ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi Piha

He Leo Aloha

na Kaipu Baker, ma ke Kula Nui o Hawaiʻi ma Mānoa

He hana keaka ʻo He Leo Aloha e nune ana i ia mea ʻo ke aloha. ʻO ia kaunu mole paʻa a ka puʻuwai i hoʻohānupanupa ʻia aʻela e nā paʻa mele, paʻa moʻolelo o ko Hawaiʻi pae ʻāina i pāʻihiʻihi ʻia i ka hanohano me ka hiehie ke kumuhana nui o kēia hana keaka. Me ʻeono haumāna kula nui e kaʻi aku ai ke anaina i ka hoʻohuahualau ʻana i ia mau mea ʻo ka ʻanoʻi a me ka haʻehaʻe. Me ko lākou mau leo kolonahe e hiʻilei ai lākou i ke ahi lapalapa o ke aloha, i wehi hoʻohihi, i lei mili na ka manaʻo. I mau ka puana a i lohe ʻia, e kuhikuhi aku ana nō nei mau haumāna i nā mele kuʻuna a me nā moʻolelo kūliʻuliʻu o ka ʻāina iā lākou e nanalu ana i nā ʻale polikua o ke aloha. Na nā mele, nā moʻolelo a me nā noʻeau a nā kūpuna i ʻekepue ʻia e nā kaona manaʻo e ʻī maila i ke kauoha a kūpuna mā, e mālama i ka leo ʻo ia ke kuleana e kipa. A e kipa, e noho, e nānea i nei leo kamaʻāina. He leo hone ia o ka waipahē e nahenahe ana i ke kuahiwi, kualono, e hoʻolono mai iā He Leo Aloha.

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He Leo Aloha explores the power and limits of the leo (voice and language). The play follows a group of college students on a quest to scrutinize and find true aloha in one another and in the knowledge of their ancestors through their own ingenuity in applying their ancestral language. On this journey they seek to weave the world of their ancestors into their own words, allowing for multi-generational communication in each utterance, imbuing their words with mana (divine power, authority). Traditional mele and original oli are utilized to communicate and highlight the power of the leo. He Leo Aloha is a story about the power of language and the vital importance of communication, articulating that a mastery of language is the power to remedy any situation.

Ke Kime Hana Keaka

Kaipulaumakaniolono - DIRECTOR

Joshua “Baba” Kamoaniʻala Tavares - LAPA

Lily Hiʻilani Okimura - HIʻILEIALOHA

Iāsona Kaper - Assistant Director

Ākea Kahikina - MILI

Kaneikoliakawahineikaʻiukapuomua Baker - ʻANOʻI

Kaʻulakauikeaokea Krug - HAʻEHAʻE

Ikaika Mendez - NAHE

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ʻO KA WAIHONA A KE ALOHA ka papahana ho‘oheno mele o Kawaihuelani, a he waihona ko‘iko‘i loa ia i ho‘okumu ‘ia na Kumu Keawe Lopes i ka makahiki 2002 no ka ho‘omau ‘ia o nā mele, nā mea oli, nā ho‘opa‘a, nā pu‘ukani a me nā haku mele nō ho‘i i ō mau nā mo‘olelo o Kūpuna mā. ‘O ka mākia ho‘okahi o nēia waihona makamae, ‘o ia ho‘i kēia, “Ho‘oheno ka puana i lohe ‘ia,” a he paipai nui ia i ka ho‘oheno mau o kākou i nā mele i lohe ‘ia ma mua, a e puana hou ‘ia hoi, i lohe ‘ia nā mo‘olelo o Kūpuna mā e nā pepeiao ho‘oheno mele o kānaka o kēia mua aku. I loko nō o nā makahiki he 20 i hala aku nei, ua ho‘okumu ‘ia kēia mau papahana ma lalo o Ka Waihona A Ke Aloha: Nā Mele o Hawai‘i Nei, Ke Welo Mau Nei, Ka Papa Mele Kauwela, Ho‘okani Mānoa, Lā Mele, The Tuahine Troupe, E Kau A Hua ‘o Kauhua a me #PuanaPō‘akolu. A ua pa‘i ‘ia kona puke pai kumuhana mua i ka makahiki 2014 ‘o ia ho‘i ‘o E Mau Ai Ka Puana.

