“I am and always will be…
The Optimist.
The Hoper of Far Flung Hopes.
And The Dreamer of Improbable Dreams.”
~ The Doctor, Doctor Who
Degree
Ph.D., Music
The Graduate Center, City University of New York
2018
Current Position
Development Director
The People’s Theatre (formerly, People’s Theatre Project)
Hello!
My name is Aya Esther Hayashi, and I am a fundraiser, theatre artist, musicologist, and classically trained flutist. I am the proud daughter of Japanese immigrants. I currently work as the Development Director at the The People's Theatre. In friendly company, I describe myself as a professional nerd. I am passionate about anti-racism and race/ethnicity and gender in music performance, theatre, and pop culture.
As a nonprofit fundraiser, I have successfully raised over $36.2 million in capital, federal, state, city, and foundation grants. Outside of work, I produce, direct, choreograph, and perform with my company Okaeri Productions and AfterWork Theatre. I am also a proud board member of AfterWork Theater.
Research/Writing
My academic research focuses on the music of media fandom. I’ve presented conference papers in the US and abroad on musicals, wizard rock, Firefly (2002), and Doctor Who (1963-1989, 2005-). I co-edited the special issue of the Journal of Fandom Studies (June 2016). You can find more of my writing in the following publications: The Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical (2019); Intellect's Fan Phenomena: Harry Potter (2019); and Transformative Works & Cultures no. 34 (September 2020).
Theatre
In 2018, I started Okaeri Productions. “Okaeri” means “Welcome Home” in Japanese. We are a small theatre production company that works to "change the stage" through small, intimate musicals that feature artists and creative teams of color. Through Okaeri Productions and with the support of the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MSTDA), I have successfully produced weekend performance runs of Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell’s [title of show]; Jason Robert's Songs for a New World'; Austin Winsberg, Alan Zachary, and Michael Weiner’s First Date; Stephen Schwartz’s Godspell; and Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s Next to Normal. In collaboration with choreographer Leon Glover, I am currently developing an original dance narrative piece based on the myth of Medea.
Teaching
From 2011-2017, I taught music history at the City College of New York (CUNY) and Hunter College. Classes were structured around lectures, Q&As with guests, writing assignments, and discussion. Outside academia, I volunteered for 7 years with the Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MSTDA), assistant directing the teen and children’s theatre programs. From 2013-2018, I worked as a tour guide for Big Onion Walking Tours.