HONOKAA, Hawaii » A small, historic Big Island theater will keep its lights on thanks to overwhelming support from this close-knit community.
More than 500 local families donated to save the Honokaa People’s Theatre, an institution since plantation days.
The 525-seat cinema also got help from the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council. And thanks to the celebrated "coconut wireless" — word of mouth — a Kona resident, Scott Jones, gave $30,000 for renovations and improvements.
"It was really exciting and eye-opening to see how many people want to be a part of this theater," said part-owner Phaethon Keeney.
The theater opened in the 1930s when Honokaa was a booming plantation town.
Keeney’s family took over the business in the early 1980s from the original owners, the Tanimoto family.
When Hamakua Sugar Co. closed in 1990, people began leaving the town in search of jobs.
But the theater stayed open and helped keep the sense of community intact.
With its reel-to-reel hum, the faithful 35-mm projector beamed new releases, oldies and documentaries onto the big screen. But the theater also hosts poetry slams, dance classes, dance shows, drag shows, high school talent shows, concerts and live theater, including Waimea Community Theatre’s recent production of "The Fantasticks."
Meanwhile, the popular cafe remains open Tuesday through Sunday, not including holidays.
Keeney helps manage the theater with her father, Dr. Tawn Keeney.
But this fall they got some bad news: To keep the business running, they would have to upgrade their projector to digital, an endeavor with a $60,000 price tag.
That’s a trend that has hit small theaters around the nation as movie studios end film production. John Fithian, CEO and president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, estimated that 20 percent of the theaters in North America, representing 10,000 screens, would probably close as a result, according to an article on thestate.org.
Just this year a theater in downtown Hilo, the Regal Kress Cinemas 4, had to close its doors because it didn’t have the money to convert.
But the Keeneys weren’t about to give up.
"We spent our nights and weekends just trying to think of ways to keep things going," Phaethon Keeney said.
So after much consideration the family decided to launch an online crowd-sourcing campaign and in just 60 days raised $120,000.
Keeney said they intend to use the extra money to start a nonprofit that will focus on encouraging arts and cultural programming and provide classes to the public. This was also the theater’s first time reaching out for assistance, and Keeney said things couldn’t have gone better.
"We feel it’s pretty inspiring for our town and island," she said.
One of Keeney’s employees, Iris Featon, said she was taken aback by the community’s willingness to offer a helping hand.
"We got our projector," she said. "The amount of support we got was ridiculous."
Although surprised by the outcome of the fundraiser, she never thought the theater would have to shut down completely.
"We were confident we would pull through because we’re pretty much the only independent theater in Hawaii," she said.
And as the doors remain open at the theater and people continue to visit the small island town replete with history and natural beauty, Keeney maintains the future for Honokaa is bright.
"Things have really livened up," she said. "The energy in the last two years has been impressive. There used to be empty storefronts. Shops would come and stay for a little while. Nothing stuck after the plantation closed. But now shops have been sticking around and things are looking up."
ON THE NET:
» Honokaa People’s Theatre: www.honokaapeople.com
