September 25, 2007
Kumu Kahua Theatre kicks off 37th season
This post has been submitted to the Carnival of Aloha for Monday, October 1, 2007.
Kumu Kahua Theatre kicked off their 37th season with Ala Wai, a Hawaiian Pidgin comedy by Bryan Hiroshi Wake that takes place in its entirety around a bench on the Ala Wai Canal. As the play opens , a fire has destroyed Bertram and Ernesto’s apartment. They meet up at Bert’s favorite spot beside the canal and Bert falls into the water, only to emerge with a Portugese man-o-war cinging to his testicles. It’s soon discovered that the sting has given Bert’s urine miraculous properties to clean and heal. Ernie sees an opportunity to cash in, while Bert wants to use his super powers for the good of humanity (or at least for the good of the Ala Wai!) There’s a lot of little-boy bathroom humor, as you can imagine, but I didn’t find it offensive. To the contrary, I laughed throughout the play. Supporting characters are as bizarre as our two protagonists and the resulting story brings to mind the laugh-a-minute slapstick of Laurel and Hardy.
Kumu Kahua Theatre is housed in the old Kamehameha V Post Office building on the edge of Chinatown. The space is small and audience size is limited to about a hundred patrons per performance. Many of the plays are performed in the round; all of them have an intimate feel, with the audience frequently being invited to contribute to performances. I am a season subsciber and usually attend the second-weekend Sunday matinees. Life got in the way this time and I just barely managed to catch the final performance of Ala Wai last weekend. My review is too late to encourage you to see Ala Wai, but there’s still time for you to catch the rest of the season.
Kumu Kahua Theatre
46 Merchant Street, Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813
Box Office Phone: (808) 536-4441
Plays about life in Hawaii.
Plays by Hawaii’s playwrights
Plays for Hawaii’s people
Please note that it’s not “plays about Hawaiians.” It’s an important distinction. Kumu Kahua recognizes and celebrates the diverse cultures that make up Hawaii’s people. Plays in recent years have featured Korean, Japanese, Filipino, Samoan and Hawaiian stories, among others. The common factor is that all of them reflect the lives of the neighbors we know and honor the contributions that each culture has brought to that wonderful stew we call “local.” The characters are as familiar as old friends, and the stories are embued with the local flavor we all know and love. The season runs through June, so there’s still plenty of time for you to enjoy some culture, local style. You can call the box office (above) for tickets, or order them online. And hey - if you make reservations for second-Sunday matinees, give me a shout so we can share the experience.
Bert & Ernie photo by Brad Goda
Technorati Tags: entertainment, Hawaii entertainment, Hawaii theatre, Kumu Kahua Theatre, live theatre, theatre
Posted by skeet @ 3:47 pm • Entertainment, Hawaii
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September 25th, 2007 at 5:10 pm, Whim Says:
Sounds very cool!
September 27th, 2007 at 7:20 am, Diana Says:
Love your blog. I am adding it to my blogroll!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:09 pm, skeet Says:
Whim, Kumu Kahua Theatre is one of the nice things I do for myself. It really is wonderful theatre!
September 28th, 2007 at 3:10 pm, skeet Says:
Mahalo, Diana! I’ll be coming aroudn to check out your place soon!:D
September 28th, 2007 at 9:59 pm, hyphen8 Says:
Wish I could’ve been there - I’m glad to see that you made it! Two funny guys would really have brightened my weekend. :s
October 1st, 2007 at 12:09 am, Carnival of Aloha, Chapter 2: The Ohana’s Together! Says:
[…] go see a movie or a play you guys. Come on, we need a good comedy! Skeet is taking us to Kumu Kahua Theatre [as it] kicks off [its] 37th season, At Skeet’s Stuff, she asks, “Are you supporting local culture? Here’s your […]
October 1st, 2007 at 3:06 pm, Carnival of Aloha II: Electric Boogaloo Says:
[…] For October’s blog carnival, Evelyn leads us through an impressive eighteen links, from Dean’s “Mr. Cheap Stuff” review of only-in-Hawaii McMenu items to Charlie Foster’s “Planet Kauai” dining guide to a ti-leaf sliding tale at “Mokihana’s Garden.” Mokihana’s newest HawaiiStories neighbor, L.P. “Neenz” Faleafine, blogs about growing up local in “That’s the Korean in Me!” and we get a preview of Kumu Kahua Theatre’s 37th season in “Skeet’s Stuff.” […]
October 1st, 2007 at 5:02 pm, Bobbie Says:
I’d love to see a play like that in such a cozy setting. Thanks for writing about it.
October 2nd, 2007 at 8:14 am, skeet Says:
Kumu Kahua is a wonderful experience, Bobbie. Hope you get to indulge yourself soon!
October 2nd, 2007 at 9:12 am, Sheila Says:
Looks like a wonderful venue!
October 2nd, 2007 at 4:13 pm, Evelyn Says:
I’m so close and yet I’ve never been there! Tell me when you’re going and I’ll meet you there! Where’s the schedule?!? I think I gotta go look at the flyers on the wall. I do walk past it. Where was my brain?!? Duh! Thanks, skeet, for making me want to pay attention!