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Clockwork is A Hit! This fairy tale mix up was fun for the whole family. See what the kids had to say! Page 6
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Announcing Our 41st Season! We won’t let a renovation slow us down! Come see what the 2015-2016 season has in store! Page 15
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What About The Renovation? Everything you want to know about the renovation plans for Your Leeward Theatre! Page 18
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How YOU Can Help We’re always looking for willing volunteers and generous donors. Can we count on you? Page 19 & 20
The Renovation is Coming!
The Leeward Theatre: Connecting & Creating Community for 40 Years
Gov. Neil Abercrombie released $58.5 million for The theater is prepared for temporary closure, and capital improvements at University of Hawaii hopes to take programming out into community campuses, including $37.5 million to address a schools. backlog of deferred In the past year, The DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE THEATRE AT: maintenance Leeward Theater hosted a at the Manoa total of 165 events attended campus. www.uhfoundation.org/FriendsOfLeewardCCTheatre by nearly 145, 000 people. The theater is also rented to The Leeward the public, and has been Theater will receive $8 million for capital used by local high schools and the Honolulu improvements and deferred maintenance. Authority for Rapid Transportation for public informational sessions on the city's rail transit project. The Leeward Theater was built in 1974, and has only seen minor repairs in the last 40 years, according to Vice Chancellor of Administrative "This is the only major theater in central Oahu," Services Mark Lane. Lane said. "It's a true community asset, and I think that's what the Legislature saw.” "We're very excited as you can imagine for the $8 million the Legislature appropriated," Lane (from:http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/ said. "The theater is certainly overdue for a 2014/11/06/governor-releases-58-5m-forcomplete overhaul." university-of-hawaii.html)!
If you’re receiving this news letter, then at some point in your life you made a connection with this Theatre. Maybe it was after a moving or powerful show; maybe it was because you were a performer who once “crossed the boards” here; maybe you had your first crush on an actor or actress backstage; or maybe it was because you took a class here at Leeward and it inspired you to keep live performance in your heart and in your life. Each of us has a different reason to feel connected to The Leeward Theatre - and that is what makes it so special. This is not just a building on a college campus - it is living breathing extension of the community. It is a place that has the power to inspire, the power to enlighten, and the power to educate. We take our responsibility to you and to your memories and loyalty to this place - seriously. We want to ensure that The Leeward Theatre is around for another 40 years, and that you, your family, and your friends, will be there with us.
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The Leeward Theatre Voted One of Hawaii’s Best! The results are in and The Honolulu Star-Advertiser readers have chosen The Leeward Theatre as one of Hawaii’s Best Live Theatre’s for 2015! This is an exciting honor to be recognized by Star-Advertiser readers who took the time to vote for your theatre as they only honor the top 3 in their respective category. Although we did not take the top spot this year, it’s still awesome considering all of the other theatre’s state-wide (2nd place). Thank you to our volunteers, patrons, and donors who took the time to vote, and a big thank you to the staff and technical crew who are some of the best in the business!
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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SIGHTLINES -
YOUR LEEWARD THEATRE
A Note From Our Dean: Aloha. This Spring/Summer Sightlines message comes with bitter sweet feelings.
!Sweet because of the tremendous year we have had beginning with a
Theatre Recognized By The Mayor! Mayor Caldwell issued proclamation celebrating the Leeward Theatre’s 40th anniversary. Our Dean Paul Kuehn, Chancellor Manny Cabral, and Theatre Manager Kemuel DeMoville visited the mayor’s office at the beginning of the Fall 2014 semester.
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very colorful and successful 40th anniversary Gala in September. January’s Kikaha Ka Manu Play Festival was a great success offering skills from a variety of artists, playwrights, photographers, cultural demonstrations and the best part, a gathering of our community. Our Bluegrass Festival and performances by The Brave offered fun, high spirits and heart felt stories. Our Artists in Residence, PlayBuilders also shined with their own Festival of Original Plays including not only local playwriting talent but an opportunity for young playwrights from Le Jardin Academy and PlayBuilders soon to be staged “Waipahu Project” appearing on our Main Stage this April.
Bitter, because as of June 30 we will be temporarily closing our doors for an upcoming renovation. During this time we are committed to supporting Leeward Community College’s Arts Programs such as dance and drama in alternate venues but also look forward to continuing Leeward Theatre productions in creative styles and venues. During this time, please continue to check our web site to see what we are up to and join us as we continue to celebrate the arts in Leeward Oahu.
!Thank you for your continued support and friendships. !Paul Kuehn Dean Academic Services
S O M E UP C O M IN G EV EN TS A T TH E LEEWA RD TH EA TRE Volunteer & Donor
July 25 @ 11:30am
Appreciation Lunch
Pearl Country Club
Frangipani Perfume
September 17,18,19,24,25,26 @ 8pm
Leeward Theatre Day!
September 27
A Dark and Stormy Knight
November 12,13,14,19,20,21 @ 8pm
SantaLand Diaries &
December 3,4,5 @ 8pm
Season’s Greetings
(Location To Be Determined)
Paul Kuehn as a British Admiral
All Donations to The Leeward Theatre are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and go directly to funding scholarships, repairs, and programming!
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www.uhfoundation.org/ FriendsOfLeewardCCTheatre
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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YOUR LEEWARD THEATRE Love Finds A Way On and Off The Leeward Theatre Stage
The Leeward Theatre’s First Ever Hawaiian Festival!
