Diana Oh, a beloved actor, musician, and experimental theater artist, has passed away at the age of 38.
Videos by Suggest
The cause of her death, which occurred on June 17, has not been disclosed. Their family shared the news through a GoFundMe campaign created to help cover funeral expenses. Prior to their passing, Oh was preparing to present a concert titled Art Chxrch at HERE Arts Center at the end of June.
Oh, also known as Zaza, created experimental theatre combining music, art installations, personal stories, and rituals, according to Playbill. They studied musical theatre composition at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Diana Oh’s breakthrough came with My Lingerie Play, a series of 10 outdoor art installations where they and others stood in public wearing lingerie to protest rape culture and reclaim personal sexuality.
My Lingerie Play was produced in 2017 at the Off-Broadway Rattlestick Theater Company during the #MeToo movement. The New York Times described it as “a glitter bomb of feminist and queer protest that feels just right for this cultural moment.”
Their follow-up, The Infinite Love Party, was a well-received all-night event at Bushwick Starr, featuring a potluck, dance party, open mic, live music, and a swing. It celebrated queer and trans people of color (QTPOC) and their allies, fostering connection and joy.
In recent years, Diana Oh explored new artistic directions. At Clairvoyance, they planted trees at Harvard. During the pandemic, they presented My H8 Letter to the Gr8 American Theatre on Zoom. More recently, they launched Art Chxrch, hosting from their apartment and using music to inspire healing and release.
Diana Oh Was Also an Accomplished Actor
Meanwhile, Oh was also an accomplished actor. They performed in productions like Taylor Mac’s A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, Hansol Jung’s Among the Dead, and Lucy Kirkwood’s Chimerica. Oh also appeared in the film How to Be Single alongside Dakota Johnson.
They also performed in a rock band with The Good Place actor William Jackson Harper called The US Open.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of Diana Oh—a fiercely original artist, a radiant spirit, and a beloved force within our community,” The Public Theater wrote on Instagram.
“Zaza’s work pulsed with love, rage, joy, and radical imagination,” they continued. “Whether conjuring visionary installations or holding space through music and story on our stages, Diana modeled what it means to live fully, loudly, and passionately. Their art didn’t just move people—it cracked things open. Diana’s legacy is one of liberation and joy, audacity, and tenderness. They reshaped every room and redefined what theatre, music, and community could be.”
According to Playbill, Oh is survived by their brothers Soobin and Hanbin; their mother June; their aunt Sun; their sisters Lacey, Mariah, and Rachel; and their nieces and nephews Leyah, Maya, Micah, Annie, and Laken, as well as many friends.