Leilani Ramos, Danielle Zalopany, Lelea’e Buffy Kahalepuna Wong. Photo by Denise Di Guzman
WHAT: Hannah Ii-Epstein’s: Not One Batu
WHERE: Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street
WHEN: January 21 – February 21, 2016 (see schedule below)
EVENT: Talk story with the playwright and cast following the performance on Friday, January 29
COST: $5.00-$20.00
INFO: 536-4441, kumukahua.org
HONOLULU, HI— The world premiere of Hannah Ii-Epstein’s courageous play Not One Batu will be performed at Kumu Kahua Theatre beginning January 21st. A recovering meth addict herself, Hannah boldly tells this eye-opening story of a heart-breaking reality in our community.
Meet Honey Girl: a former meth user, now an expert drug dealer. At a Hale‘iwa park bench one morning, Honey Girl meets up with customers and friends, rival dealers and her addict mother, all linked together by the meth they buy or sell, use or reject.
Sometimes humorous but ultimately harrowing, Chicago-based playwright Hannah Ii-Epstein witnesses 90 minutes in one woman’s struggle to stay clean in world turned upside-down by meth.
This play contains strong language and simulated drug use.
Following the performance on January 29, there will be a talk story with the director, cast, Ms. Ii-Epstein and Michele Navarro Ishiki, a former addict and dedicated advocate for recovery. Throughout the run of the production, information from several drug addiction counseling and support organizations will be available at the theatre and on the theatre’s website.
Show Days and Times:
Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8pm: January 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30; February 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 2016
Sundays 2pm: January 24; February 7, 14, *21, 2016
*American Sign Language Interpretation upon request
(No show Sunday, February 7 – Super Bowl)
Tickets for performances can be purchased with a credit card by calling 536-4441, or by visiting the box office at 46 Merchant Street (corner of Bethel and Merchant Streets, downtown) between 11am and 3pm Monday through Friday. Tickets can also be purchased at KumuKahua.org.
Ticket prices are $5-$20.
THE PLAYWRIGHT: HANNAH II-EPSTEIN, born and raised in the North Shore of O‘ahu, recently graduated with a B.A. in Fiction Writing at Columbia College Chicago. She is a writer of fiction, poetry, screenplays, plays, and musicals. Since 2007, more than ten of her plays have been produced in Chicago by Nothing Without a Company, Mary-Arrchie, Fury Theater, Columbia College Chicago, Silent Theatre, and Nothing Special Productions. Her recent film, Sweet, won Best Film Runner-Up in Chicago’s 48 Hour Film Project. She is also a writer on the web series, The Real Deal.
The play is directed by Kumu Kahua Theatre Artistic Director, Harry Wong III. Harry recently directed Eric Yokomori’sCockadoodledoo, Lee Cataluna’s Flowers of Hawai‘i, and last season’s Ka‘iulani.
Kumu Kahua productions are supported in part by The Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and Arts through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawai‘i and by the National Endowment for the Arts. Also paid for in part by the taxpayers of the City & County of Honolulu; the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts; The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, McInerny Foundation (Bank of Hawaii, Trustee); Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) Charitable Foundation, The Atherton Foundation and Hawaiian Electric Company; The Star-Advertiser and other foundations, businesses and patrons.
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