The Leeward Theatre Presents Kīkaha Ka Manu! The theatre hosted its first ever festival celebrating ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i at the end of January 2015 which featured an original play written by Hawaii Island resident Vanessa Lee-Miller and performed by predominantly in the Hawaiian language. The festival also presented an original short films by ʻĀina Paikai, a short story written and narrated by Pōhai Medeiros, and an
instillation of prints from photographers Shawn Kaho'olemana Naone and Kai Markell. Some of the performers who also happened to be Leeward students opened the festival with a chant welcoming audience members and honoring the space. Honybal Sosa, also a Leeward student played the ukulele while Vince Dodge and his team taught audience members how to pound Kalo.
Theatre alumni helped stage a surprise marriage proposal for a couple of Theatre alumni themselves! On December 3rd, 2014, Joshua Weldon proposed to his girlfriend of seven years, Jessica Ciufo. He collaborated with Jonathan Reyn to create a theatrical piece titled, “Seven Years and Counting,” consisting of vignettes of Joshua and Jessica's relationship, interspersed with lyrical dance. Reyn’s newly created devised theatre group, Bento Box Theatre, assisted him in the telling of the happy couple’s love story. With the usage of the theatre’s main stage, a couple of lights, and some tearful eyes, the occasion was that more special. Family and friends of the newly engaged couple attended the event at The Leeward Theatre, where a small reception was held afterward.
Check out the video on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF6ZeXw-00Y
Kikaha Ka Manu was an idea created by Theatre Manager Kemuel DeMoville and Professor Pat Hurley when they were discussing ways that the lab theatre could be used to involve the community. They chose to focus on the Hawaiian language and held a playwriting contest to find original plays written in at least 60% Hawaiian. Stemming from a traditional culture and adapting to a multicultural world, this festival was a call to our audiences and artists to celebrate and share stories from our own back yard that define and challenge the essence and perceptions of who we are as residents and indigenous peoples of Hawai’i sharing the future together.
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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40th Anniversary Gala Brings Back Memories For Troy M. Apostol
! (care of Hitting The Stage - http://www.hittingthestage.com/the-leeward-theatres-40th-anniversarythanks-for-the-memories/ ! Writer: Troy M. Apostol
The Leeward Theatre’s 40th Anniversary: Thanks For The Memories In October The Leeward Theatre at Leeward Community College (LCC) celebrated its 40th Anniversary with a very nice gala and honored three recipients with its first Distinguished Alumni Awards in the fields of dance, music, and theatre: Peter Rockford Espirtu (who couldn’t attend and whose very sweet mother accepted his award) was honored for dance, Starr Kalahiki for her incredible music, and I received one for my work in the theatre community.
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I knew the event was coming. I had weeks to prepare. But from what information I had received about the night’s proceedings, it seemed like it would be just a simple matter of them calling my name and then presenting the award, like how it’s done at the Hawaii State Theatre Council’s Po‘okela Awards. Boy, was I wrong. I forgot that this was LCC, and things there are done with a little more adventurous heart and soul.
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The night was filled with really wonderful speeches and sentiments about the prestigious theatre and its mission to “build community through shared cultural experiences.” Everyone from theatre manager Kemuel DeMoville, to Starr, to assistant theatre manager Lehua Simon had really beautiful and/or comedic things to say about the old gal. And other performers, like improv comic emcees Shawn Thomsen and Jonathan Reyn, a commedia dell’arte troupe that included theatre management assistant Kirstyn Trombetta, and local celebrity Kristian Lei, all showcased their talents, indicative of the kinds of splendid and varied artists that come out of LCC.
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So while all this was going on, my mind was racing to come up with something to say. Something that expressed how much I love the theatre, and how the years I spent there created some of the best memories of my life. I began to think about my old mentor Dr. Paul Cravath and all the wild wisdom he passed down to his students. I thought about crazy times with old LCC actor friends—the west side truly is the best side. I thought about how it felt for a young, inexperienced actor to perform on the theatre’s wide-open mainstage for the first time…
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All of sudden, Betty Burdick was already announcing me, and I had mere seconds to think of a humorous anecdote or profound statement to say when I got up to the ‘stage’ area in front of the box office. I had told Betty beforehand that we should do the acceptance in a Filipino accent, but to her superior judgment she politely declined. To her credit and my chagrin, it didn’t help that her introduction of me was quite prestigious-sounding. No pressure. Oy vey.
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My name was called, I walked up, Betty presented me the award and handed me the mic, I made some joke about me lip-synching to Starr singing again in lieu of having not prepared a speech (which got a laugh from the crowd), and was just about to recount one my LCC theatre memories when it looked like Betty was reaching for the mic back, and the moment was gone. It wasn’t terrible, but felt like a missed opportunity. Even former theatre manager Kathleen Cabral played Mom and gave me a lighthearted scolding afterwards for not doing a better job. Thanks, Mother.
So even though the event was great and the night has passed, I just wanted to share some of the things that raced through my head as I was scrambling for something to say:
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Memory #1: The second play I ever did at LCC (or in my life for that matter) was part two of the For‘Ewa trilogy. It was my first time performing in the LCC Lab Theatre (the first part of the trilogy the semester before was performed in a classroom, as we couldn’t use the Lab for some reason). At the beginning of the play we depicted the Hawaiian creation chant, the Kumulipo. Paul had us actors kneel in a large circle facing the audience, gazing upwards and making “birthing” cries while pumping our arms towards the heavens, to symbolize the creation of the universe. On the third and final thrust, my birthing sound was so ferocious, a large, gooey “loogie” flew from my throat, did an arc high in the air, and landed in the audience about two feet away. I even heard one audience member say, “Ewwww.” I, of course, couldn’t look, as my gaze was still locked upwards. Moral of the story: Stay focused on stage and don’t break character.
