Film: Kumu Kahua Theatre (United States)

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00:00:00: SOUND UP; [MUSIC PLAYS]; JOHN WATT: Our theater’s called Kumu Kahua, and in Hawaiian that means, “original stage,” or “original platform.” And our mission is actually to do plays about Hawaii — for, by and about Hawaii.; CHARLIE: Tell me how you got involved with the theater group.; JOHN: You know, that’s kind of funny. I was in graduate school at Northwestern, and I came home and I knew I wanted to do something here. I mean, I really, really wanted to come home and do work, so I came and I hooked up with this theater, and I actually directed the first play in this space. So I was quite excited to do that.; ACTRESS: [FROM THE PLAY, “Pele Mā”] Oh, so he can wrap it around his waist before strutting off to visit with his friends. Then we’ll pile the leaves into fine mats, and we’ll carry them to the faraway sea to wash and dry them in the sun, to make his bed thicker and more comfortable! From morning till night they worked hard, They were afraid of his anger.; ACTOR: Wife! ?? Where are you?!
00:01:18: SECOND MAN: We’re at the post office from 1870, which is now the home of the Kumu Kahua Theater. We’re in a wonderfully historic building. This is the first poured concrete and rebar building in the United States.; MARIA: This gives the local writers a chance to see their plays being staged, and it also gives a lot of the local actors and actresses, even they’re first time, a chance to perform.; ACTOR: [Pele Mā] I am Makali Kuakabaia. I own the uplands and the lowlands. I have lands toward the mountains, and toward the sea. I am the ruling chief of Kona, and soon, I’ll be the ruler of all of Kaua Ko’e.; CRAIG HOUSE: The reason I think it’s important that Kumu Kahua stage the plays that it does, is because it actually contributes something directly not only to the culture of Hawaii, continually reminding us what the stories of this place are—not just the old stories, the stories of what’s happening every day, we do contemporary plays as well. On top of that it’s a place that actually encourages and allows a whole bunch of artists to work who might not get opportunities.; CHARLIE: Do you feel that Hawaiian culture is slipping away in today’s times?
00:03:07: CHARLIE: If more people got involved with the Kumu Kahua Theater, what would you do?; CRAIG: Probably expand the educational program. We’d put more money into endowments for playwrights, trying to give playwrights more support so they can write stuff that we can then put on. That’s one of the major areas we ‘d direct our money toward. The other one is just renovation, getting the space in better shape.
00:03:33: CHARLIE: What makes Hawaii a magical place?; JOHN: Oh, that’s a really good question. I think it’s a whole spirit of the people who live here. It starts with the indigenous people, the people who came, you know, a thousand years ago, to this island, and have native Hawaiian blood. But it also includes all the people who have come since then, and have found that this home speaks to them. It’s the geography of the place. I was in a place on the mainland where they said, Oh, look at how blue the sky is. And I said, No, you don’t understand. I live in the middle of the Pacific, and we know what the sky looks like.; MUSIC PLAYS
00:04:14: CHARLIE: Why is it important for people to be selfless in today’s world?; JOHN: You know, if people think of me as selfless, I really don’t think so. I’m really selfish. You know, this kind of work fulfills me. And when I see what I can give, it just fills me up, and there’s a word, Aloha, and the Kumu, or teacher, says, “The only meaning of Aloha” — a lot of people think it means goodbye or hello” — he said, “the only meaning of Aloha is love, and when we give that, we get it back many times over.
00:04:52: MARIA: My name is Maria Takamori Prickett.; CRAIG HOUSE: My name is Craig House.; JOHN WATT: Aloha (?) I’m John Watt. I’m the director of this play. It's called Pele Mā. And we’re playing here in the Kumu Kahua Theater.; ACTRESS: At the darkest part of morning, before the first light of dawn appears…??? It is time for me to leave. I must go back to Puna, land of the sunrise.; ACTOR: I will go with you!; ACTRESS: No! You must remain here. I will go home, and prepare a place for us to live.; [MUSIC PLAYS]; END OF FILM

Now Viewing: Kumu Kahua Theatre

At the Kumu Kahua Theatre in Honolulu, the magic of Hawaii is kept alive through plays written by and about the people of the islands. With performances like Da Mayah, Mainland Education and the Noh musical drama Kalua`iko`olau, the community theatre is a key addition to the city's cultural offerings.