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Tammy Haili‘ōpua Baker - Hawaiian Theatre Program Director

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Wordsworth

na Pualani Johnson i kākau no ka hana keaka, mai nā puke o Frances Kakugawa.

na Pōhai Montague-Mullins ka unuhi ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi

na Wendell Ing nā mele a me ka pila hoʻokani

na Justina ʻŌlalimākiaikalauaki Mattos ka hoʻokuhikuhi hana keaka

na Kea Kapahua ka hoʻokuhikuhi hulahula

na Rachel Edwards ka hoʻokuhikuhi hīmeni

na Lizby nā lole hāmeʻe

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Hoʻopaʻa wikiō ʻia ma ke kula nui o Hawaiʻi ma Hilo

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A co-production of: UH Hilo Performing Arts Center and UH Hilo Performing Arts Department with support from Hilo Community Players and the KEAKA Hawaiian Language Theatre Festival.

He ʻiole haku-poema, ʻo Wordsworth. Hoʻohene nā ʻiole ʻē aʻe iā ia, a hiki i ka lā o ka ua nui. I kēlā manawa, he mea hōʻolu kāna mau poema. A ma hope o kēlā, ke poina ka noʻonoʻo o kona kupunawahine, a hoʻohāmau ʻia nā keiki, hoʻākāka nā poema i ka waiwai o ka ʻakaʻaka, ka hulahula, a me ka ʻohana no Tūtū.

Wordsworth is a mouse-poet. The other mice make fun of him and his "silly" poems, until a day when the sun disappears, the sky rumbles, and the rain relentlessly falls. That's when Wordsworth shows the others how poetry can help us through dark times. Then, when his beloved Tūtū becomes forgetful and the children are admonished to “hush” around her, Wordsworth's poems help them understand that Grandma still needs to laugh, dance, and spend time with ʻohana.

ʻEhā Moʻolelo Kuʻuna

He mau hana keaka pāpeta (hula kiʻi), na ka papa o Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu

Kuhikuhi ʻia e ke kumu Kauʻi Kaina

He moʻolelo kuʻuna, he haʻawina mau loa. ʻO ka haʻi moʻolelo ke ala i paʻa nui ai nā inoa ʻāina, ka moʻokūʻauhau, nā hana noʻeau, nā mele, a me nā haʻawina o ke ola kanaka. I kēia makahiki kula, ua heluhelu a hoʻopaʻa nā haumāna o ka papa 11 i kekahi o ia mau moʻolelo kuʻuna i pūlama ʻia. Ma ka hoʻopaʻa pono ʻana i ia mau moʻolelo, ua haku lākou i mau hana keaka e kālele ana ma luna o nā hanana a me ka haʻawina nui o ia mau moʻolelo he wahi hoʻomanaʻo no kākou e hoʻoikaika mau ma ke ʻano he kanaka a ma ke ʻano hoʻi he lāhui. ʻO ke kiʻi ke ala i hōʻola hou ʻia nā hāmeʻe o ia mau moʻolelo e komo hou ai kekahi hana noʻeau hou aku a nā kūpuna ma ka haʻi moʻolelo ʻana. No kekahi o nā moʻolelo, ua hoʻololiloli ʻia ka wā i mea e hoʻopili ai nā haumāna i ko lākou ola i kēia wā. A no laila, e nanea a walea mai i kā lākou moʻolelo ʻana.