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Memory #2: The third installment of the For‘Ewa trilogy was on the mainstage, and I played the “bad guy” Juvie, leader of a gang of hoodlums. In one scene where I was playing the abusive boyfriend, I threw my onstage girlfriend on the bed as we had rehearsed and was supposed to shake her violently as if about to hit her. The adrenaline was flowing and the bed was bouncy, so that when I threw and shook her, somewhere in there she bounced up and her forehead hit my bottom row of teeth, and she started to bleed from a small cut. As an actor in the moment I touched the blood on my mouth, smiled, and licked it off my fingers. Afterwards she said she was okay, and we were totally fine and went on with the play like normal. But I have to admit: evilly drinking your girlfriend’s blood in front of a packed house with the stage lights hitting you feels incredibly powerful. Moral of the story: It’s always fun to play the bad guy.
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Memory #3: The last play I ever performed in at LCC was Escurial, in which I had the great honor of acting against my beloved mentor, Dr. Cravath. He played a cruel and sadistic King while I played Folial, his jester who was secretly sleeping with the Queen. In our big confrontation scene where he reveals he has known about the affair and has been slowly poisoning the Queen, again, being an actor in the moment, I spit in Paul’s face. Not a gooey loogie (why do all these memories involve bodily fluids?), but rather a violent blast, and a reaction that was true and honest from my character’s perspective. Paul didn’t miss a beat and kept right on torturing my character with his revelation. Afterwards he said it was good, and we both agreed the night and the run was a great experience. Moral of the story: Paul rules for not kicking my ass. But seriously, acting with your mentor is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
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So in conclusion, thank you, Leeward Theatre, for all the memories. Some of the most powerful talents on this island have come from your halls, and I am proud to have acted alongside of them. The west side may be a little more rough-and-tumble, but, ey, dat jus means dey no scade! LCC fo’ life, cuz!
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Cheers to at least 40 more years!
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Some Pics from the 40th Anniversary Gala!
The$theme$of$this$year’s$season$opening$gala$was:$ Kalakoa,$which$means$“many$colors”$–$in$ celebration$of$the$varied$artists$and$productions$ that$have$crossed$Leeward’s$boards$since$1974.$
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The$evening$consisted$of$entertainment$provided$ by$alumni$from$the$performing$arts$programs$ such$as$Broadway$veteran$Kristian$Lei,$In$Your$ Face$Improv,$Nā$Hōkū$Hanohano$Award$winner$ Starr$Kalahiki$&$John$Signor,$Pas$de$Deux$Dance,$ and$much$more!$$
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There$was$also$a$ceremony$honoring$ distinguished$alumni$from$each$major$area$of$the$ performing$arts$(music,$theatre,$and$dance).$The$ Zirst$recipients$of$this$award$were:$Troy$Apostol$ (theatre),$Starr$Kalahiki$(music),$and$Peter$ Rockford$Espiritu$(dance).$$Each$of$these$ individuals$has$played$a$major$role$in$shaping$the$ artistic$voice$of$Oahu$and$Hawai‘i.$$
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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Clockwork Is A Hit! This past fall, Theatre Instructor Betty Burdick directed the world premiere of the family-friendly comedy, Clockwork, written by our very own Theatre Manager, Kemuel DeMoville. This production had not only one cast of princes and princesses, but TWO! Both Cast A and Cast B performed magnificently and magically told the story of misguided magic, mistaken identities, and following you own path (even if you are royalty). The play was a success with full houses almost every public performance and over 2,000 students from local elementary schools attending the morning school performances. If you missed out on this production then you truly missed out on something special.
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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Students Write Letters About Clockwork Jose says, “My favorite was all of you… I liked all the parts!”
Gilbert says, “The funniest character was Sleeping Beauty because she ran across the stage shouting DRAGON! and kept bumping into stuff.” Noah says, “I really love the play, it was amazing. I want to see it again!” Jace says, “I think it was the best show I’ve seen in my whole life.” The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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YOUR LEEWARD THEATRE Handbell(Choir(Delights(Audience(In( Free(Concert
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Celebrating its 27th anniversary, the internationally renowned Hakuoh University Handbell Choir of Japan performed in a free concert on February 18. Led by acclaimed director, Hirotaka Arai, who founded the choir in 1988, the 13 student handbell ringers performed a repertoire of songs ranging from classical to Disney favorites to Broadway show tunes. They even rang their bells to Disney’s Frozen “Let It Go.” The concert ended with a question and answer period along with an opportunity to handle the bells.
