Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 10, 1 October 2013 — A singular man's story told in a one-man play [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A singular man's story told in a one-man play

'Legend of Ko'olau' tour begins Nov. 9 in Maui

ByTreenaShapiro The enduring story of Hawaiian cowboy Kaluaikoolau's fight against exile to Kalaupapa has inspired writers and playwrights for more than a century. One of the most recent retellings is Gary Kubota's one-man play Legend ofKo 'olau, whieh will premiere Nov. 9 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's McCoy Studio Theater. The performance is one in a statewide tour funded by a grant from the National Performance Network of New Orleans.

Based on true events dating back to 1893, the play tells a story of love and survival against the backdrop of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Ko'olau is a cowboy diagnosed with Hansen's disease who fights the rebel miliha who overthrew Queen Lili'uokalani and wants to exile Ko'olau and his son to the leper settlement at Kalaupapa. Ko'olau kills a deputy sheriff, then with help from his wife, Pi'ilani, manages to evade 50 soldiers and deputies armed with a Krupp eannon. The play stars Ed Ka'ahea, a member of the former comedy troupe Booga Booga and one of the founders of Mānoa Valley Theatre. Ka'ahea has a number of dramatic roles to his credit, including a turn at Shakespeare in the Park in New York City. Ka'ahea says that audiences have

laughed and cried at Legend of Ko'olau readings on Kaua'i, where Ko'olau was born and raised. "I'm honored to be cast in this historic role," the Kamehameha Schools graduate says. "I truly believe this couldbe the start of a Native Hawaiian actors' company - whieh is important if we want to develop stories about ourselves, whether theatrical or in film" The play was written by veteran newspaper journalist Gary Kubota, author of To HonorMau: Voyage of the Hōkūle'a through Micronesia. Legend of Ko 'olau is the first play for Kubota, who is also a songwriter and poet. The playwright says Ko'olau began as a filmproject with a friend, but ultimately Kubota couldn't see writing it for mainstream America. "I followed my muse, and my muse said let this guy speak, give this Hawaiian working class cowboy a ehanee to tell his side of the story. A one-man play is the purest form to do it," he describes. "My friend is still waiting on the film script." That doesn't necessarily mean only Hawai'i audiences will get to see the play, however. The National Performance Network of New Orleans funded Legend of Ko 'olau in hope that it will reach a broad audience. "NPN has given us a grant to create the play, and, in addition, promised to match loeal donations," Kubota says. "The donations are tax deductible and eome with perks. Everything is pointed toward touring nationally." Asked what it's like to see his play eome to life, Kubota says, "I think back to 1972 near the start of the Hawaiian renaissance, when hundreds of community members and students occupied the University of Hawai'iMānoa to demand an Ethnic Studies Program - Hawaiians, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Filipinos, Puerto Ricans, as well as Caucasian supporters," Kubota says. "I remember a banner strung from the second floor saying, 'Our History, Our Way.' " He adds, "We owe a lot to these people - many who have passed since then. I feel fortunate to have eome this far." ■ Treena Shapi.ro, afreelance writer, is aformer reporterfor the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser.

PLAY DATES • Maui Arts & Cultural Center's McCoy Studio Theater at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 • Aloha Theatre in Kona on Hawai'i lsland at 3 p.m. Dec. 29 • Waimea Historic Theater on Kaua'i the weekend of March 1 • Hawai'i Theatre on O'ahu the weekend of May 16 For more information, visit legendofkoolau.com and view audience responses at http:// bit.ly/lexWaW5. Tickets go on sale Oct. 5.

/ NĀHANANA > EVENTS

Readings of the play have elicited laughter and tears on Kaua'i, where Ko'olau, right, pietured with his family, was born and raised. - Courtesy: Hawai'i State Archives

Veteran newspaper journalist Gary Kubota, center, wrote the play "Legend of Ko'olau," starring Ed Ka'ahea, right. Keo Woolford, left, directs. - Photo: LisaAsato