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. 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.

Diane Aoki,
PLAYWRIGHT

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

DIANE AOKI wrote her first play, Wind Dances, in college a long time ago. lt was staged by East West Players in Los Angeles, also a long time ago. She moved back to Guam where she was raised, and wrote a children’s musical play, Pulani, that has been produced there 3 separate times. In Honolulu for graduate school, she studied playwriting under Dennis Carroll. She was a member of a playwriting group led by YYork. Some of her work was staged by Honolulu Theatre for Youth. Diane twice participated in the Original Play Festival held at the Aloha Theater in Kona. Recently, a reading for her latest play, Hanafuda with Grandma, was presented by PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi.  Oh, she’s a proud and relieved, retired public school teacher.

PLAYWRIGHT'S NOTE

When I look back on the journey of this play, the first time it went from idea to writing was for the One-Minute Play Festival in 2016, later (2023) this mini play was in a PlayBuilders production recognizing caregivers.  In 2019, my daughter Dance, was teaching a playwriting workshop at Aloha Theatre in Kona and I wrote a few scenes then, which were later included in Mahalo Ayakari, an Okinawa Association literary arts publication. In 2023, I shared Memory Beads with the Keakalehua Playreading Hui. As I was rewriting, I met Aiko and told her about this play I couldn’t seem to finish. She advised me to send it in. In 2024, a reading was held at Kumu Kahua, I got good notes from Harry, and finally it is where it is now.  These opportunities provided creative buoys that helped me to keep going. I am grateful for these buoys. 

I often get asked if this play is autobiographical. In some degree or another, all creative work is autobiographical, but some are more obvious than others. It doesn’t matter. This is a story, and I use that word with reverence. The Memory Beads team - actors, directors, designers, production, staff - jointly have a goal that the story is told and received well. I am grateful for their hard work, commitment, and talent.

We all have stories. When I talk story with folks, I often say, you should write about that. If you are afraid that you don’t want to bare your soul in public, my advice is to say - Nah, it’s not autobiographical - It’s a story! Stories are meant for sharing. Sharing is caring.

This story is about memory. What does it mean when you forget your memories? Who are you if not for your memories, if not for the stories of your life?  What story do you hope to leave behind when you are gone? How can we be better story sharers and receivers? Why should we? Can we get our loved ones to tell us their stories? I do hope that the play inspires thoughts and conversations about memories, life stories, and dealing with memory loss.

lIZA SANCHEZ,
CO-Director

julia gilman,
CO-Director

Denise Aiko Chinen (Joni) Was last seen in Friends Tomodachi (UH Lab Theatre), Prescription Murder (HTC), Women in History (HHM), As You Like It (HSF) and Art and Architecture at the Pacific Club. Behind the scenes she was recently the Assistant Director for Blu’s Hanging (KKT). Over the years Denise Aiko Chinen has performed at TAG, KKT, MVT, KOA, HSF and many more. 

Sanae Tokumura (Haruko) hails from Līhuʻe, Kauai. She was last seen at KKT in Southernmost. Previous credits include Titus Andronicus (HSF) and One Uddah Mid'summah (HSF) and Beretania Snapshots (KKT).

Kirstyn Trombetta (Lianna) was last seen at KKT in Smother. Previous credits include Haoleland. Cymbeline (HSF), Kimo the Waiter (HCP), Waitress (DHT), Macbeth (HSF), Hedda Gabler (HSF), #iambadatthis (KKT) and Harold and Maude (MVT).

Kris10 Misaki (Celestial Maiden) is a graduate of Pearl City High School and studied theatre at LCC. She was last seen at KKT in Folks You Meet in Longs by Lee Cataluna.  Her recent credits include Once Upon One Time (LCC), Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers, Aloha Fry-Day, and Aloha Attire (KKT), and Twelfth Night and As You Like It (HSF).