! Maisey Rika Visits The Leeward Theatre! Internationally-Acclaimed Maori songstress Maisey Rika inspires our students and community
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Thanks to a generous grant from the SEED program, New Zealand’s very own Maisey Rika was able to visit The Leeward Theatre and offered two free workshops on January 13 & 14. She and her brother JJ performed a handful of her award-winning songs, discussed her love for life, the music industry, and her social justice efforts around the world. The attendants were mesmerized by not only her amazing voice, but by her serene spirit. We were extremely lucky to have her inspiring presence at the beginning of a new year!! The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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Steven Mark of Star Advertiser Talks About PlayBuilders’ Festival of Original Plays PLAYBUILDERS’ PLAYING THEIR PART PlayBuilders, an organization devoted to encouraging the development of local playwrights, offers its fourth annual Festival of Original Plays this month at Leeward Community College. “Several months ago we had an open call to local playwrights to submit their work,” said Terri Madden, founder and executive director of PlayBuilders. “We read the plays and selected the plays that we thought best represented a variety of walks of life here in Hawaii.” Don’t expect full-blown productions at the festival. The festival consists of readings of original works that have never been staged before. It aims to encourage other theater companies to stage the plays. In drawing community attention, PlayBuilders has already been a success, with Nancy Moss’ “Will the Real Charlie Chan Please Stand Up?” produced at Kumu Kahua Theatre, and Jan Shiarella McGrath’s “Outage” staged at The Actors’ Group. “We like that people are picking up on these plays and producing them,” Madden said. “It’s just very fun.” The festival features a variety of plays, starting this week with three one-act plays: “Something’s Wrong With the Foundation,” by Kemuel DeMoville; “The Big Tent,” by Joseph O’Brien; and “The Unsalable Thing,” by Mark Tjarks. “Something’s Wrong With the Foundation” is set in New Zealand and tells the story of a dysfunctional family involving two brothers, their dead father and their unfaithful mother. The play takes place as a kitchen is being built onstage. O’Brien’s “The Big Tent” refers to the current political environment, while Tjarks’ “The Unsalable Thing” is a takeoff on the popular “Storage Wars” reality show, in which the contents of abandoned storage lockers are auctioned off, often revealing hidden treasures or worthless junk. The following production, on Jan. 16, will be a single, full-length play, “Dark Side of the Moon,” by David Penhallow Scott, a fifth-generation Hawaiian and a descendent of William Hyde Rice, the last governor of Kauai under the kingdom of Hawaii. He wrote the play several years ago as an homage to Chekov’s “The Cherry Orchard,” but “instead of a cherry orchard I use a coconut grove,” Scott said. The play is set in prewar Oahu and involves a local family facing hard times.
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“They all live in the past,” he said. “The only way they can save their family fortune is to sell their coconut grove to the government,” Scott explained, “to build low-cost housing for the workers and service people in Pearl Harbor.” Scott is a former director of the Kauai Museum who taught drama at Kauai High School and Kamehameha Schools. He’s working on a cycle of plays that, like “Dark Side of the Moon,” reference Hawaiian history. His recent play “Emma’s Last Dance” was eagerly received on Kauai.Scott said he’s pleased that “Dark Side of the Moon” will get its first reading here on Oahu. “I’m very grateful that they’re doing it,” he said. “It will be fascinating for me to hear and see it.” The third weekend of the festival will feature plays written by students of Robert St. John, longtime drama teacher at Le Jardin Academy. St. John has emphasized playwriting for several years, at first allowing students to develop plotlines and characters for plays he was writing, and later helping them write their own plays. He has developed a set of rules for his student playwrights to follow, such as minimizing the number of characters and scenes. One of his students’ plays won a contest held by TAG and later was chosen among the top five plays in a national contest, helping the young playwright get a scholarship to college. His students are contributing five plays to the festival, among them Maddie Matthews’ “Through the Lies of the Beholder,” which involves two characters discussing a piece of graffiti, unseen by the audience, with one trying to hide something from the other. The play showcases one of the more complicated techniques in playwriting — providing a lot of back story for the characters, “without being boring” or having the characters over-explain, St. John said. Another student play, Kivalu Ramanlal’s “Computing 4 Life,” is “really quite funny,” St. John said. The story is about a middle-schooler “who’s addicted to his computer,” he said. “The computer is played by an actor sitting on a desk. It’s just hilarious because the computer is controlling this guy’s life. … It’s almost as if his mother has snuck into his computer and reprogrammed it.”
(care of Honolulu Star Advertiser - http:// www.honolulupulse.com/2015/01/playbuildersfest-2015/) Writer: Steven Marks
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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Shakespeare in the Lab: Titus Andronicus Plays to Packed Houses
The Leeward CC Theatre and Literature Departments Present
This shocking and violent Shakespeare tragedy never fails to get people squirming in their seats. Titus Andronicus is a non-stop potboiler catalog of abominations (with the poetry itself counted as a crime by many critics). The play is set during
I’ll find a day to massacre them all And raze their faction and their family
the latter days of the Roman Empire and tells the fictional story of Titus, a general in the Roman army, who is engaged in a cycle of revenge with Tamora,
William Shakespeare’s
Queen of the Goths. It is Shakespeare's bloodiest and most violent work and traditionally was one of his least respected plays.
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Betty Burdick’s Dramatic Production class (THEA 260) stages Shakespeare’s bloodiest and under appreciated play as survivors of a nuclear holocaust. The survivors emerge from an underground bunker to reenact this tragedy in hopes that “like events may ne’er it ruinate.” This dark play raises the following questions: Are we condemned to wage constant war against others and ourselves? Is violence the only answer to violence? Due to adult situations and themes, this show is recommended for ages 17 and older. ritualistic imagery, and a whole lot of red confetti. Guest Artist Jonathan Reyn Afaga appears as Aaron the Moor.
“It was my deer; and he that wounded her hath hurt me more than had he killed me dead.” “These words are razors to my wounded heart.” “Ay, come, Semiramis, nay, barbarous Tamora, for no name fits thy nature but thy own!”
