Play investigates violence of boys

By Tanya Bricking
Advertiser Staff Writer

"War" focuses on the ways boys are taught to be tough, macho and in control. Advertiser library photo

Specifically, Honolulu Theatre for Youth's "War" zeroes in on the violence society teaches boys in a story told through four characters with absent fathers.

While the play doesn't pretend to provide answers, it probes beneath the surface.

Honolulu Theatre for Youth has teamed up with the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline for a benefit show at 7 p.m. Saturday, to raise awareness about the ways boys are brought up, said Grace Caligtan, the clearinghouse's Teen Alert coordinator.

"There's a boy code that operates in boy culture," she said. "They hear all kinds of messages about what it means to be 'da man,' be tough, macho and be in control."

Dennis Foon's play is a springboard for bringing boys into the conversation about violence, and audience discussion will follow the play. A 6 p.m. reception precedes the performance at Tenney Theatre at St. Andrew's Cathedral. Admission is $20. For information, call 534-0040.