OUR PRODUCTIONS ARE SPONSORED IN PART BY THE FOLLOWING:

Kumu Kahua productions are supported in part by The Kim Coco Fund for Justice of the Iwamoto Family Foundation, Timothy and Eddie, 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. Hawai‘i 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.

Eric Anderson,
PLAYWRIGHT

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

ERIC ANDERSON graduated from the University of Kansas with an M.A. in theater, then moved to Minneapolis, where his plays were produced at the Illusion Theatre, Park Square Theatre, Lagniappe Theatre, Theatre in the Round and Children’s Theatre. He has written plays for National Public Radio, and was a founding member of the Playwrights Center. He and his husband now live in Hawai‘i, where his plays have been produced at Kumu Kahua Theatre and The Actors Group in Honolulu, as well as at the University of Hawai‘i in Hilo. Currently he is collaborating with composer Kim Sherman on Bluestem an opera based on the Willa Cather stories Song of the Lark and The Sculptor’s Funeral.

PLAYWRIGHT'S NOTE

This is, happily enough, my third outing with Kumu Kahua Theatre with yet another 'history play.’ Since moving to Hawai‘i, I have been interested, as a dramatist, in throwing light on little known aspects of Hawaiian history. My fascination is not with history as such but with the people who make it, the more obscure the better. My first play with Kumu [Kahua] was ANOTHER HEAVEN, about the lynching of Katsu Goto, a labor activist in Honoka‘a in the 1890s on the Big Island. And following that was WILD BIRDS, a play about the missionary couple Amos and Juliette Cook and their experience with teaching the Royal Children. Now I turn my gaze on Isabella Bird and King Lunalilo. Isabella Bird is not much read these days, it seems, but she was once well known as an International travel writer, and her various journeys included a stay in the “Sandwich Islands.” She happened to be in Hilo in 1872 and happened to meet the new King of Hawai‘i Lunalilo when he visited Hilo on his inaugural trip around the Islands. The playwright in me was instantly attracted to and intrigued by the meeting of these two remarkable people. I did some research into and about Bird and Lunalilo, then let my imagination take over. This is by no means an accurate representation of either person or of their meeting. The fact that they met each other at this critical juncture in Hawaiian history — both representative of their respective cultures as well as outside of them — seems worthy of a play. My thanks to the Kumu Kahua people, especially Harry Wong III, and particularly to Reyn for making this experience so rewarding.

Reyn Afaga,
Director

KAIPO DUDOIT (King Lunalilo) is an actor from Honouliuli, Oʻahu. His latest theatricals work include assistant directing for Rent at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. He has also acted in plays at UH Mānoa, HSF, Hawaiʻi Ponoʻī Coalition, Palikū Theatre, and KKT. He has also acted in many film projects; recently seen in Disney's live-action film Lilo & Stitch playing David Kawena. Kaipo is also a proud haumāna of Robert Cazimero in Hālau Nā Kamalei o Līlīlehua. 

JULIA AVILLA LOPRESTI (Isabella) is an actor and director from ‘Aiea, O‘ahu. Her acting credits include Cymbeline (HSF), #haoleboyfriend (KKT), The Conversion of Ka‘ahumanu (KKT) and Flowers of Hawai‘i (KKT). She has been the Theatre Director at ‘Aiea Intermediate School for 18 years. In 2010 she received the Central District Teacher of the Year award.

EMILY STEWARD (Lucinda) has an MFA from UH Manoa. Her recent acting credits include Hamlet (HSF), Clue (MVT), The Moors (UHM), Loves Labours Lost (HSF) and The Country Wife (UHM). TV credits include NCIS:HI, Magnum PI and ChicagoMD. She is a three time recipient of The Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship and the Region 7 Improv Olympix Champ two years running (2018, 2019).

JILL JACKSON (Anna) has an MFA in acting from UH Mānoa. Her acting credits include Frozen (DHT), Uncle Vanya (TAG), Pride and Prejudice (KOA),  and Grumpiest Boy In the World (KOA). This is her first time performing at Kumu.

PŌ‘AI LINCOLN (Hattie) is a professionally trained musician who was born and raised in Waimea, Hawai'i Island. Her most recent credit was at HSF in Hamlet. She was an HTY company actor (2020-2023). During her time as an actor at HTY, she was proud to work on a vast array of stage productions and received three Emmy Awards for HTY’s television show, The HI Way.She was last seen at Kumu in Lovey Lee.