Some Famous Lines from the Play:
“I’ll find a day to massacre them all and raze their faction and their family.” “For now I stand as one upon a rock Environed with a wilderness of sea.” “Revenge it, as you love your mother’s life or be ye not henceforth call’d my children.”
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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North Shore Ramblers
Jordan Savusa
Tricky Britches
All performers together on stage for a final song!
Valentine Bluegrass Festival Rocked! On Valentine’s Day, we held a bluegrass festival on our main stage featuring local bands along with headlining band, The Tricky Britches. Hawaii’s very own local banjo comedian Jordan Savusa was the night’s host. Local bands North Shore Ramblers and The Saloon Pilots performed, as well. Audience members had a blast, bobbing their heads in their seats and tapping their toes with every song. The night was filled with musical fusion, laughter, and sweethearts having a good time. In an epic finale, all musicians and even Jordan himself, performed two songs to close the romantic lively evening.
Saloon Pilots
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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(care of PlayBuilders of Hawai’i
PlayBuilders & The Theatre Company - -http:// www.playbuilders.org/?p=2080) Leeward Theatre Present The Waipahu Project
PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theater Company, in collaboration with The Leeward Theatre, present The Waipahu Project written by Leeward Community College student and PlayBuilders’ 2015 Playwright-in-Residence, Kirstyn Trombetta, Directed by Leeward Community College theatre instructor and professional director, Ashley DeMoville, The Waipahu Project is based on stories shared with us by Waipahu residents with the help of PlayBuilders community organizers between April of 2014 and February 2015. Methods for collection included a series of story circles hosted by community organizations such as Hawaiʻi’s Plantation Village, Waipahu Community Coalition, Leeward Community College and Waipahu High School Early College program. In addition, the play continues in the tradition of community-collaborative work as we feature a large number of Waipahu residents as performers in the piece.
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The Waipahu Project reflects on the evolution of this sometimes-marginalized community displaying moments throughout history when Waipahu was a leader in what would become island-wide change. From the days when fresh water burst forth from the Waipahu artisan spring and was considered by Hawaiians the capital of Oʻahu, to the Oʻahu Sugar Company days when immigrants from all over the world worked the fields, to the arrival of other immigrant groups and the challenges of today’s Honolulu Rail Transit Project. We invite you to join us in a celebration of love, hardship, and resilience through the amazing history of this town. The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
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“The Waipahu Process” (written in August 2014) by Kirstyn Trombetta, Playwright of The Waipahu Project A few months ago, I was commissioned by Terri Madden (founder and Executive Director of PlayBuilders), to create a full-length play about the town of Waipahu. Her working title for the play at the time was and still is The Waipahu Project. I used to think my life was busy... now I am engrossed. On the same night I was given the suggestion by my professor Kemuel DeMoville to take on this playwriting project, I was also offered a job at the Leeward Theatre, as well. So technically, I took on two jobs at that moment. On a separate note, I take on too much. Clearly, the stress is my doing, but it’s what keeps me busy. I think I would go bananas and nuts if I wasn’t frantically running around every day (or shall I say driving around). My days are filled with work in the mornings (sometimes afternoons), interviews or meetings during the afternoons, film projects here and there, trainings every other Thursday night for the Pacesetters Program I’m in, online classes in between… oh and I have this play to write before February auditions - snicker doodles. It has been quite a stressful ride, but I feel so blessed. I think what has been driving me mad is this process. The process alone is exhausting and I have no choice but to chug my way through it. In order to write the play, I need stories. In order to get stories, stories from the heart, I need to talk to people. In order to talk to people, I need to call people, set up appointments to speak and interview them. You have to work around their schedule and if sacrifices need to be made on your end, you have to do it. These people aren’t getting paid to share their personal stories with you. Once I interview a bunch of people, I have to figure out a way to piece the stories together and form a central plot and start from there. This process is new to me when it comes to playwriting. Usually I have an idea, write it down and work from there. Heck, even this whole playwriting thing is new to me! For as long as I can remember I’ve written some sort of phrase or thought or short story in my little composition book to pass the time. I write to be creative and philosophical, to have my voice heard. And I was fortunate enough to afford a playwriting class at Leeward Community College in hopes of learning other techniques to convey a message through another form of writing. I thought nothing of possibly making a career out of playwriting. It never crossed my mind that I would be turning this hobby into a series of works for a stage. Since taking that playwriting course back in 2013, one of my ten-minute plays has been performed in front of a live audience, and now another shall see the lights of the Leeward Theatre’s main stage for the first time. I have my professor and now boss, Kemuel DeMoville, to thank for getting my foot in the door and for tips on writing plays. I’m fortunate to have a mentor who knows what he’s talking about. I’m barely legal to drink and here I am under contract, to finish composing a historical piece of drama for it to be seen and heard by a paying audience in April 2015. I know how many playwrights would have killed to have their plays produced on a stage at such a young age. I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining. Like I said, this has been a learning experience for me and I appreciate everyone involved with this project. I was appointed to be the playwright for a company’s Spring production and just thinking on how this rare opportunity came about for a girl like me, soothes my nerves. There are more pros than cons to this situation and I am fully aware of what I got myself into when I said yes. Taking risks is something I don’t usually own up to so this is an accomplishment all in itself. This is simply a way to express myself and for people, reading, to hear my thoughts during this whole process. I think I’ll be okay. I hope I don’t sound too careless. I just know that I have the right people to look up to, and the right connections to take this unwritten piece and turn it into a community-changing story.