A traditional story, a lifelong lesson. Storytelling is a way our ancestors recorded the knowledge of our place names, genealogy, arts & crafts, poetry, and lessons of life. This school year the students of the 11th grade read and familiarize themselves with a few of these cherished stories. As they familiarize themselves with these stories they wrote, created, and produced these stories in the form of a short play using pictures and kiʻi. For some of these plays, they changed the time period to reflect that of a more modern era, to help them and other audience members remember that the essence of the story is not in the timeline, but rather in the lessons that are still prevalent to us today. So, sit back and enjoy their creation and adaptations.

• No Puhi a me Loli (na Kanani Tim Sing)

• Nā Wiliwili o Pāʻula (na Nāwaipāhē Freeman)

• He Pule no Kāne lāua ʻo Kū (na Māhealani Awai)

• Kūkaʻōhiʻaakalaka (na Nāmaka Ellis-Tingle)

Paepae Hou ʻIa Ka Pōhaku

Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīkalaniʻōpuʻu, papa 11

me Kumu Haunani Keamo

Mai ko Hōkūleʻa huakaʻi mua ʻana i Kahiki ma ka makahiki 1976, ua paepae hou ʻia nā pōhaku i paʻa maila ke kahua hou o ke kele waʻa ʻana. ʻO Hōkūleʻa ka pōhaku mua loa o ia kahua i kāpili ʻia ai nā waʻa Polenesia hou aʻe, ʻo ia hoʻi ka ʻohana waʻa. ʻO nā pola o ia mau waʻa, he kahua hoʻonui ʻike, he kahua hoʻōla ʻōlelo a moʻomeheu ʻōiwi. I kēia makahiki kula (2021-22) i noiʻi ai ka papa 11 o Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu no ka mōʻaukala o kekahi waʻa o ka ʻohana waʻa ma mua o ka nānā ʻana i nā haʻawina ʻē aʻe: ke kilo hōkū, ke kālaikūlohea, nā loina hana waʻa, apwa. ʻO nā wikiō ma lalo iho kekahi o nā wikiō pōkole i haku ʻia no ka hōʻuluʻulu i ka ʻikepili a haʻawina paha ma ia noiʻi ʻana.

From the time of Hōkūleʻaʻs first voyage to Tahiti in 1976, there has been a constant restacking of the stones in reestablishing traditional knowledge of celestial navigation. With Hōkūleʻaʻs being the first pōhaku, many other canoes have been built upon the same foundation. Today there are numerous double-hulled sailing canoes throughout the Pacific following in her footsteps, serving as platforms of learning and culture and language revitalization. This school year (2021-22) the 11th grade class at Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu studied celestial navigation, the physics of sailing, and traditional Hawaiian practices of building a canoe. They also researched the history of Hawaiʻiʻs ʻOhana Waʻa by selecting one canoe, gathering information, and interviewing a person tied to the canoe. Below are a few short videos of some of their findings or lessons they have learned. 

• No Hōkūleʻa (na Kahaukepa ʻAipia-Peters, Kalaʻi Fragas-VanBlarcom)

• No Hawaiʻiloa (na Kahiwa Shin, Kawai Wilbur-Gabriel, Kyana Gabriel)

• No Hōkūalakaʻi (na ʻŌnohi Pacheco, Kahaliʻa Masaoka, Kepoʻinalu Alameda)

Reverence

He Kiʻi ʻOniʻoni na Keliʻi Grace

In ancient Hawaiʻi, a warrior was entrusted with the sacred act of hiding his beloved chief’s bones. To ensure they would never be found, he traveled in secret… 

“Reverence” starring Kapono Aluli Souza is an independent short film produced by Hawaii Film + Arts International. Set in pre-contact Hawaiʻi, it tells the story of one warrior’s journey and his deep love for his chief. Based on moʻolelo of the final resting places of the great chiefs of Hawaiʻi, this film reflects a deep reverence for life.

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Director's Statement:

We believe in the power of people to tell their own stories. For a long time, the world’s view of Hawaiʻi has been a touristy one. Yet Hawaiian culture has so much to offer the world - values of inclusion and acceptance, sustainability and innovation. We hope that this film helps to create a dialogue and sheds light on the deeper beauty and wisdom of Hawaiʻi. Our ancestors, kūpuna, have always shared their stories or moʻolelo verbally through oli (chanting) and hula (dancing). Yet today, film allows us to blend ancient ways with modern technology and share stories that are a part of our collective history and memory. Stories that impart special mana (spirit) and understanding to viewers. 

