The Kumu Kahua Theatre &
UHM Theatre & Dance Department
Annual Playwriting Contest
ABOUT
Each year Kumu Kahua Theatre co-sponsors a playwriting contest with the UHM Theatre Department in its effort to bring new and exciting drama to the stage. Although Kumu Kahua has a strong commitment to producing the works of local playwrights in recent years they have produced several plays pertaining to Hawaiʻi that have been written by non-Hawaiʻi residents. Kumu Kahua Theatre recognizes that many playwrights who have moved to the US continent, for example, may have valuable insights to offer about their local experiences.
The playwriting contest is offered in three separate categories. One prize will be offered in each category. All plays must be original and not involve adaptation form any copyrighted source. They should not have received previous production in their current form. Any number of scripts may be submitted by an individual, but a different pen name must accompany each play and each play can only be entered in one category. Plays previously submitted to the contest are not eligible. A panel of independent judges will read all entries in the competition and consider each for workshops, which may lead to a production. Kumu Kahua Theatre is especially interested in plays pertinent to Hawaiʻi.
(For the Go Try PlayWrite monthly contest presented in partnership with Bamboo Ridge, click here.)
For the Hawaiʻi Prize ($600), which is open to residents and non-residents of Hawaiʻi, the play must be set in Hawaiʻi or deal with some aspect of the Hawaiʻi experience. Some examples of appropriate topics might be: pre-colonial life in the islands; relation between indigenous and colonizer; the coming of whalers; missionaries and merchants; the history of ethnic immigration and adaptation to Hawaiʻi; the development of enter-ethnic relationships; labor history; the territorial era; militarization; the move toward statehood; tourism and development; contemporary immigration and diaspora; women's rights; the experiences of Hawaiʻi's people outside of Hawaiʻi. Restricted to full-length plays (minimum 50 pages of standard form).
For the Pacific/Rim Prize ($450), which is open to residents and non-residents of Hawaiʻi, the play must be set in or deal with the Pacific Islands, the Pacific Rim, or the Pacific/Asian American experience. Restricted to full-length plays (minimum 50 pages of standard form).
For the Resident Prize ($250), which is open to the residents of Hawaiʻi at the time of submission, the plays may be on any topic, and of any length.
To Submit A Play
You may email your script to officemanager@kumukahua.org or mail three (3) copies. Plays should be formatted/typed on ordinary bond paper, double-spaced, and on one side of the paper only.
Prepare a front page for the manuscript which bears the play title, pen name, and the division in which the play is being entered. Do not place your name anywhere on the script.
In an ordinary envelope place a piece of paper with the following information clearly printed or typed (if you are emailing your script, this should be in the body of your email):
play title and pen name
playwright’s real name
social security number
address and phone number
competition division
If you are sending via US Mail, seal the envelope and print or type the play title on the outside.
Place the playscript and the sealed envelope in a large envelope (or otherwise wrap them together) and mail to:
Kumu Kahua Playwriting Contest
Kumu Kahua Theatre
46 Merchant Street
Honolulu, HI 96813If you are emailing your script, put "2025 Playwriting Contest" in the subject line.
The deadline for entries is January 2nd, 2025
Submitted playscripts become part of Kumu Kahua Theatre / UHM Theatre Department Competition Plays, a collection of manuscripts housed and bound in the Hawaiian and Pacific collection of Hamilton Library at the University of Hawaiʻi. Kumu Kahua Theatre reserves first production rights for two years to all contest winners. All other rights are retained by the playwright. Three judges, whose decisions will be final, will be selected by Kumu Kahua Theatre to evaluate the plays. If, in the opinion of the judges, the plays submitted do not show sufficient merit, one or more prizes may be withheld. Results of the contest will be announced to the press.
All contestants will be notified. Any more questions? Contact us.
Best of luck!
Recent Winners
2024
Hawaiʻi Prize: Yamaguchi Store by Shanti Reinhardt
Pacific Rim Prize: Ginkgo Express by Brandon Zang
Resident Prize: Alaula by Justina T. Mattos
2023
Hawaiʻi Prize: The Stones of Life by Zachariah Ezer
Pacific Rim Prize: They Came in the Night by Zizi Majid
Resident Prize: Miss Styling Hawaiian by Lee A. Tonouchi
2022
Hawaiʻi Prize: Messenger From Afar by Stephen Most
Pacific Rim Prize: Dharma by Nayna Agrawal
Resident Prize: Secret of Da Hanafuda Ladies Club by Lee A. Tonouchi
2021
Hawaiʻi Prize: Medokusai by Eric Stack
Pacific Rim Prize: Pacific Caper by Rex McGregor
Resident Prize: N/A
2020
Hawaiʻi Prize: Hapa Girls by Jessie Ren Marshall
Pacific Rim Prize: The Naugahyde Man by Randy Lee Gross
Resident Prize: Both Your Houses by Susan Soon He Stanton
2017
Hawaiʻi Prize: Old Futs by Lee A. Tonouchi
Pacific Rim Prize: N/A
Resident Prize: Topsy-Turvy by John Mazur
2014
Hawaiʻi Prize: Seek by Susan Soon He Stanton
Pacific Rim Prize: Tiger Style by Mike Lee
Resident Prize: Deaf in One Ear by Kemeul DeMoville
2013
Hawaiʻi Prize: The Night Watchman by E. Thomalen
Pacific Rim Prize: The Tiger Among Us by Lauren Yee
Resident Prize: Furball Susan Soon He Stanton
2011
Hawaiʻi Prize: The House by Anthony Oliver
Pacific Rim Prize: Takarazuka!!! by Susan Soon He Stanton
Resident Prize: N/A
2010
Hawaiʻi Prize: Will the Real Charlie Chan Please Stand Up? By Nancy Moss
Pacific Rim Prize: Air and Angels by Anne Miyamoto
Resident Prize: Eddie and the Upside Down Canoe by Marion Lyman-Mersereau
2009
Hawaiʻi Prize: Aloha from the World of Tomorrow by Troy M. Apostol
Pacific Rim Prize: N/A
Resident Prize: The Ghost Wedding by Feng Feng Hutchins
2008
Hawaiʻi Prize: The Mango Tree by Anne Miyamoto Timmins
Pacific Rim Prize: The Mikado Project by Ken Narasaki and Doris Baizley
Resident Prize: Art of Preservation by Susan Stanton
2007
Hawaiʻi Prize: Cane Fields Burning by Kemuel DeMoville
Pacific Rim Prize: Bridge of Light by G. Jay Chee
Resident Prize: Dear Kikaida Lee A. Tonouchi