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
SPRING/Summer
2015
P a g e !1 4
If You Missed The Brave, You Truly Missed Out On Something Special
On March 7, 2015, New Zealand Theatre Troupe, Massive
Company performed their latest work, The Brave, on the Leeward Theatre’s Mainstage. Directed by Sam Scott and Carla Martell, but devised by the entire company, the show is a bold and honest work that interweaves the stories of 8 diverse Auckland based men to share their most sincere ponderings on what it takes to me a man. The Brave uninhibitedly confronts themes of family, love, loss, fear, hope, belonging, manhood and brotherhood with resounding universality. The piece premiered in April 2012 at Q Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand.
! Created from true stories in Massive Company’s own style and method of devised theater, the eight actors were asked to write letters to important people – those who are, once were or perhaps never were in their lives – opening a floodgate of untold stories and survival tactics. Combining true confessions with raw athleticism, The Brave lays it all on the line.
The Oahu premiere was a hit with a full
house, positive reactions from the audience, and a question & answer session right after the show. The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
SPRING/Summer
2015
SIGHTLINES -
P a g e !1 5
YOUR LEEWARD THEATRE
Announcing Our 41st Season! !
(some events and locations TBD)
Right now our season is reduced due to the upcoming renovation - so we're only doing Arts & Humanities events, not our full touring season. Also, some of these shows might be in an alternative venue as the renovation gets underway - but we still haven't been told where that alternative venue will be.
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Frangipani Perfume (Theatre) – Sept. 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 2015 - Lab Theatre Frangipani Perfume movingly explores the painful gap between myth, memory and banal reality for PI immigrant families. One minute we are floating in the clouds, wafted along on the scent of frangipani, the next minute we hear a toilet flushing. Languorous movement to Offenbach's stately Barcarolle is followed by a session of floor-mopping and the line, "I hate the smell of piss and Janola!" This startlingly original play from Makerita Urale, one of the leading Pacific Island playwrights, challenges the usual images of Pacific Islands women with energy, humor and biting satire. Enormously entertaining, it is packed with power, fun and robust, vibrant characters.
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A Dark and Stormy Knight (Theatre) – Nov. 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 2015 - Main Stage When Becky Hagswater, an American Tour Guide in the Upper Highlands of Scotland has her bus break down in front of spooky old Heelancoopoo Manor (ancestral home to the Peasantjabber family), strange things begin to happen. The American tourists and Becky have arrived on the night when the “Peasantjabber Curse” is visited on all who share the bloodline. This is the night when all Peasantjabber go mad! So what is left of the family gather’s together so they can hide their night of madness from the outside world. Just when things can’t seem to get any weirder, the old caretaker Grady McHagswater is murdered, then the patriarch of the Peasantjabbers meets a grisly end, and so with two murders the local inspector arrives on the scene. Soon we learn that poor Becky is the only living Hagswater who can break the curse, but can she do it before Euclid the Wolf-Faced boy tears down the manor in a blood rage? Or before the crazy cousins murder each other for the inheritance? Or before the bumbling inspector accuses her of murdering the old Knight? Plus there is the ghost of Richard III lost on the moors to deal with. Luckily all resolves happily when the Angry Mob From the Village shows up. This is a murder mystery where murder and mystery take a back seat to wacky situation and silly characters.
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Santaland Diaries & Seasons Greetings (Theatre) – Dec. 3, 4, 5, 2015 - Location TBD THE SANTALAND DIARIES is a brilliant evocation of what a slacker's Christmas must feel like. Out of work, our slacker decides to become a Macy's elf during the holiday crunch. At first the job is simply humiliating, but once the thousands of visitors start pouring through Santa's workshop, he becomes battle weary and bitter. Taking consolation in the fact that some of the other elves were television extras on One Life to Live, he grins and bears it, occasionally taking out his frustrations on the children and parents alike. The piece ends with yet another Santa being ushered into the workshop, but this one is different from the lecherous or drunken ones with whom he has had to work. This Santa actually seems to care about and love the children who come to see him, startling our hero into an uncharacteristic moment of goodwill just before his employment runs out. (1 man.) SEASON'S GREETINGS. Another funny, touching—and twisted—monologue about the season. (1 woman.) Both by David Sedaris, adapted by Joe Mantello.
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Children’s Theatre Piece (Theatre) – Jan. 21, 22, 23, 2016 (We don't know what this will be yet - how exciting!)
! 2nd Annual Kīkaha Ka Manu Play Festival (Theatre) – Feb. 4, 5, 6, 2016 ! Richard III (Theatre) – April 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 2016 Shakespeare’s classic play of power, murder, and twisted moralty.
! Houseless in Paradise (PlayBuilder's Reader’s Theatre Event) – April 29, 2016 !
Stay tuned for the dates and locations for the Leeward Guitar Concerts, Choir Concerts, and Piano Concerts! The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
SPRING/Summer
2015
Page 16
A Map of Old West Oahu We have uncovered a map that covers the West side of the island from the Current Site of The Leeward Theatre
year 1927!
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The map displays the division of villages due to the sugar plantation companies.
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A lot has changed in the course of 80 years!