With a tight team of 6 people playing multiple roles, we shot for 4 long days and nights on Hawaiʻi Island, in cloud forests and caves, hand-lighting ancient lamps for the first time after hundreds of years. Our crew all fasted before filming to get into the right state of mind to tell this very sacred story and our actor, himself a cultural practitioner worked with our producer and respected artisans to handcraft all the props to be as true as possible to ancient times. We had the script's outline but the story came to life through practitioners who donated hundreds of hours and helped us build the narrative to be as true as possible. It is our hope that this feeling and energy of following the signs from the ʻāina (land) while filming, guided by our ancestors, inspires people to have reverence for all of life and to preserve these stories so they are not lost forever.

He Aukahi Hoʻōla Mauli

nā wikiō mele, na ka papa 10 - Nāwahī

me nā kumu Kauʻi Kaina lāua ʻo Haʻamauliola Aiona

Ola ka mōʻaukala a me nā moʻolelo o kahiko ma nā mele o kēia au nei. He mau wikiō mele kēia i haku a hoʻolaukaʻi piha ʻia e nā haumāna o ka papa 10 o Nāwahī ma ka noiʻi ʻana i nā manaʻo o nā mele, ka nīnauele ʻana i nā haku mele, a me ka hōʻike ʻana i ka pilina i ko kēia mua aku.

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Hawaiian songs serve as vessels of our history and traditional stories. These music videos produced, directed, and created by the 10th graders of Nāwahī our the final products of a year long project that incorporated research, interviews of the song composers, videography, singing/dancing, and the students’ perspectives of the continuance of our culture and language. 

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• Ua Ao Hawaiʻi

(na Kaʻohulani Kalama, Ikaika Brown, Kalikolehua Uyeshiro, Aoliʻi Santos, Kaʻiwa Ware)

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• Ke Au Hawaiʻi & Kulāiwi

(na Kekuʻiapoiwa Navas-Colburn, Kauʻiʻolu Kepoʻo-Deconte , Kamakoa Loo-McDaniel, Kūpono Bueltmann, Tinai Liusa)

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• Hū Mai Ke Aloha

(na Kunewa Alapaʻi-Cova, Keola Galima-Elvena, Lākai Weissman, Pine Harman, ʻEhā Kiyuna)

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• Poloʻai o Keʻelikōlani & Wahine Lei ʻUla

(na Laʻaulu Kalauokaʻaeʻa-Kahele, Kauahe Motta, Kaʻōlino Glendon, ʻĪhiapaenuʻu Peʻa, Kalaealoha Ahia)

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• ʻAʻole i Manaʻo ʻIa

(na Keanokualani Perreira, Dakota Nakamoto, Kahoeuli Anakalea, Kaiʻōlino Kualiʻi, Kanilau Tolentino Perry, Keano Perreira, Naiʻa Iaea)

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• Paʻa Mau & No ʻAneʻi Ko Kākou Ola

(na Kauluwena Aiona, Kolonahe Walker, Leikiele Soller, Kaʻohāliʻa Brandt, Kalikokūpuna Kealoha, Kaʻilina Kahikina, Kīkaha Oshiro, Kāheanahe Peʻa)

