First produced by Kumu Kahua for its 1994 summer tour of the Islands,
Alani Apio's Kāmau has been described by Honolulu Advertiser
theater critic Joseph Rozmiarek as a moving and powerful piece on the
nature of personal and cultural compromise. The story centers on Alika, a
Hawaiian man who works as a guide for a local O`ahu 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. Alika finds himself torn between his ties to his family
and culture, and his desire to survive in a Hawai`i increasingly possessed
by outsiders.
To learn . . .
Essentially bribed by his well-meaning boss with a promotion at the new
hotel, and a new apartment with a rent subsidy, Alika also angles for a
job for his angry cousin Michael, who doesn't like the idea at all. Alika
also helps Lisa, his cousin George's former girlfriend and fiance, to take
care of Stevie, the daughter George felt he could not support (George has
committed suicide before the play's present time.) Alika is also haunted
by the ghost of his mother, who gives him advice that he doesn't
understand until play's end, and the ghost of George, who tries to explain
his death. Weighed down with responsibilities and confused by alcohol,
Alika struggles with his conscience as he considers his alternatives. No
pat answers or one-dimensional characters are offered in Kāmau
(which means to persevere), as the playwright explores the complex
interrelationships, moral ambiguities, and harsh realities of life in
contemporary Hawai`i.
To anger . . .
The play has its comic scenes, but its troubling and deeply moving
moments as well. Harry Wong III notes that while "there are no evil
haoles or clear bad guys," the play does create "a sense of tragedy,"
while John Wat writes that Apio's play "reflect(s) his compelling
interest in trying to define what it is to be Hawaiian."
To mend . . .
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 Pūkaua Nui `o Kamehameha
Sniffen Ah-Nee, James K. Bright, Dawn Gohara, Neal Milner, Gilbert Molina,
Aitofele C. Simpson-Steele, and Laurie Tanoura. Making their Kumu debuts
are Chloe Amos, Dusty Behner, and William Murray.
Kumu Kahua productions are being supported by the State Foundation on
Culture & the Arts, celebrating more than thirty years of culture & the
arts in Hawai`i; the Mayor's Office of Culture & Arts, Mufi Hannemann,
Mayor; The Hawai`i Community Foundation; the Hawai`i People's Fund; the
Hawai`i Council for the Humanities; University of Hawai`i at Mānoa
Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, Department of Theatre
and Dance, Department of English, and Center for Biographical Research;
and foundations, businesses & patrons.
Front row (L to R): Dusty Behner, Chloe Amos, Julia Nakamoto, Elizabeth
Pūkaua Nui `o Kamehameha Sniffen Ah-Nee, Laurie Tanoura. Back: Dawn
Gohara, Aitofele C. Simpson-Steele, William Murray, Alani Apio, James K.
Bright, Gilbert Molina, Neal Milner.
Kumu Kahua Theatre is sponsoring two evenings devoted to examining some of
the historical events, cultural legacies, and artistic issues that arise
in its upcoming production of Alani Apio's Kāmau. The events
will take place on Tuesday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the
Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, at the University of
Hawai`i at Mānoa, and on Tuesday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m at Kumu Kahua
Theatre. These free events are funded by the Hawai`i Council for the
Humanities, and co-sponsored by the University of Hawai`i Mānoa
Center for Biographical Research, the Kamakakūokalani Center for
Hawaiian Studies, and the Departments of English and of Theatre and
Dance.
Event I: Kāmau: The Past, the Present, Hawai`i
Tuesday, March 20, 2007, at 7:30 p.m.
Kamakakūokalani Center for Hawaiian Studies, 2645 Dole Street,
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa
This event will deal with the issues the play raises about contemporary
Hawaiians' relations to their past through a long history of profound and
invasive change. Jonathan Kay Kamakawiwo`ole Osorio will speak about the
constant negotiations and struggles faced by Hawaiians since contact to
persevere (kāmau) as ways change, connections to the past seem to
fray, and tensions arise in the Hawaiian community over the appropriate
ways to respond to those from outside, and to new aspirations within the
community itself. Laura Lyons will talk about Kāmau as part
of larger resistance literature, often the product of decolonization
around the world, that often emerges as indigenous or marginalized peoples
find a voice through art and performance to assert their identity and will
for self-determination. Playwright Alani Apio will talk about how this
play, and its sequel, Kāmau A`e, reflect and extend his own
understanding of theatre's role in addressing contemporary social issues.
Harry Wong III and William T. Kahele, the co-directors of this production,
will describe the process of bringing the play to the stage, with Harry
Wong, the play's director in 1994 as well, commenting on how twelve more
years of change has affected this new production. A scene from the
current production of Kāmau with special relevance for the
evening's discussion will also be presented. Questions and discussion
will follow.
Event II: Kāmau: Hawaiian Literature, Hawaiian Theatre
Tuesday, March 27, 2006, at 7:30 p.m.
Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street
This evening the focus will be on Hawaiian dramatic arts in the context of
Hawai`i drama and Hawaiian literature. Theatre historian Dennis Carroll
will set Kāmau within the traditions and practice of Hawaiian
theatre as a form of identity formation, a forum for analysis and debate,
and a voice for political advocacy. Ku`ualoha Ho`omanawanui, folklorist,
literary scholar, and founding co-editor of Ōiwi: A Native
Hawaiian Journal will talk about Kāmau as a powerful and
representative example of contemporary Hawaiian literary writing.
Playwright Alani Apio will talk about how his experience as a Hawaiian
writer and as an actor within Hawai`i's literary and dramatic tradition
shaped his approach to the writing of his plays. Harry Wong III and
William T. Kahele will examine how their own assumptions about the issues
raised in the play influenced or gave way to the demands of creating a
compelling piece of theatre. A scene from the current production of
Kāmau with special relevance for the evening's discussion will
also be presented. Questions and discussion will follow.
Kumu Kahua's 100-seat playhouse puts you at the heart of the drama. And
with well over 100 plays to our credit, our reputation attracts some of
Hawaii's most talented actors, directors, playwrights, designers and other
theater artists and technicians.
First produced by Kumu Kahua for its 1994 summer tour of the Islands,
Alani Apio's Kāmau has been described by Honolulu Advertiser
theater critic Joseph Rozmiarek as a moving and powerful piece on the
nature of personal and cultural compromise. The story centers on Alika, a
Hawaiian man who works as a guide for a local O`ahu 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. Alika finds himself torn between his ties to his family
and culture, and his desire to survive in a Hawai`i increasingly possessed
by outsiders. 