Stu Hirayama (Okuma) has worked for many theatres; most recently he was seen in Two Nails, One Love at KKT. Previous credits include in Da Mayah (MVT), One Uddah Mid'summah (HSF), The Taming of the Shrew (HSF), Lucky Come Hawaiʻi (KKT). As a sound designer he has several designs to his credit for KKT, including Kimo the Waiter, Living Pidgin, and Voices from Okinawa.

Camden Colipano (Satto, Kiyo, Kazuo) a Damien Memorial School grad, Camden has also taken courses in Acting for Adults and Advanced Improvisation with Shannon Winpenny. 

Gabriella Gualano (Ane, Ellen) graduated from UH Lab School where she took acting classes from the late Kati Kuroda. Gabriella travelled to Chicago where she studied at Second City. Here at home she’s taken classes with Shannon Winpenny and Improv HI.

Matthew Nakamura (Naagusuku/Masami Spirit/Koichi/Tadashi) is a Kalani High School grad. He has participated in many Improv shows around the island including: Nerd Night, Comedy Fest Mega Jam, The Dinner Detective and Improv Showcase at MVT. His film and TV credits include Protecting Jared, NCIS:HI, Hawaiʻi 5-0, Lilo & Stitch, Rescue: HI Surf and Magnum PI.

Pauli N. Amornkul (Kama) has performed in 45+ productions with 15+ theatre, 2 dance, and 2 opera companies in the Bay Area. She has inhabited principal, character, and ensemble roles and can be heard on two original cast recording CDs. Pauli has studied dance in several disciplines, now including Kachāshī. Offstage, Pauli plays a medical epidemiologist.

Joy Turbeville (Kama’s Mother) was last seen in Hanafuda With Grandmaby Diane Aoki. She’s been a coach with Hawaiʻi Speech League since 2011.

Beth Barry (Assistant Director) has been active in the Honolulu theatre, TV and film community in various roles for 20 years. She is grateful to be assisting in bringing to life this poignant story. Losing her own mother to Alzheimer's Disease and having her uncle be a part of the occupation forces in Japan made working on this production especially meaningful. Beth would like to thank the Kumu ʻOhana for the warm welcome and for allowing her to grow as an industry professional. She is a member of both SAG-AFTRA and AEA.

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 Hawaii haunted house.

Kahana Ho (Sound and Light Design) Ms. Ho has most recently worked on Lighting and/or Sound Design for KKT’s Bluʻs Hanging; Two Nails, One Love (uncredited); and Smother, as well as most of KKT’s Dark Night Series productions.  She also has been the audio engineer for Hawaiian Mission Houses’ Mele Program concerts.  While not formally trained in Technical Theatre, she has been fortunate to have had a lot of “on-the-job training” at KKT. Additionally, she has been able to pursue her love for acting, most recently appearing at KKT as Aunty Maria Lani in Ryan Okinaka’s The Golden Gays, Sheila in Lovey Lee, and Wainani Carson in The Kāmau Trilogy. She is honored to bring her passion for Asian/Pacific/Hawaiian culture and history to her work for “Memory Beads”.

Kimmerie H.O. Jones (Costume Design) has been designing award-winning costumes & creatures since the late 1980s. Memory Beads is her first design for Kumu Kahua; she is thrilled to be learning kimono, shibori, and other new tricks.  Love to her family, and to all of you who support the arts.

Lisa Ponce De Leon (Hair & Make-Up) has been doing makeup and hair design for more than a decade. She is a multiple Po‘okela award recipient for her work on MVT’s The Rocky Horror Show 2019, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Rock Of Ages. At WCC, she designed The Wiz, Les Misérables, and 1776: The Musical, and at TAG: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Lisa is a lecturer at Honolulu Community College where she teaches hair and makeup design.

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 Poʻokela awards for her prop work, from the Hawaiʻi 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 Hawaiʻi 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

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Elizabeth Errico
Jason Kanda
Brook Lee
Dann Seki

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