The death of their father a decade ago gave Rumi and Takuya Iryo a new goal in their lives — raising public awareness of the disease he died from, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
The siblings are creating a musical recital based on "Tuesdays with Morrie," a 1997 American best-seller that depicts a former university professor dying of ALS, a degenerative neurological system disorder that causes muscle wasting and paralysis. The play will be performed next month in Tokyo.
"Making the play is my revenge on ALS, which took my father's life," said Takuya, who will direct the recital, in which three professional actors, including his older sister, Rumi, will read the script and sing 11 songs on stage. "It's also compensation as this is what I wanted to do for my father while he was alive."