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Showing posts from April, 2012

Creative History, Complex Characters — WILCOX'S SHOT at KKT

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With a more-than-capable cast, O’Malley’s Shot hits the mark Theresa & Robert Who was Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox? A revolutionary, a rebel, a patriot, a lover, a congressman? In Sean T.C. O’Malley’s latest play, his third featuring this historical character, Wilcox is depicted in the later part of his career, as the first Hawaiian delegate to congress. Unfortunately, since Hawai‘i is at that time a territory to the US, Wilcox’s position lacks a vote, and therefore any real power in Washington City. Wilcox’s Shot , a world premiere at Kumu Kahua Theatre (KKT), gets inside the life of the man, exploring his relationships and his struggle to make a difference in the face of indifference, or worse. You don’t have to know the history to understand the issues brought forth in Wilcox’s Shot —just pay attention. O’Malley places his protagonist in the political stew of 1901 America, exposing the complexities of race, place, and gender relations. Historical fac

From Subtle Satire to In Your Farce — THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at HPU & THE INSPECTOR GENERAL at TAG

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Two theatres, two classics, two very different shows   From light and frothy to exaggerated buffoonery; from parasols to sock puppets; from character to caricature: Two classic comedies now playing on O‘ahu that share certain qualities—such as social criticism and mistaken identity—provide drastically dissimilar theatrical experiences. Cucumber Cool From the moment the houselights go down, when costumed servants enter in very low light to get things “set” just so for the afternoon tea while classical music plays, a tidy and sophisticated world comes in to being, replete with engraved silver cigarette cases and edible crustless cucumber sandwiches. The Importance of Being Earnest —Oscar Wilde’s most famous play—finds itself right at home in Hawaii Pacific University’s (HPU) Paul and Vi Loo Theatre. The play sports a collection of clever and quirky characters each with perfectly preposterous ideas on how one should behave in society. Nearly every line contains i

Audience Subversion—What's the Point? — TYKE DREAMS OF PLUMERIA STARS at LCC

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by Guest Contributor Shawn Thomsen After watching a theatrical performance, one generally expects to receive some positive or moral message. A story should involve a through-line or something that the audience is supposed to take with them. If you were to ask me what I thought about Leeward Community College’s (LCC) student theatre lab production of Tyke Dreams of Plumeria Stars,  I would tell you, “What’s the point?” After all, this is one of the most reoccurring phrases within the show. Tyke Dreams of Plumeria Stars is one of those “show within a show” kind of productions, yet what is different about this one is that it has a constant meta-referential element. The story is inspired by Tyke, a female circus elephant who in 1994 killed her trainer, gored her groomer, and horrified hundreds of spectators in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. The other influence is from Shakespeare’s Othello , which I assume somehow inspires the other half of the title, “Plumeria Stars.” The setting is

Innocence Interrupted — SPRING AWAKENING at Manoa Valley Theatre

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A little teenage angst—what’s the worst that can happen? In the case of Spring Awakening , the worst is bad, and it all happens. A rebellious rock musical set in a provincial nineteenth-century German town, this is a story of a clash between the generations: the old, stifling, order and their offspring: repressed children bursting and thirsting. The crux is knowledge versus shame, innocence versus experience. The result: the Manoa Valley Theatre (MVT) production of Spring Awakening —in the care of Director Paul T. Mitri—is a profound experience, highly sensual and intellectual. Levin and Ho'okano [courtesy of MVT] The “awakening” begins with Wendla, a sheltered adolescent played with near-paroxysmal nervous energy by Elise Levin. Singing the opening musical number, “Mama Who Bore Me,” she faces the audience and explores her own physical landscape. Levin, like most of the cast, has a powerful voice. The ethereal music played by the band just above her and the dreamlike at

When Vaginas Unite — THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES by V-Day Honolulu 2012

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Vagina. Say it out loud, right now, so anyone can hear. Not embarrassed are you? If so, then you must have missed the V-Day Honolulu 2012 production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues . Otherwise, all you’d want to do is talk about Vagina—a word that sounds like a disease at best, one performer says. They laugh. I laugh. It’s true.  The Vagina Monologues —synonymous with ending violence against women and girls—ranks among one of the most popular plays of our time, and for good reason if this production is any indication. The show—which ran for two nights at Marks Garage, with over twenty performers and six directors—made me cherish my vagina more than ever. The juxtaposition of lighter- and darker-themed monologues kept the evening from becoming overly depressing—because let’s face it, most people don’t want to be confronted with rape and female genital mutilation—while the different directing styles provided variety.                         Lola Love directed two of