OUR PRODUCTIONS ARE SPONSORED IN PART BY THE FOLLOWING:

Kumu Kahua productions are supported in part by The Kim Coco Fund for Justice of the Iwamoto Family Foundation, the NME Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, the Island Insurance Foundation, The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, through appropriations from the Legislature of the State of Hawaiʻi, The AAPI Community Fund, The Richard Aadland Fund, The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, The John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Spectrum/Charter Communications, ABC Stores, the Gloria Kosasa Gainsley Fund, Hawaiʻi Public Radio, H. Hawaiʻi Media, Simply Storage, HUB Coworking, Vacations Hawaiʻi, Zippy’s Restaurants, Highway Inn, Generations Magazine, CVS/Longs Drugs, HMSA, Hawaiian Electric, MonkeyPod, and other foundations, businesses, and loyal patrons.

TONY PISCULLI,
PLAYWRIGHT & Director

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT

TONY PISCULLI is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival and is known for his “experimental” productions, including the Original Staging Practices Rep, Lear/Shrew/Much Ado and his “invented language” Midsummer. He has won multiple Hawaiʻi State Theatre Council Awards for Excellence in Directing and is the 2024 recipient of the Pierre Bowman Award for “outstanding contributions to Hawaiʻi theatre.” With Stephanie Keiko Kong he wrote #haoleboyfriend (KKT, 2021) and wrote and directed Enigma (TAG, 2020).

PLAYWRIGHT'S NOTE

I’m incredibly grateful to Kumu Kahua for taking a chance on this decidedly odd and non-Kumu-like play. I’d also like to thank Justina Mattos and the members of the Keakalehua Playreading Hui (where this play was “discovered”) for their valuable feedback and encouragement.

As Harry Wong is fond of saying, the play should speak for itself, so I have little to add that will enhance your experience. Once you’ve seen the show, if you’re interested in learning more about the writing process and some behind-the-scenes stuff, I wrote about it here: lovebloodrhetoric.com/2025/02/26/polly-amnesia.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

In my 20+ year directing career, this is, by far, the most ambitious project I’ve ever attempted. (A stage play that is also a full magic show? Insane. Who wrote this?) It’s been exhilarating and terrifying by turns, so I’m incredibly grateful to the team that’s helping me bring it to life: the cast and crew, the designers, and the staff at Kumu Kahua. I want to single out a few for special mention: Kahana Ho, who always goes above and beyond and who is doing far more than she’s credited for here in the program; magician Matthew Singer, who helped us streamline and improve the magic;

but especially Shane Chung and Kathryn Lee who have been in weekly “magic

rehearsals” since April of 2024. That’s extraordinary dedication for a community theatre show. I am lucky to have such colleagues and friends.

SHANE CHUNG (Polly) was born and raised on this beautiful island of Oʻahu. He is a genderfluid actor and artist. He graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute in 2016. He then trained at AMDA (American Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts) at both their LA and NY campuses.  You might have seen Him in the 2016, 2023, and 2024 Shakespeare Festival. Shane was last seen at KKT in Lovey Lee.

* Shane Chung will be performing on the following days:

Wed Mar 26/ Fri Mar 28/ Sun Mar 30/ Thu Apr 3/ Sat Apr 5/ Fri Apr 11 

Sun Apr 13/ Thu Apr 17/ Sat Apr 19/ Fri Apr 25 / Sun Apr 27 

KATHRYN MARIKO LEE (Polly) is a certified advanced actor combatant and full instructor with Dueling Arts International, and has over 15 years’ experience performing (and sword fighting) her way through more than 30 shows on the DHT, HSF, and the Hawaii Theatre Center stages. An avid dancer, singer, and actor, she is currently a lecturer of stage combat for the Hawaii Conservatory of Performing Arts. She was most notably seen as Hal in Henry IV (HSF) and Polly Baker in Crazy For You (DHT). Recent fight direction credits include Pagliacci (HOT), Kiss Me Kate (DHT), and Stuck Elevator (HOT).

** Kathryn Mariko Lee will be performing on the following days:

Thu Mar 27/ Sat Mar 29/ Fri Apr 4/ Sun Apr 6/ Thu Apr 10/ Sat Apr 12 

Fri Apr 18/ Sat Apr 19- 7pm show/ Thu Apr 24/ Sat Apr 26

SANAE TOKUMURA (Beary Much) hails from Līhuʻe, Kauaʻi. She was last seen at KKT in Southernmost. Previous credits include Beretania Snapshots (KKT) Titus Andronicus (HSF) and One Uddah Mid'summah (HSF).

EMBER ISABELO (Lissa) attends the Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts. She was last seen in Southernmost at KKT. Prior credits include Titus Andronicus (HSF), Medea and Antigone Now (WCC), and Something in Latin (Punahou). Ember received a Meritorious Achievement award from WCC.

SHARON GARCIA DOYLE (Dave the Tech) is a local theater artist who has served both on and offstage in many capacities including management, design, and performance. She has performed at HTY, HSF, Kennedy Theater, KKT, MVT and PBH. She has served on several productions as voice, accent, and acting coach and holds an MFA in Theater from the UHM.

