray as Lt. Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton, and Marisa Cole as Kate.

“Madame Butterfly” is the tale of a poor Japanese girl in 19th-century Japan who, out of poverty, enters a temporary marriage arrangement with an American naval officer. He leaves after three months, but she is convinced that he promised to return to her.

The play was adapted from John Luther Long’s 1898 short story “Madame Butterfly,” which was performed in 1900 at Herald Square Theatre in New York City as a curtain-raiser to Belasco’s “Naughty Anthony.” The short story and play served as the basis for the libretto of Puccini’s 1904 opera “Madama Butterfly.”

Actress and singer Yukari Black will perform two songs from the opera and Alpha Takahashi will sing “Kimi wo Nosete” (Carrying You) from the anime movie “Castle in the Sky.”

Showtimes: Friday and Saturday, Nov. 18 and 19, at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 20, at 7 p.m. (in Armenian with a different cast); Friday and Saturday, Nov. 25 and 26, at 8 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. (in Armenian). Tickets are $20. Reservations: www.itsmyseat.com/CAPS.