Ka Pua aʻo Kina: Emma ʻAʻima Nāwahī

na Kaʻohulani Kalama, Nāwahī papa 10

​me ke kākoʻo o kona kumu, ʻo Kauʻi Kaina

ʻO Emma ʻAʻima Nāwahī kekahi kumu hoʻohālike i nānā ʻia i kēia makahiki kula e nā haumāna o ka papa 10 o Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu. ʻO kāna mau hana manawaleʻa, kona ʻano ohohia, kona kākoʻo mau i kona mōʻī, ʻo Liliʻuokalani, kona aloha i kāna kāne wiwoʻole, ʻo Iosepa Kahoʻoluhi Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, a me kona kūpaʻa no ka pono o ka lāhui Hawaiʻi. He wikiō pōkole kēia i haku a hoʻomākaukau ʻia e Kaʻohulani Kalama, he haumana o ka papa 10. Nāna i haku, hoʻomākaukau, a hoʻopaʻa i kahi monologue e kū ai ʻo ia, ʻo ia ʻo Emma ʻAʻima Nāwahī, me ka hōʻike i kekahi ʻaoʻao o Emma i pūlama nui ʻia.

Emma ʻAʻima Nāwahī is a role model that the students of the 10th grade at Ke Kula ʻo Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu learned about this school year. They learned of her service, her passion, her constant support for her queen, Liliʻuokalaniokalani, her love for her husband, Joseph Kahoʻoluhi Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu, and her unwavering dedication to her land and people. Here is a short video that was created and produced by Kaʻohulani Kalama, a student of the 10th grade. She created, acted, edited, and produced the monologue. She debuts as Emma ʻAʻima Nāwahī.

Paiʻea

Act I Workshopped Production from Kamehameha Hawaiʻi Campus

Paiʻea is the first in a trilogy of rock opera performances being developed at Kamehameha Hawaiʻi campus, focusing on Kamehameha I.

Written almost entirely in Hawaiian language, this workshopped performance of Act I covers the life of Kamehameha from birth to the Battle of Mokuʻōhai. It was presented at the Kamehameha campus for Hōʻike 2022, in anticipation of next year’s fully staged production, which will be adapted to travel to Scotland for the American High School Theatre Festival at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Ke Kime Hana Keaka

Music: Herb Mahelona

Libretto: Eric Stack

Lyrics: ʻAlohi De Lima, Eric Stack, Kalehua Simeona

Director: ‘Alohi De Lima

Choreography: ʻAlohi De Lima, Jenn Eng, Piʻilani Kaawaloa

Set: Mike Dombroski

Lights: Eric Stack

Costume Coordination: Lee Barnette-Dombroski

Hoʻoulu ʻŌlelo

(Hapa ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi)

Hoʻoilina

na Ākea Kahikina, ma ke Kula Nui o Hawaiʻi ma Mānoa

Set in a pre-pandemic Hawai‘i upon the luxurious slopes of Lēʻahi, Hoʻoilina is a farcical hana keaka that knocks on the door of a Kanaka Maoli family anxiously poised for a will reading that will determine the fate of a huge inheritance from their beloved matriarch.  Just as the will is about to be read, a quirky stranger appears at the door, claiming her right to the hefty endowment. As chaos ensues, family secrets are revealed, causing the family to question their own relationships, identity, and future as Kanaka while being insidiously constricted by the pressures of capitalism and cultural loss. Hoʻoilina is a hana keaka (Hawaiian theatre) production performed in ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language), Pidgin, ʻōlelo māhū (Māhū language), and English.

