Posted on: Sunday, November 14, 2004

OUR HONOLULU

By Bob Krauss
Advertiser Columnist

The girls from Mililani Middle School in the row ahead of me at Tenney Theater sit spellbound as two school kids on stage meet in Wahiawa after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The fat kid asks his friend, "Hey Mitz, tell me you not one Japanese spy."

"Why you say that?"

"I like know."

"Why you tink dat kine?" the Japanese boy cries in anguish and runs from the stage.

For many of the 11-year-old seventh-graders in the audience, it is the first time they've confronted the racial injustice that followed Dec. 7, 1941. They were watching a Honolulu Theater for Youth production called, "Nothing Is The Same," by Y. York. It's about what happened to kids in Wahiawa that day.

The kids have to decide whether their Japanese friend is a traitor because Japanese families are being arrested and sent to Sand Island. Like the fat kid says, "Must have did someting for make da gove'ment guys come."

On the other hand, the bombing while they are playing marbles is a great show. The bombers fly so low over Wahiawa that the kids can see the faces of the pilots. Bobi, the barefoot tomboy, imitates the air raid. She runs around with her arms extended like an airplane, making sounds like a machine gun. The audience howls.

To be honest, what excites the seventh-graders most is the face-off between the Japanese kid and the Korean kid for all the marbles. After a tense jun-ken-po to see who shoots first, half the audience stands up so they can get a better view of the game.

There is a discussion about being mistaken for a Japanese and getting shot by haole soldiers. "Soldiers no can tell between Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Shoot 'em." That gets a big laugh.

The girls from Mililani Middle School — Tasha Woodfall, Brittani Pascual, Jade Simpliciano, Kylie Park and Lindsey Carvalho — agree the play is funny.

So how much history do they get with the humor? Director Mark Lutwak said, "Teachers who bring their students have them write about the play. The responses on this are the most articulate we've ever had. It makes them think."

Students see the show on school days, families on weekends. Lutwak said the audience reactions are worlds apart. The adult audience sits somber, sometimes in tears. The student audience explodes in laughter because they connect with the bombing on the level of the actors on stage.

Wahiawa Elementary School originated the idea two years ago when each class put on a 10-minute performance. Playwright Y. York said most of the scenes come straight from the memories of Wahiawa grown-ups she interviewed.

It's one of the most original and creative things I've seen in years. There are two more performances for families — at 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Call HTY at 839-9885.