KANOE PERREIRA (Deborah) is a Mid-Pac grad from Kaimuki. Her previous stage credits include Hamlet (HSF). This is her first time at Kumu.

PŌ‘AI LINCOLN (Musical Director) See bio under actors bios.

KEVIN KEAVENEY (Scenic Design) received drama training at Yale University and spent 15 years as an actor in NYC before moving to O‘ahu. He was last seen as Tommy in Ryan Okinaka’s The Golden Gays for which he was also the set designer. Other credits include Noises Off (DHT), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and In the Next Room (MVT), Red and Fool for Love (TAG), Cemetery Pupu Theater and The Tempest (HMH). As founder of KOA Theater, Kevin honed his set design, crafting stages for Marjorie Prime, The Wolves, Title and Deed, Wild Swimming, Small Mouth Sounds and Mr. Burns, as well as his annual Skeleton Key Hawai‘i haunted house.

CHELSEA LC YAMASHIRO (Lighting Design) tells stories through light, shaping emotion and rhythm that move across the stage like breath. Making her lighting design debut at Kumu Kahua Theatre, she continues a creative partnership spanning over 15 years with director Jonathan Reyn. Chelsea serves as Assistant Theatre Manager at Leeward Theatre, collaborating with artists and organizations across Hawai‘i’s vibrant creative landscape.

MAILE SPEETJENS (Costume Design) serves as Professor of Costume Design and Technology for University of Hawai‘i, Mānoa. Originally hailing from Kaua‘i, Maile received an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Georgia, Athens and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College. Her recent design work includes June is the First Fall (KKT), A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream (UHM: 2018 Po’okela for Best Costume Design), and ‘Au‘a ‘Ia: Holding On (UHM).

SARA WARD (Properties Design) is a multi-hyphenate theatre practitioner. Her contributions in theatre range from playwriting, props design and spot op to box office management. She has received four Po‘okela awards for her prop work from the Hawai‘i State Theatre Council.  In 2019 Sara Was awarded the Pierre Bowman Award which is given each year to a person "through whose efforts the life of theater in Hawai’i has been uplifted." Favorite prop designs include Fiddler on the Roof (HPU), The Rocky Horror Show (MVT), Kim’s Convenience (KKT) Folks You Meet at Longs (KKT), and The Kāmau Trilogy (KKT).

THEATRE ABBREVIATIONS

Army Community Theatre: ACT
The ARTS at Marks Garage: AMG
All the World's a Stage: ATWAS
Central Theatre Arts Academy: CTAA
Diamond Head Theatre: DHT
EVOLVE Theatre Company: ETC
Hawaiian Mission Houses: HMH
Hawai‘i Opera Theatre: HOT
Hawai‘i Pacific University: HPU
Hawai‘i Shakespeare Festival: HSF
Honolulu Theatre for Youth: HTY
Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre: IONA
Kaimukī High School: KHS
Kumu Kahua Theatre: KKT
KOA Theater: KOA
Kīlauea Military Camp Theater: KMC
Kīpuka Theatre: KT
Leeward Theatre: LCC
Mid-Pacific Institute: MPI
Mānoa Valley Theatre: MVT
‘Ohana Arts: OA
Open Home Performance Network: OHPN
‘Ōhi‘a Productions: OP
On the Spot: OTS
Performing Arts Center of Kapolei: PACK
PlayBuilders of Hawai‘i: PBH
Palikū Theatre: PTW
The Actors’ Group: TAG
University of Hawai‘i Mānoa: UHM
Windward Community College (Palikū): WCC

KUMU KAHUA THEATRE
2025-2026

Managing Director: Donna Blanchard
Artistic Director: Harry Wong III
Office Manager: Sara Ward
Box Office Associates: Alyson Wong, Kathy Dombrigues, Max Pennington & Victoria Amara

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Elizabeth Errico
Jason Kanda
Brook Lee
Dann Seki

Board of Stakeholders

Alvin Chan
Carolyn Corley
Julia Gilman
Brandon Haggio
Denny Hironaga
Karen Hironaga
Kahana Ho
Jason Kanda
Iāsona Kaper
Monica Lee
Shannon Murphy
Ryan Okinaka
Jonathan Reyn
Dann Seki
Teri Skillman
Darryl Soriano
John Wat
Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak