Kumu Kahua Theatre
Encyclopedia
Kumu Kahua Theatre is a community theater located in the city of Honolulu on the island of O'ahu in the state of Hawai'i. Kumu Kahua Theatre is best known for producing plays
by local Hawaii-based playwrights, especially plays featuring themes and stories of the people of Hawaii. (Their motto, as seen on their T-shirts and Web site, is "Plays about life in Hawaii. Plays byHawaii's playwrights. Plays for Hawaii's people.") Therefore actors are often featured utilizing their natural local dialect
or respective ethnic accent
, and many plays have incorporated or are solely written in Hawaii Creole English
, an English dialect commonly known in the Hawaiian islands as pidgin. Their productions are also known for involving local actors, designers, directors, and theater technicians. Appropriately the Hawaiian language
words kumu kahua translate to "original stage." People familiar with the theatre often call it affectionately by its nickname of Kumu.
Kumu Kahua Theatre was founded in 1971 by graduate students of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa http://manoa.hawaii.edu/, with the goal of producing locally-written experimental works. The experimental nature of the theatre gradually disappeared in later years. In 1982, the group was granted not-for-profit
status, and in 1994, the Hawaii State Legislature
awarded the group its current 100-seat playhouse located in downtown Honolulu at 46 Merchant Street. Dennis Carroll served as its artistic director for many years. Kumu Kahua's current artistic director is Harry Wong III.
Kumu Kahua Theatre also offers classes in acting and writing, as well as sponsoring an annual playwrighting contest in conjunction with the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa theatre department. The playwrighting contest categories are as follows:
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by local Hawaii-based playwrights, especially plays featuring themes and stories of the people of Hawaii. (Their motto, as seen on their T-shirts and Web site, is "Plays about life in Hawaii. Plays byHawaii's playwrights. Plays for Hawaii's people.") Therefore actors are often featured utilizing their natural local dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
or respective ethnic accent
Accent (linguistics)
In linguistics, an accent is a manner of pronunciation peculiar to a particular individual, location, or nation.An accent may identify the locality in which its speakers reside , the socio-economic status of its speakers, their ethnicity, their caste or social class, their first language In...
, and many plays have incorporated or are solely written in Hawaii Creole English
Hawaiian Pidgin
Hawaii Pidgin English, Hawaii Creole English, HCE, or simply Pidgin, is a creole language based in part on English used by many "local" residents of Hawaii. Although English and Hawaiian are the co-official languages of the state of Hawaii, Pidgin is used by many Hawaii residents in everyday...
, an English dialect commonly known in the Hawaiian islands as pidgin. Their productions are also known for involving local actors, designers, directors, and theater technicians. Appropriately the Hawaiian language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
words kumu kahua translate to "original stage." People familiar with the theatre often call it affectionately by its nickname of Kumu.
Kumu Kahua Theatre was founded in 1971 by graduate students of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa http://manoa.hawaii.edu/, with the goal of producing locally-written experimental works. The experimental nature of the theatre gradually disappeared in later years. In 1982, the group was granted not-for-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
status, and in 1994, the Hawaii State Legislature
Hawaii Legislature
The Hawaii State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state legislature is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Hawaii House of Representatives with 51 representatives, and an upper house, the 25-member Hawaii Senate. There are a total of 76...
awarded the group its current 100-seat playhouse located in downtown Honolulu at 46 Merchant Street. Dennis Carroll served as its artistic director for many years. Kumu Kahua's current artistic director is Harry Wong III.
Kumu Kahua Theatre also offers classes in acting and writing, as well as sponsoring an annual playwrighting contest in conjunction with the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa theatre department. The playwrighting contest categories are as follows:
- Hawai'i Prize: This award is open to Hawai'i residents and nonresidents, and the play must be set in Hawai'i or involve some aspect of the Hawai'i experience.
- Pacific/Rim Prize: This award is open to Hawai'i residents and nonresidents, and the play must be set in or involve the Pacific Islands, the Pacific Rim or the Pacific/Asian-American experience.
- Resident Prize: This award is open only to residents of Hawai'i at the time of submission, and the topic of the play is unrestricted.
External links
- http://www.kumukahua.org/