“It’s Like Christmas ... In July!” Kumu Kahua Theatre Receives $71,250.00 Grant-In-Aid From State!

HONOLULU, HI: Kumu Kahua Theatre, the only theatre company in Hawai’i that focuses primarily on new plays by Hawai’i’s playwrights, has just accepted grant-in-aid funds in the amount of $71,250 from the state.

“We actually wrote the grant application back in early 2007 but it got stalled in red tape.” said Scott Rogers, managing director of the 38 year-old theatre company. “I didn’t know if we would ever get the funds. We’ve had to jump through so many hoops but it was worth it!”

Although there were no restrictions on how the funds may be used, Kumu Kahua’s board of directors has decided to use “a large chunk of it”- at least $10,000- to commission new plays from local playwrights. “We also have some major issues to address like chairs that are getting older and the floor in the foyer, which is buckling. We’re located in the old Kamehameha V post office, in downtown Honolulu, and the floor is a safety issue we can now deal with properly. We’re so grateful for the confidence the state has shown in our theatre company. This grant will help us to present Hawai’i’s stories to Hawai’i’s people well into the foreseeable future” Rogers said.

Kumu Kahua productions are also being supported by the State Foundation on Culture & the Arts celebrating more than thirty years of culture & the arts in Hawai‘i; the Annenberg Foundation; the Mayor’s Office of Culture & Arts, Mufi Hannemann, Mayor; The Hawai‘i Community Foundation; & foundations, businesses & patrons.