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Help Us Find Our Next Distinguished Alumni! Last%year%we%started%the%tradition%of%honoring%Leeward%alumni%from%the%performing%arts%that%have% helped%to%shape%the%artistic%voice%of%Oahu%and%Hawaii.%We%have%a%number%of%alumni%out%there%who% have%accomplished%great%things%and%really%made%a%difference%for%the%performing%arts.%We#need# your#help!%Our%nominees%should%come%from%the%community%<%you%know%best%who%those%in>luential% artists%and%performers%are!%Please%take%a%few%moments%to%>ill%out%the%nomination%form%online%at:%
!
http://goo.gl/forms/LmSxgfyQqH# The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
SPRING 2015
P a g e !1 7
SIGHTLINES -
YOUR LEEWARD THEATRE
Check Out Our NEW Ticketing System! Eventbrite is an online ticketing service that allows event organizers to plan, set up ticket sales and promote events (event management) and publish them across Facebook, Twitter and other socialnetworking tools directly from the site's interface. It also enables attendees to find and purchase tickets to these events.
Where are my tickets? Updated: Aug 19, 2014!
The easiest way to get your tickets is to find your email order confirmation; tickets are usually attached as a PDF file you can print. You can also log into the Eventbrite app or reference the My Tickets page within your account. If you think you typo'd your email address, you can check here." 1 Check the confirmation email." Tickets are usually attached to your order confirmation as a PDF file.
Note: Some event organizers disable PDF tickets since they don't need tickets to check in their attendees so you may not see a file attached to the email or a link to download your tickets.
2 Find your tickets in the Eventbrite app." You can access your ticket barcodes and event information using the Eventbrite app for iOS or Android.
3 Log in and go to Current Orders in My Tickets on Eventbrite.com." Log in like you normally would, or go here and enter the email address you used at registration to get started, then enter your password.
Tip: If you haven't set a password for your account, we'll send you an email with a link to set your password. If you've forgotten your password, select the Forgot Password? link to reset it.
Leeward Theatre By the Numbers Activities are scheduled nearly 325 days a year; and since its opening, the Theatre has presented more than 5,000 artists from 30 countries, from Australia to Zimbabwe!
Access the Account Menu and select My Tickets. Then find your order (under Current Orders), select View Order, and choose Print Tickets
Pro Tip: If there isn't a Print Tickets button, the organizer disabled PDF tickets and you don't need to print a ticket for the event. Check your order confirmation email and/or the event registration page for event instructions or to contact the organizer with any questions.
4 Contact the organizer." If you've tried all of these options and still can't find your tickets, contact the organizer for help.
The Leeward Theatre • 96-045 Ala ‘Ike • Pearl City, HI • 96782 • http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu
SPRING/Summer
2015
Page 18
The Renovation is Coming! The Renovation is Coming!
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At the beginning of July 2015, the Leeward Theatre will undergo its first major renovation since opening its doors in 1974. Due to the upcoming renovation, the theatre is offering naming and sponsorship opportunities. Extensive repairs beyond the scope or budget of the College already exist; cost of making only emergency repairs and maintenance on an as-needed basis will continue to escalate if project is delayed.
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Details: •Project is “shovel-ready” •Construction funding requested is $8.0 million •Project is the #1 CIP priority for the community colleges in 2014 legislative session
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Renovation includes: •Major infrastructure repairs and upgrades for waterproofing, mechanical and electrical systems •improved ADA accessibility
Leeward Theatre Impact -An incubator for local talent, including, Booga-Booga, with Rap Reipliger, Ed Kaahea, and James Grant Benton, who used to rehearse their early comedy routines on our stage Peter Rockford Espiritu, Tau Dance Theatre Hawai’i Ballet Theatre
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-Presented an array of stellar events by national and international professional artists, for example, Peking Acrobats, Tony Award winner Garth Fagan Dance, Kodo, Drummers of Sado, David Parsons Dance, Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson, Glen Miller Orchestra, and many, many more!
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If you would like further information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Theatre Manager, Kemuel DeMoville through e-mail at kemuel@hawaii.edu or phone at (808) 455-0381.
•Refurbishment and modernization of the building’s interior and exterior features to include -auditorium seating and lighting -sound system -box office, concessions, lobby & restrooms -all windows and doorways -landscaping, and new entrance
SIGHTLINES This Production is Brought to You by... You! Is there a Dance Company, Musical Act, Broadway Style Musical, or some other act that you’ve been dying to see? If you’re willing to help pay for them to come out here, we’ll do what we can to get them on the Leeward stage. There are lots of expenses we have to cover if we want to bring out a particular act - and many times we just can’t find room in the budget to justify the expense - but with your help we’re more than willing to do what we can to get a company, group, play, musical, or troupe out here so that you can share what touched or inspired you with your community. Email Kemuel DeMoville at KEMUEL@hawaii.edu if you would like to get more information.
