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. Hawaiʻi 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.

R. ZAMORA LINMARK,
PLAYWRIGHT

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

R. ZAMORA LINMARK has written seven books, most recently The Importance of Being Wilde at Heart, and three plays, including the stage adaptation of Rolling The R’s. Forthcoming are Eh, No Talk Li’Dat, a hybrid book he edited, compiled, and curated about Pidgin, and Dalamhati, his fifth collection of poetry. He lives in Honolulu, where he is currently working on a novel, tentatively titled Class of ‘86, and a play, Fags/Hags.

PLAYWRIGHT'S NOTE

This is a play about grief—that intense, raw emotional response to the loss of a loved one. Abrupt or anticipated, grief forces us to adjust to a modified life of carrying the unbearable weight of the missing half of us. Like phantom pains: it is there and not there; its presence is magnified by its very absence. We are never so much in the here-and-nowness as when we are grieving. We entertain demons and unwanted memories because of it. We are made vulnerable or become invincible because of it, unleashing a strength we thought we never had. We invite danger and invent amulets because of it. We dare and doubt the light because of it. We play host to our own emotional hostage-taking, or be paralyzed, sometimes for life, because of it. Such is the potency of grief. So powerful, more so than love and rage combined. No one goes through it and comes out unscarred. Like the characters in Lois-Ann Yamanaka’s powerful novel, grief assigns them four of the many masks it wears. Ivah, the eldest daughter, plans an escape route paved with guilt and filial duties. Her brother Blu succumbs to perversions, his and not his. Their father, Poppy, seeks a preferred sanctuary in the past, however ugly, merciless, demeaning. And Maisie, the youngest child, retreats into a world of selective silence. All trying to get past the point of pain.

I began this project in late 2017, soon after I got Lois-Ann’s permission to adapt her novel. Since then, it had gone through three major versions. The first was the most loyal to the book. The second marked a drastic departure from the first, forging towards its own identity. By the third, it had a narrative structure and symmetry where time was compressed and added scenes were expanded or written without diverging from the plot. It was this third version that we workshopped in November of 2023. I could not have asked for a better director, dramaturg, and cast of talented actors who pointed out what was missing and needed excising, tweaking, polishing, troubleshooting. For these, I wish to thank the play’s director Jason Kanda, playwright Daniel Akiyama who served as dramaturg, and actors Alvin Chan, Elexis Draine, Kaliko Fase, Maila Kaneaiakala, Kristen Labiano, Meredith Nichols, Ryan “Oki”naka, and Meghan Ormita.

I dedicate this play in memory of my teacher Faye Kicknosway, and my dear friend Bill Maliglig.

JASON A. KANDA,
Director

Alvin Chan (Poppy)- holds a BA in theatre from UH Mānoa and an MFA in directing from North Western University. His acting credits include The Chinese Lady (MVT), Echoes of Dat Red Guitar (KKT), Saturday Night at the Pahala Theatre (KKT), A Rice Paper Airplane (KKT) and the Emmy Award winning The HI Way (HTY). Currently Alvin is an Instuctor of Theatre at Leeward Community College.

Meghan Ormita (Ivah)- was last seen at KKT as Lovey in Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers. Prior KKT credits include Deedee in Aloha Las Vegas by Edward Sakamoto. 

Ryan “Oki” Okainaka (Blu) – was born and raised in Honolulu and has been a passionate performer across stage, television, web, and film. As a playwright, his works iHula (2016), Who You Again (2022) and  Ryan Okinaka’s The Golden Gays (2025) were produced at Kumu Kahua Theatre. With nearly a decade of experience in improv comedy, Oki has been a member of Improvhi and is the founder of Improv Superette, a new comedy team performing bi-monthly shows as a part of Kumu Kahua Theatre’s Dark Night Series. He was last seen on stage at KKT in Lois Ann Yamanaka’s Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers.

