Preserving and perpetuating traditional culture can be a challenging task in the 21st century.
That’s the subject island playwright Ryan “Oki” Okinaka explored in 2016 with his award- winning play, “iHula.” Six years later, veteran director Taurie Kinoshita is bringing Okinaka’s story back to the stage in vivid style at Paliku Theatre.
Here’s the premise: Kumu hula ‘Iwalani is ready to retire but the obvious heiress apparent — her granddaughter, Pono — has other priorities. Pono isn’t interested in taking on the additional responsibilities involved in leading the halau. If Pono doesn’t agree to become kumu, the future of the halau is uncertain.
Other halau members have personal concerns. There’s the Caucasian dancer who has her eyes set on becoming Miss Aloha Hula even though some members of the larger hula community may feel that the title should only go to women with a certain blood quantum. There’s the “big girl” who is always placed in the back row for performances, and the youngest member of the halau who is tired of being treated as the “baby” of the group.
Okinaka knows of what he writes. Before he discovered theater, he grew up in hula culture. His brother started a halau in 2010 and Okinaka would write short scenes that would be staged as part of the halau’s performances. After proving himself as an actor to watch on the local stage, Okinaka wrote his first play, “iHula,” and established himself as a playwright too.
“iHula” premiered at Kumu Kahua Theatre in 2016 and received two Hawai‘i State Theatre Council Po‘okela Awards for excellence — one to Okinaka as the playwright, a second to the cast for its ensemble performance.
Kinoshita directed an online video production at Paliku in 2021.
“Nobody saw it during the pandemic, but it was so strong live that we wanted to actually give it an audience,” Kinoshita said Monday. She describes the play as “the best of both worlds.”
“If you love theater, or you love hula, it’s the best of both worlds. It’s a great play, and it’s all about a halau and how performance families come together. How those are the people we sort of choose, and once we choose them, we have to stick by them. And its also about cultural legacy. And it’s just so well written.”
Lelea‘e “Buffy” Kahalepuna-Wong, a member of the Kumu Kahua cast in 2016, is playing the kumu hula. The other members of the cast are Kaipo Dudoit, Reece Flores, Aren Iverson, Alysia Kepaa, Kevin Molina and Thomalin Sirivattha; Sirivattha is a veteran of Kinoshita’s 2021 production.
Kinoshita added that Okinaka has made some changes in his script.
“He’s added a couple of things,” she said cryptically. “He really fixed the second act, and made a couple more changes that are just sublime.”
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“iHula”
>> Where: Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College
>> When: 3 p.m. today, continues 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Feb. 19.
>> Cost: $25, discounts available
>> Info: palikutheatre.com or 808-235-7315