P ERM A N EN T N AMI NG O P P O RTU N I TI ES
YOUR LEEWARD THEATRE DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN HELP THE THEATRE? Donations: We#have#had#a#number#of#you#come#up#and#offer#suggestions#for#our# season#–#we#should#bring#over#a#certain#performer#or#produce#a#musical# like#on#Broadway…#Well,#now#it’s#time#to#put#your#money#where#your# mouth#is!#Producing#musicals#and#hosting#artists#cost#money,#and#your# donations#help#us#to#realize#our#mission#of#community#involvement#and# cultural#sustainability.#If#everyone#on#our#mailing#list#gave#just#$20#a# month,#our#season#(and#the#scholarships#we#offer#students#in#Theatre,# Music,#and#Dance)#would#expand#dramatically!#Email#Kemuel#DeMoville#at# KEMUEL@hawaii.edu#if#you#would#like#to#get#more#information.#
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Name a Seat (or something bigger!): Be#a#part#of#The#Leeward#Theatre#for#the#next#40#years#Q#and#beyond!#We# have#lots#of#naming#opportunities#right#now:#the#Lab#Theatre,#the#Dressing# Rooms,#the#Main#Stage,#Dance#Rooms,#even#the#Seats!#We’ll#even#put#a#nice# plaque#up#in#the#lobby#acknowledging#your#generous#contribution.#Email# Kemuel#DeMoville#at#KEMUEL@hawaii.edu#if#you#would#like#to#get# more#information.#
! 5 YEA R NAMING
Individual Seats
$1,000
N/A
Lighting Booth
$100,000
Colgan
Ticket Booth
$200,000
$10,000
Private Dressing
$200,000
$10,000
Room (2)
Volunteer: Giving#your#time#to#help#the#Theatre#can#be#just#as#valuable#as#a#monetary# donation#(although#we#still#need#the#monetary#donations).##Volunteers# support#us#by#ushering,#taking#tickets,#and#manning#our#concessions# booth.#As#a#bonus,#you#get#to#see#the#show#for#free!#Email#Kemuel# DeMoville#at#KEMUEL@hawaii.edu#if#you#would#like#to#sign#up#or#get# more#information.#
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Door Prizes: Do#you#have#something#that#you#think#would#make#a#perfect#silent#auction# or#door#prize?#Do#you#have#contacts#with#small#businesses#or#corporations# who#are#looking#to#get#their#name#out#to#the#public#through#merchandise# or#service#donations?#Talk#to#us!#Your#stuff#could#help#bring#in#some# money#for#the#Theatre#and/or#scholarships#for#Leeward#students#in#the# Performing#Arts.##
Men’s Dress
$200,000
$10,000
Women’s Dress
$200,000
$10,000
Green Room
$200,000
Aadland
Dance Studio (2)
$300,000
$15,000
Tell a Friend (better yet, buy them a ticket!):
Scene Shop
$300,000
$15,000
Lab Theatre
$300,000
$15,000
Theatre Lobby
$400,000
$25,000
Main Stage
$4,000,000
$75,000
One#of#the#best#ways#to#support#the#theatre#is#to#come#out#and#buy#a#ticket!# We#offer#a#wide#range#of#professional,#community,#and#student#centered# events.#Come#out#for#a#night#at#the#Theatre!#Help#us#preserve#the#unique# cultural#and#community#heritage#that#has#been#a#part#of#The#Leeward# Theatre#for#40#years!#It’s#through#your#generosity#and#patronage#that#we# are#able#to#keep#our#doors#open#and#our#tickets#affordable.
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Make a Tax Deductible
Don’t just give money -
Donation!
Give us your Time as well!
If advertising isn’t your thing, you can also help out by donating to The Leeward Theatre! Every little bit helps us to serve our students and our community.
HELP US HELP OUR COMMUNITY! The$Leeward$Theat+e$is$the$only$major$ar4s$ presenter$on$the$Leeward$side$of$Oahu,$and$we$ take$that$responsibilit<$seriously.$By$donating$to$ the$Friends$of$Leeward$Theat+e,$you$suppor4$us$ in$continuing$our$t+adition$of$excellent$ prog+amming$at$affordable$prices.$The$fDnds$you$ ent+Dst$to$us$suppor4$facilit<$repair,$communit<$ out+each$and$local$ar4ists$E$so$your$donation$has$ a$direct$impact$within$your$local$communit<.$
YES! I WANT TO HELP STUDENTS & THE PERFORMING ARTS AS A DONOR!
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☐ $25 ☐ $50 ☐ $100 ☐ $250
Volunteer with Us! New research has found that: “Taking your children to the theatre or an art gallery is the best way of turning them into active community-minded citizens, even more so than to religious services. The researchers also found that attending a cultural event was the largest predictor of civic engagement. Young people who said they went "often" to the theatre, ballet, classical music concerts, museums, or art galleries were 65% more likely to take part in voluntary work than those who went less often.”
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☐ $500
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/ 2013-04-theatre-art-citizens-large-scalesurvey.html#jCp
☐ OTHER: ________________ (any amount is appreciated)
☐ I have enclosed a separate check payable to:
“UH Foundation, Friends of LCC Theatre”
☐ I have donated online at:
https://giving.uhfoundation.org/give/ giving-gift.aspx?allocation=12137904.
Program: Leeward Community College, Account: Friends of Leeward CC Theatre.
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☐ Please contact me to help facilitate my donation to
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the Leeward Theatre.
Phone:________________________________________
Email:_________________________________________!
Phone:
_________________________________
Email:
_________________________________
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Contact the Theatre’s Manager if you have any questions or would like to learn more about being a volunteer with us!
Kemuel DeMoville (808) 455-0380 LTheatre@hawaii.edu !
The Leeward Theatre 96-045 Ala ‘Ike, TH-207 Pearl City, HI 96782.
Learn More or Sign Up online at:
_____________________________________________
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__________________________________
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Name as you wish it to appear in our programs: (please type or print)
☐
Name:
or Anonymous
When complete, please mail this document to:
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The Leeward Theatre
96-045 Ala ‘Ike, TH-207
Pearl City, HI 96782.
http://LCCTheatre.hawaii.edu