Maila Rondero Kaneaiakala (Maisie) – was last seen at KKT in Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers. Other credits include Rolling the R’s (KOA) and Saturday Night at the Pahala Theatre (KKT. Maila graduated from Sacred Hearts Academy and went on to study at San Jose Sate University. 

Juvy Lucina (Eleanor) was last seen in Once Upon One Noddah Time (LCC). Other credits include Da Mayah (MVT), Comedy of Errors (HSF) and Once Upon One Time.

Darryl Soriano (Mitchell/ Aunt Betty) was last seen in Two Nails, One Love at KKT. Recent credits include Beretania Snapshots, Kāmau Ae (KKT), Haoleland (KKT), Folks You Meet at Longs (KKT). Her previous acting credits include Chinee, Japanee, All Mix Up (UHM), The Watcher of Waipuna (KKT), and 38 Minutes (KKT).

Kristen Labiano (Vangie / Big Sis / Michell’s Aunt)- is a Waipahu high school grad who went on to study at the Hawai’i Conservatory for Performing Arts at Windward Community College. She was last seen at KKT in The Work Presents: The Sapphic Mantodea Complication. Other credits include Much Ado About Nothing (WCC), Morgan’s Corner (WCC), Pagliacci (HOT), and Rotterdam (TAG). 

Elexis   Draine (Blendaline / Miss Ito) – is a local actress whose recent performances include playing Khelsea in Ryan Okinaka’s The Golden Gays, L in Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers, Hoku in Blue, and Gracie in Aloha Las Vegas—all at KKT and Sandra in Da Mayah at MVT. She is also a proud member of the theatre’s improvisation group, the Improv Superette. 

Chelsea Cox (Miss Owens / Lila Beth / Interviewer) – is a Mid Pac grad whose credits include shows in Chicago such as Wedding Italiano with Frankie Avalon (River’s Casino) and The Wandering Wyvren Inn (Otherworld Theatre). Hawai’i credits include Jesus Christ Superstar (DHT) and Twelfth Night (HSF).

Michael “Donut” Donato (Uncle Myron / Uncle Paulo / Interviewer) is from ‘Aiea. He was most recently seen in Mynx & Savage at TAG. Some of his credits include Eddie Wen Go (UHM) and I'm Not Sick (KOA). Donut is a member of Think Fast Improv and Improv Superette.

Daron Gaskin (Scenic Design) is a young professional builder and 3d modeler with a background in theatrical design. He has been working with Hawaii Stage and Lighting for the past year as a apprentice and then project designer. And now works at KHS, his Alma mater as a part-time teacher and builder under the Kaimuki Performing Arts Center.

Rachel Sorensen (Lighting Design) is a theatrical lighting designer with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. They have designed lights for several original productions on Oahu, including UHM's I’m Lot Lane (a solo effort), for which they were a 2021 KCACTF national finalist for the Award for Excellence in Lighting Design; Hydra Dance's Leviathan in 2023; and KOA's You're NOT Sick in 2023. They also designed lights for the 2024 Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, the 2025 HSF production of Comedy of Errors, and multiple productions at 'Iolani School. This is their first time designing for Kumu Kahua Theatre.

Kahana Ho (Sound Design) most recently has been seen in The Taming of the Shrew (HSF), for which she also worked as audio engineer. She also appeared in KKT’s The Conversion of Ka‘ahumanu, other: a Micro Story, Lovey Lee, The Watcher of Waipuna, iHula, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo, and Kāmau A‘e. She has worked in various productions since 2012 as a set build crewmember, dresser, light and sound designer and operator, stage manager, technical director, and assistant director.

Iris Kim (Costume Design) started sewing when she was 5 years old and began designing and constructing costumes when her oldest child got involved in theater in 2009. She has worked on productions at MVT, DHT, HSF, KKT, WCC and was the Assistant Costume Shop Manager at Kennedy Theatre at UHM. She is the costume designer at HTY.

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 (MVT) 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
Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre: HOT
Hawaiʻi Pacific University: HPU
Hawaiʻi 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
Ron Heller

Board of Stakeholders

Alvin Chan
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