KUMU KAHUA THEATRE BRINGS BACK ALANI APIO’S POWERFUL STATEMENT ABOUT HAWAIIANS LIVING IN CONTEMPOARY HAWAI‘I, K?MAU

HONOLULU, HI: No pat answers or one-dimensional characters are offered in K?mau (which means "to persevere"), as playwright Alani Apio explores the complex interrelationships, moral ambiguities and harsh realities of life in contemporary Hawai‘i.  The show will play at Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street in downtown Honolulu, running from March 15 through April 15.  This play contains strong language.

            First produced by Kumu Kahua for its 1994 summer tour of the Islands, K?mau was described by Honolulu Advertiser Drama Critic Joseph Rozmiarek as "a moving and powerful piece on the nature of personal and cultural compromise."  The story centers around Alika, a Hawaiian man who works as a guide for a local tour company to support his adopted family.  His employer offers Alika a promotion, at the same time informing him that the company has purchased and plans to build a hotel on the oceanfront land where Alika's family has lived and fished for generations.  Weighed down with responsibilities, and confused by alcohol, Alika struggles with his conscience as he considers his alternatives.

            Kumu Kahua Artistic Director, Harry Wong and Kumu Kahua actor and Board member Wil Kahele, will co-direct the production, with set design by Justin DeLand, light design by BullDog, and costume design by Alvin Chan.  The cast features Kumu veterans Elizabeth Pukaua Nui ‘o Kamehameha Sniffen Ah-Nee, James K. Bright, Dawn Gohara, Neal Milner, Gilbert Molina, Aitofele C. Simpson-Steele, and Laurie Tanoura.  Chloe Amos, Dusty Behner, and William Murray will make their Kumu debuts with K?mau.

            Kumu Kahua Theatre is an air-conditioned, intimate 100-seat performance space; to avoid disappointment, patrons should purchase tickets in advance.  Performances are at 8pm Thursday through Saturday, and at 2pm on Sunday afternoons.  Tickets can be purchased with a credit card by calling 536-4441, or by visiting our Box Office between 11am and 3pm Monday through Friday.  Ticket prices range from $16 to $5.  Tickets go on sale Monday, February 26.  For more information about this and other productions, visit www.kumukahua.org.