UchinaAloha

World Premiere by Lee A. Tonouchi
Directed by Reiko Ho
August 25 – October 1, 2016
Charming Tradition vs. Change Comedy
“Da Pidgin Guerilla” Lee A. Tonouchi brings us a warm tale of generations of an Okinawan family in Hawai‘i.

SHOW DATES:

Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8pm:

• August 25, 26, 27
• September 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 29, 30 (Please note, there will be no performances of UchinaAloha September 22-25; we will host Improvaganza that weekend)
• October 1, 2016

Sundays 2pm:

• August 28
• September 4, 11, 18
• October 2*

Synopsis: David Tamashiro resists his grandfather’s sanshin lessons until he has the right motivation: a girl.  A pretty young lady guest from Okinawa helps David and his friends discover much about themselves and David’s enigmatic grandfather. This is a story about the change that any culture experiences when it is relocated.  Grandfather wants to play music the way it is played in Okinawa, but his grandson wants to combine tradition with more modern methods and the mix of culture found in Hawai‘i. When the guest from Okinawa arrives, she brings tradition and fresh perspective – teaching the Tamashiros about present-day Okinawa.  The grandson learns a new way of playing that honors Okinawan culture.

Kumu Kahua Theatre is located in downtown Honolulu on the corner of Merchant and Bethel Streets. Ample parking is available in the Harbor Court building located on block makai (toward the water); enter the garage via Bethel Street. Guest parking is available on the 5th-7th floors. Major bus stops are located just mauka (toward the mountain) of the theater along King and Hotel Streets.

Lee A. Tonouchi

Lee A. Tonouchi (born circa 1972) is a Hawaii born writer and editor, who calls himself “Da Pidgin Guerilla” because of his strong advocacy of the Hawaiian Pidgin language. Tonouchi graduated from Aiea High School in 1990. He promotes the idea that the Creole language known as Hawaiian Pidgin is an appropriate language for both creative and academic writing. He was inspired by the works of Eric Chock in the journal Bamboo Ridge. All of his writing, including his Master’s Thesis, is in Pidgin. He was an instructor of English at Kapiolani Community College in 2007. He also taught at Hawaii Pacific University during 2005, and later. His works often address family relationship in a humorous way.

His principal works:

• Hybolics (1999), literary magazine in Hawaiian Pidgin (co-editor)
• Da Word (2001), a collection of short stories
• Living Pidgin: Contemplations on Pidgin Culture (2002), a collection of poems and essays
• Gone Feeshing (2004), a play first produced at Kumu Kahua Theatre
• Da Kine Dictionary: Da Hawai’i Community Pidgin Dictionary Projeck (2005), a dictionary of Hawaiian Pidgin

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*American Sign Language Interpretation upon request