Hoʻoilina, by Ākea Kahikina
Presented at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa by Title III Fellow Ākea Kahikina, who earned his Masters in Fine Arts in Hawaiian Theatre.
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.
Related links:
Comedic Play to Debut in Hawaiian, Pidgin, and ʻŌlelo Māhū, University of Hawai‘i News (Mar. 31, 2022)