Ke Kime Hana Keaka

Kaʻiminaʻauao Cambern - DANNY

Makiʻilei Ishihara - NOE

Kekoaopololū Kealoha - MRS. ELLIS

Ernest Kalikoaloha Martin, Jr. - KAIMANA

Ka‘ōnohiokalāe‘ālohilohinei Müller - MR. KAUMAKA

Lily Hiʻilani Okimura - LILI-LEI

Joshua “Baba” Kamoaniʻala Tavares - NANE

Gage Richard Thomas (He/Him) - NICK

Iāsona Kaper - Assistant Director

Ākea Kahikina - Playwright & Director

Kaipulaumakaniolono - Kākoʻo

Jonah Bobilin - Lighting Designer

Rick Greaver - Sound Designer

Kara Nabarette - Scenic & Props Designer

Kaneikoliakawahineikaʻiukapuomua Baker - Costume Designer

Maile Speetjens - Costume Adviser

Michelle Bisbee - Projections Designer & Scenic Advisor

Tammy Haili‘ōpua Baker - Hawaiian Theatre Program Director

Nā Leo o ka Hanauna Hou

Three Generations of Change: 1896, 1970s, 2020

He Mele Uhau - Nāwahī Papa 11

He mele uhau kēia e hōʻike ana i ke au hulihia o nā makahiki 1893-1898, ke au maʻewa ʻo nā makahiki 1970-80, a me kēia au nei, he wā lolelua hoʻi kēia o ke au ʻenehana, ka maʻi ahulau, nā ʻano hoʻokae like ʻole, a me ka heheʻe ʻana o ka ʻāina i kēlā lā me kēia lā.

The 11th graders of Nāwahī bring to life the struggles of the late 1800’s during the Kūʻē Petition and annexation of Hawaiʻi, the resurgence of the Hawaiian Renaissance of the 1970s, and the unprecedented times of technology, the world wide pandemic, prejudice, and climate change at the forefront of our lives in this new millennium. This journey through time is presented through a poignant slam poem weaving Hawaiian and English together to motivate and inspire the upcoming generations.

Nā Kumu:

Kauʻi Kaina

Haʻamauliola Aiona

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Papa 11 o Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu:

Kahaliʻa Masaoka, Kaumualiʻi Harman, Kahaukepa ʻAipia-Peters, Akariva Vuta, Puʻuwaihaʻa Kalauokaʻaeʻa-Kahele, Kamaile Deitch, Kaʻanoʻi Young, Nāmaka Ellis-Tingle, Ililani Young, Kanani Tim Sing, Kalimahana Kraus, Kamaehu Glendon, Keua Hui, Kamaka Frasco, Malia Kukahiwa, Kaʻimi Galima-Elvena, Kenike Aipolani, Kaleo Kealoha-Yamanaka, Māhealani Awai, ʻĀnela Lavea-Malloe, Keea Evans, Kyana Gabriel, ʻAukai Pascual, Kahiwa Shin, Hōkūʻala Quanan, ʻŌnohi Pacheco, Kalei Rosehill, Kepoʻinalu Alameda, Nāwaipahē Freeman, Kawai Wilbur-Gabriel, Kāhealani Viritua, Makanui Knell, Kalaʻi Fragas-Van Blarcom, Kawika Lyons, Kamahina Giminiz

Hoʻoulu Kuanaʻike

(ʻIke Hawaiʻi, akā ʻaʻole nui ka

ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi)

The Conversion of Kaʻahumanu

a play by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl

produced at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo

in collaboration with ke Kula ʻO Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu

March, 1820. Hawaiʻi is overrun with foreign ships, guns, and diseases to which the native population has no immunity. A small group of American missionaries arrives, bringing the palapala, and word of a new god. To win the hearts of the people, they must first gain the approval of a queen. This is the story of…The Conversion of Kaʻahumanu.

Written by: Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl

Directed by: Justina ʻŌlalimākiaikalauaki Mattos

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Starring:

Desiree Moana Cruz as Kaʻahumanu

Danielle Kwami as Hannah

Keʻalohilani Kama-Hosea as Pali

Nicole Gour as Lucy Thurston

Catherine Williams as Sybil Bingham

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With the Students of Nāwahīokalaniʻōpuʻu

(under the direction of nā Kumu Haʻamauliola Aiona & Kauʻi Kaina)

Nā Mikioneli:

Seta, Kahale, Maikaʻi, Ikaika, Kahikimoe, Kealoha, Kealaula, Kuʻulei, Koaʻe, Pōhai, Hīnano, Kaʻiulani, Kauanoe, Kauwela, Kawela

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Nā Kanaka Maoli:

Nāinoa, Kalaʻi, Tanielu, Walea, Makanalei, Keʻalohi, Kaliʻu, Kahiau, Kalama, Ahiʻena, Pōmaikaʻi, Waikā, Kawaiola, Hūalaʻi, Tomaia