November 14, 2007
A day at the theatre
My friend had to cancel our theatre date at the last minute. I remembered as I was driving towards town that I had programmed the phone number for one of the Table of Contents members into my new phone - the only number I’ve stored so far. Dustyflint was just leaving an event in Waikiki when I reached her. She’s a supporter of several local theatre groups and was thrilled with the serendipitous timing of my call. Yes, she’d love to join me for the Sunday matinee performance of Ola Na Iwi at Kumu Kahua Theatre. We had barely finished our call when I came to a slow-down in traffic. Muddy water was deeply pooled in a dip in the road, and a disturbing quantity was still gushing up and out under pressure. I dialed 911 and suggested that traffice control was needed immediately. It was obvious that the situation was dire enough that the roadbed would be damaged pretty quickly and it might not be possible for drivers to see through the mud if they were driving into a sinkhole. By the time I reached town the radio was reporting that the highway had been closed and traffic was at a stand-still. I’d missed a major traffic jam due to fortuitous timing. The good feelings that engendered continued as the afternoon progressed.
Dustyflint was waiting on the lanai of the theatre when I arrived and introduced me to some of her theatre friends. We chatted for a bit, then went inside when the doors opened. I was excitedly awaiting the arrival of someone else. I knew she was bringing her mother who was in a wheelchair so I approached the only likely couple and introduced myself. Nope - not my friend. I made a quick call and learned that she was across the street in the parking structure on her way to our first meeting. I discussed logistics with a theatre staff member who helped us make arrangements for the four of us to sit together. A few minutes later I met Sprite, who blogs at Homespun Honolulu, and her delightful mother. There’s something magical about meeting someone you’ve become acquainted with online, but I worry that I will be a disappointment when my online friends discover that I’m rather ordinary and drab in real life. I didn’t know that Sprite is a truely beautiful woman, so that was a little intimidating, too. She’s as warm and friendly in real life as she comes across through her writing, though, and there was no awkwardness. We had a few minutes of conversation before the house lights went down and the play began.
Ola Na Iwi (The Bones Live) is a look at Hawaiian tradition and culture, specifically as it relates to the sacredness of the bones of the ancestors. The mana, the essence and power of the individual, lives on in the iwi, the bones. They are treated with respect and handled with great care. Ola Na Iwi opens with the “liberation” of some bones from a German museum by a member of a visiting Hawaiian theatre group. Theatre prop bones are substituted for the real ones to protect them from discovery while their rescuer contemplates how to proceed. A comedy of errors ensues as the real and fake bones are swapped back and forth by several groups who each have their own agenda. These contemporary scenes are interspersed with historical scenes that highlight the motiviations and methods of past graverobbers, museums officials, archaeologists and explorers boasting of their acquisitions and “justifying” their actions. Their outrageous behavior and insensitivity are clearly communicated through Barnum-esq portrayals. Underlying these several layers of the story is the theme of the treatment of indigenous cultural artifacts by arrogant and ignorant outsiders. Humor and theatricality engage the audience but do not disguise the importance of the issues raised.
I enjoyed this play, as I have the others I have seen by playwright Victoria Kneubuhl. She tells a good story. There is a choppiness to Ola Na Iwi, though, that I found distracting, as did others. I would not have consulted a watch had I been wearing one, but there are numerous brief scenes which each “felt” about two to five minutes long. Kill the lights, quickly change out the scenery and the characters, house lights up, another brief scene, then characters and props are once again shuffled around in the dark. It became quite confusing as scene after scene was thus enacted. Several actors played multiple roles, adding to the confusion as we, the audience, tried to keep straight who belonged to which faction and what each of them had done. All was nicely sorted in the end, but it was a laborious task for the playgoers. I will say, though, that the final scene, a monolog, resonated with such poignancy that it left us all in tears and was, by itself, worth the cost of admission.
Performance of Ola Na Iwi will continue Thursdays through Sundays until the final matinee on Sunday, December 2nd. Tickets are still available and can be purchased online or through the Kumu Kahua Theatre box office.
My friends and I paused just long enough to take a few pictures and enjoy a brief conversation before we had to part. Dustyflint had interrupted some errands to join us and I have night blindness and needed to get home before darkness made me a menace on the roads. I was thrilled to have had the chance to meet Sprite and hope we’ll have more time to get to know each other next time. Dustyflint and I introduced her to the concept of BookCrossing, so there’s a possibility that she’ll eventually join that madness and becomea part of the Table of Contents. I can only hope!
Sprite, Skeeterbess and Dustyflint at Kumu Kahua Theatre.
Art credit: Kumu Kahua Theatre
[tags]BookCrossing, friends, Hawaiian theatre, Hawaiian stories, iwi, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Ola Na Iwi, plays, theatre[/tags]
Posted by skeet @ 1:19 am • Entertainment, Hawaii
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November 14th, 2007 at 2:43 am, sassymonkey Says:
You are certainly not boring and drab. I can say that with confidence even though I’ve never met you.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:08 am, TW Says:
That is a fab picture of you skeeter.
November 14th, 2007 at 10:05 am, Evelyn Says:
My mother thinks you’re fun and quite a character. My only comment to her was, “I told you!” The only reason I may have been surprised (if at all) was because I imagined you would be older. Okay you guys, she’s much younger looking in person and full of energy!
Skeet, I’m not sure who it was you thought you were with though. Hmmm… what was the name of you optometrist?
I said to my mother that I wasn’t sure who was more excited to see who!
I’m so happy we were able to meet in person and I’ll be writing about our excursion soon.
Love ya,
Sprite
November 14th, 2007 at 5:50 pm, Whim Says:
It sounds like you had a great time. I like the pic.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:41 pm, skeet Says:
Your confidence may be misplaced Sassymonkey, but mahalo for it anyway!
November 15th, 2007 at 9:42 pm, skeet Says:
Aw, mahalo TW! I like the picture, too.
November 15th, 2007 at 9:44 pm, skeet Says:
Evelyn, make sure your mother knows I wasn’t just “being nice” when I said I want her to join you out there for a Waianae experience some day soon. She’s a terrific lady and we didn’t have much chance to get acquainted yet.
I’m looking forward to reading your view of our day on you blog!
November 15th, 2007 at 9:46 pm, skeet Says:
We really had a great time getting together, Whim, and the play, though it had its rough spots, was interesting and entertaining. I’ll take you to Kumu Kahua when we finally get you out here!
November 19th, 2007 at 11:19 am, The Ghosts are in the Bones Says:
[…] to Mom’s delight, is an opera fan! We’re doing really well here. Skeet did a short write-up and put up a picture on her blog. Mine didn’t come out so well, but, I’ll include it anyway just to say I […]
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:34 am, It’s a Carnival by Canoe! Says:
[…] took the time to share A Day at the Theatre over at her blog, Skeet’s Stuff, and quite a day it was! The topic of grave diggers and bones […]
December 3rd, 2007 at 5:56 am, Go Oahu Travel Blog » Blog Archive » Blog Carnival by Canoe Says:
[…] us in her newest blog carnival. There are some great posts about everything from visiting Kauai to seeing live theatre, so if you’re planning a trip to Hawaii or just want some armchair escapism, then I encourage […]
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:20 pm, NEENZ. Says:
I enjoy these types of posts the most, the ones from the heart. Thank you for sharing your experience with the world.
December 3rd, 2007 at 9:32 pm, skeet Says:
Mahalo, Neenze! Kumu Kahua Theatre is one of my passions. Meeting Sprite and her mother and having Dustyflint join us turned a special day into something truely wonderful.