ʻIHILANI CHO (Assistant Director) (she/her) is a Kanaka Maoli director, actor, and storyteller from Koʻolaupoko, Oʻahu, now based in Honouliuli, Ewa, Oʻahu. She has been involved in Oʻahu's theatre scene for over a decade. Directing credits include Romeo & Juliet (2022) and The Tempest (2019) with HSF, Lifeboat (2018) with Hawaiʻi Opera Theatre, and Hamlet upcoming for HSF in summer 2025. As a Lomi practitioner, 'Ihilani is dedicated to exploring the intersection of Hawaiian healing modalities and artistic expression. She aims to elevate stories of Indigenous and queer perspectives, empowering her community through storytelling.

MICHAEL HARADA (Scenic Design) was born and raised in Hawaiʻi. He graduated from the UHM with a BFA. His background encompasses drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, illustration, digital media, set design, prop, mask, puppet design and construction. He has shown his work in many exhibitions since the mid-1970s and is included in many collections.

In the early 90s he started collaborating with Monkey Waterfall, a Honolulu based performance group that uses masks and puppets. That began his journey into the world of theatre designing and constructing masks, puppets, props and sets for HTY, KKT, MVT and LCC’s Theatre department, where he taught visual arts, eventually becoming the visual arts discipline coordinator till he retired in 2022. Michael continues to produce artwork and design and construct masks, props and sets.

KAHANA HO (Sound Design/Lighting Design) most recently has been seen in The Taming of the Shrew (HSF), for which she also worked as audio engineer. She also appeared in KKT’s The Conversion of Kaʻahumanu, other: a Micro Story, Lovey Lee, The Watcher of Waipuna, iHula, Cock-A-Doodle-Doo, and Kāmau Aʻe. She has worked in various productions since 2012 as a set build crewmember, dresser, light and sound designer and operator, stage manager, technical director, and assistant director.

MAILE SPEETJENS (Costume Design) serves as Professor of Costume Design and Technology for University of Hawaiʻi, Mānoa. Originally hailing from Kauaʻi, Maile received an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Georgia, Athens and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College. Her recent design work includes June is the First Fall (KKT), A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream (UHM: 2018 Poʻokela for Best Costume Design), and ʻAuʻa ʻIa: Holding On (UHM).

BECCA McLEOD (Production Stage Manager) has been SM at Kumu for the last two seasons. Among her favorites are Haoleland, Beretania Snapshots and the Kamau Trilogy. She is excited to continue bringing these stories to life.

NICOLE ANGELA FELIPE (Rehearsal Stage Manager) is an English major at UHWO. She is collaborating with KKT to complete her capstone project, which involves creating a comprehensive paper and presentation on how this experience will aid her in developing her professional and personal life.

MATTHEW SINGER (Magic Consultant) is Hawaiʻi’s renowned mind-bending magician and mentalist. Local to the island of Oʻahu, he combines sleight-of-hand with psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy to create original miracles that are not only amazing, but also provoke thought and introspection. He started practicing magic when he was 5 years old, and at the age of 12, was the youngest magician ever accepted into the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, where he trained with the world’s greatest magicians. Learn more at: MatthewSingerMagic.com

DENISE AIKO CHINEN (Properties Design) has been involved in the Hawaiʻi theatre community in so many different ways over the years. She has been seen as an actor on stage and in film as well as directing and choreographing but this is her first time designing props for a production.

THEATRE ABBREVIATIONS

Army Community Theatre: ACT
The ARTS at Marks Garage: AMG
All the World's a Stage: ATWAS
Central Theatre Arts Academy: CTAA
Diamond Head Theatre: DHT
EVOLVE Theatre Company: ETC
Hawaiian Mission Houses: HMH
Hawai‘i Opera Theatre: HOT
Hawai‘i Pacific University: HPU
Hawai‘i Shakespeare Festival: HSF
Honolulu Theatre for Youth: HTY
Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre: IONA
Kaimukī High School: KHS
Kumu Kahua Theatre: KKT
KOA Theater: KOA
Kīlauea Military Camp Theater: KMC
Kīpuka Theatre: KT
Leeward Theatre: LCC
Mid-Pacific Institute: MPI
Mānoa Valley Theatre: MVT
‘Ohana Arts: OA
Open Home Performance Network: OHPN
‘Ōhi‘a Productions: OP
On the Spot: OTS
Performing Arts Center of Kapolei: PACK
PlayBuilders of Hawai‘i: PBH
Palikū Theatre: PTW
The Actors’ Group: TAG
University of Hawai‘i Mānoa: UHM
Windward Community College (Palikū): WCC

KUMU KAHUA THEATRE
2024-2025

Managing Director: Donna Blanchard
Artistic Director: Harry Wong III
Office Manager: Sara Ward
Box Office Associates: Alyson Wong, Kathy Dombrigues, Max Pennington & Victoria Amara

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Acting President: Dann Seki
Recording Secretary: Jason Kanda
Elizabeth Errico
Karen Kaulana
Brook Lee
Annie Macapagal
Marcus Oshiro
Tony Pisculli
Teri Skillman
John H. Y. Wat
Victoria Wei