Windward O'ahu your ticket to theater
By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Windward O'ahu Writer
KANE'OHE — Stage theater is in full swing in Windward O'ahu, with productions beginning, under way and rehearsing at a variety of venues from the most technically advanced to the basic, offering what some call a renaissance of live entertainment.
Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser
For students at the Castle Performing Arts Center and Windward Community College theater programs, the assortment of opportunities allows them to hone their skills and explore career options. Even seasoned actors and stage production crew are finding artistic outlets in their back yard.
Zare Anguay, an eighth-grader at King Intermediate, rehearses his role of Harvey in "Bye Bye Birdie" at the Ronald E. Bright Theatre. Theater is flourishing in Windward O'ahu.
"It's my life now," said Leo Uitto, a junior at Castle High School. "I wouldn't know what I would be doing if the theater wasn't here. This is my second home."
Windward O'ahu has always had a broad interest in the arts, particularly theater. It was fostered in the schools by drama teacher Ron Bright, who finally got a theater built in the 1980s that allowed for big productions. That performing arts heritage combined with the addition of other venues — particularly the state-of-the-art Paliku Theatre at Windward Community College — has resulted today in stage opportunities for students and other residents and a pool of live entertainment that draws people from all over the island.
Among the different venues are the Ronald E. Bright Theatre at Castle High School, the Paliku Theatre and The Little Theatre at Windward Community College, Hawai'i Pacific University Windward campus, and a park in Lanikai used by the Lanikai Mortgage Players.
"Noises Off," an adult comedy • • • "Bye Bye Birdie" • • • "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: How John Barleycorn Lost His Grip on the White House"
Uitto, who started acting in grade school, is also drawn to the technical side of theater, working light and sound systems and creating scenery. He's learning to direct as well, and says having the different venues gives him the opportunity to do a variety of shows and practice all the skills he's learning.
What's on stage
"We're not limited to one type of theater," he said. "We do straight plays here. We do comedies. Then we go to (Windward Community College) and do musicals and Shakespeare."
As a technician, Uitto said he enjoys troubleshooting at the fully equipped but aging Ron Bright Theatre that seats 670 and has been challenged as the area's premier facility by the Paliku Theatre.
Ben Moffat, acting instructor at Windward Community College, said the 3-year-old, 300-seat Paliku Theatre has ignited a resurgence in Windward theater. A musical, comedy and Shakespeare are part of this year's programs at Paliku, which also features music and dance concerts.
"Compared to the other side, it seems like per capita there's more theatrical activity going on here," Moffat said.
Also new to the college is Lisa Matsumoto's Ohia Production, operating out of the 80-seat Little Theatre on the campus. The company, which has several full-time employees, does tours at schools and expects to offer noncredit classes at the college soon, Moffat said.
Bright, who brought big musical productions to Windward O'ahu while heading the Castle Performing Arts Center, remembers a time when there were no theaters in Windward O'ahu and performances were done in elementary school cafeterias. Paliku is a transition theater, he said, offering students who aren't attending college but want to continue in the field more opportunity to improve skills without going to the Mainland.
The 70-year-old Bright introduced musicals at the community college three years ago after retiring from Castle, and he opened auditions to the entire community. The productions, which cast 50 to 60 people, pair seasoned performers and technicians with students, Bright said. In October he will direct "Big River," a musical about Huck Finn, at Paliku.
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"The theater at Paliku becomes a laboratory for kids because they get to work with technicians who are well versed in their art," said Bright, who has helped launch about 150 careers in theater, television and technical support. "And the kids flock to us."
Ron Bright brought big musical productions to Windward O'ahu while heading the Castle Performing Arts Center.
Christopher Lynch, a 21-year-old Windward Community College acting student, said having the different options is good for the community, and as a Windward resident he's able to explore the field before making a commitment.
"There's so much variety," Lynch said. "It's not like you're stuck if you don't make it into this one. There's other places to turn to."
Hawai'i Pacific University is among the venues that offer "exciting theater," in Windward O'ahu, said Joyce Maltby, HPU director of theater. The program offers two to three shows a year on the school's Kane'ohe campus. Open auditions provide cast members from the community as well as students, she said.
Audiences come from all over the island, including tourists from Waikiki, Maltby said, adding that live theater offers people an escape from the bleak realities of life. But the popularity of theater has always been strong in Windward, she said.
"It's the nature of this community," said Maltby, an associate professor of theater. "I find on this side a real interest in the arts. People want to stay connected to the living culture."
Lucille Shreve, who has directed the Lanikai Mortgage Players for 26 years, said theater is once again on an upswing and thought it might be because the population in Windward is growing and so is traffic congestion, making people want to stay closer to home.
The Mortgage Players perform melodrama, and all proceeds raised from their $5 admission go toward the upkeep of the park where they perform.
Pomai Lopez, a 21-year-old Windward Community College student, said without the different acting venues she might have to go to California or New York to learn more. Community theater can open doors and advance an actor's career, Lopez said.
"We're pretty fortunate on this side to have so many options," she said.
Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.
Correction: A previous version of this story contained incorrect information about the show times for "Bye Bye Birdie."
