'Super Secret Squad' presents seriously funny endeavor

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

•	'Super Secret Squad' A play by Lee Cataluna, produced by Kumu Kahua Premieres at 8 p.m. Thursday; repeats at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, through June 16 Kumu Kahua Theatre $5-$16 536-4441

"I was in 'Da Mayah' and 'Aloha Friday,' and I looked forward to doing another one by Lee Cataluna," said Daryl Bonilla, who is portraying Vance Toguchi, aka Togo. "Good fun."

Of the dude he plays, Bonilla said: "He's a very clean, proper, neat and orderly type, who wants to be in the military; I'm not neat. And he's more quick-tempered than I am. It takes a lot to get me going."

Eddie Gudoy, who portrays Liko, said: "I was in the other shows, too, and after a reading of 'Super Secret Squad,' I really wanted to be a part of it. This is a little more serious. First part is typical Lee Cataluna; lots of laughs. Then get change; second act, more serious.

"For me, I'd rather play funny, even though everybody says it's harder to do comedy. With serious, I need help. Liko needs help, too; he has a family thing going, hooking up with his buddies; he's going to stay in school as long as it takes because he doesn't know what to do with his life. He doesn't want to risk anything."

Keith Kashiwada, who's directing, had his own take: "I knew I couldn't be in it — I'm a little past the time frame of being a UH student, so I asked our artistic director, Harry Wong III, if I could direct it. In a way, directing's better; you get to be every character."

The five characters are supposed to be University of Hawai'i-Manoa students who take seven or eight years to complete a four-year academic program. Besides the "professional students" trait, they also have definite concerns on how to solve some of the silly problems in the Hawai'i community. Like making the Duke Kahanamoku statue at Waikiki Beach face another way. Or putting the Rainbows back into the UH sports picture.

Interestingly, the cast has melded outside the usual onstage time, too, assembling for pre-rehearsal basketball and football, chowing at a potluck dinner at the Advertiser columnist/playwright's house, taking in a first-day screening of "Spider-Man" together. Even a sleepover was in the works.

"The play's developing relationships," Kashiwada said. "They're supposed to be close friends, so the bonding is helping with the camaraderie (on stage)."

"Some of us have acted together, so it's nice to carry on the friendship," said Bonilla, who works with the Sex Abuse Center at Kapiolani Health, taking dramatic skits to high school and intermediate groups about the nature and prevention of sexual assault and date rape. "We do some interactive thing, some improv — it's so much more effective than just talking," he said.

But of the sporting tangent of the "Super Secret Squad": "We look at each other and say, 'Wow, we're all out of shape.' But there's a good vibe going on in this cast for a show like this. Really good."

Gudoy, who is an educational assistant at Moanalua High School, said he can associate with the guys in the play "because I've been there. I haven't graduated from college yet; right now, I'm working, but I've been at UH and Leeward Community College, so I match the character I'm playing, who doesn't know what to do in life and doesn't take risks."

Kashiwada also liked the serious edge to Cataluna's often lunatic streak; "with the comedic, she turns in the serious. I think of all of her works, this one has the most serious side. But it's still funny. It gets people to think about ways to make a difference."