Kumu Kahua Theatre and Bamboo Ridge Press Announce The Winner of the August 2025 Go Try PlayWrite Contest
For Immediate Release 09.19.25
Kumu Kahua Theatre and Bamboo Ridge Press Announce
The Winner of the August 2025 Go Try PlayWrite Contest
Where: Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street, Honolulu
Contact: Sara Ward, officemanager@kumukahua.org, 536-4441
HONOLULU HI – The August Go Try PlayWrite winner is
Lee A. Tonouchi for his piece It's Not His Nose That Grows
Lee A. Tonouchi a.k.a. "Da Pidgin Guerrilla" writes in Hawai'i Creole English. He had several plays produced by Kumu Kahua Theatre. Dey include Gone Feeshing, Living Pidgin, Da Kine Space, Echoes of Dat Red Guitar, and UchinaAloha. Paliku Theatre did his play Oriental Faddah and Son. HTY did his youth play Three Year Swim Club. An'den da East West Players did da adult version which wuz one Los Angeles Times Critic's Choice Selection.
Each month Kumu Kahua Theatre co-sponsors this playwriting contest with Bamboo Ridge Press in their combined effort to nurture local playwrights and authors. Each month a different judge is pulled from amongst the theatre practitioners in the Hawaii theatre community. All plays submitted are read by Kumu Kahua Theatre Artistic Director, Harry Wong III.
August 2025 prompt: A Pinocchio prompt. Write a ten-page maximum scene or an eight-page maximum monologue of a public figure who lies and whose body part either grows or shrinks with each lie. This is an ideal world where all lies are obvious to the public. Go big with your scenes…or small.
Contest Rules: Each entrant must write a 5-page monologue and/or a 10-page scene based on monthly requirements. Each month a new prompt will be chosen by Kumu Kahua Theatre’s Artistic Director. The prompt will be given on or by the 1st of the month and the due date will always be the last day of the month. All entries must be written in traditional play format; instructions on this format can be found here: https://www.dramatistsguild.com/script-formats courtesy of the Dramatists Guild.
There will be one winner each month. Scripts will be submitted to the judges anonymously. So please do not put your name on the cover of your script. Winners will receive $100.00 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press.
We are now accepting entries for the September Go Try PlayWrite Contest!
Kumu Kahua productions are supported in part by The Kim Coco Fund for Justice of the Iwamoto Family Foundation, the NME Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, the Island Insurance Foundation, The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawaiʻi, The AAPI Community Fund, The Richard Aadland Fund, The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Spectrum/Charter Communications, ABC Stores, the Gloria Kosasa Gainsley Fund, Hawaiʻi Public Radio, H. Hawaii Media, Simply Storage, HUB Coworking, Vacations Hawaiʻi, Zippy’s Restaurants, Highway Inn, Generations Magazine, CVS/Longs Drugs, HMSA, Hawaiian Electric, MonkeyPod, and other foundations, businesses, and loyal patrons.