“He Wehi no nā Lehua Keaka”
na Kaipulaumakaniolono
Kau maila i ka ʻōpua o Akāka i ka hanohano
Hanohano Nā-lehua-a-Akāka i ka noe a ka Tuahine
I laila ke aka laʻi i ka wai peʻe palai o Wai-a-ke-akua
I uka hoʻi au lā ʻike i ka hala kīkē ʻia e Kahaukani
Kani aʻela he leo aloha, leo hone i ke kuahiwi, kualono
Ua lono kuʻu kino i ke aloha
Naue mai, haele mai ka haili ʻōpua
E ʻōpua maila i ka ua
ʻO Ka-ua-laʻa, Waʻahila, me Puahia i Mānoa
ʻOnipaʻa mai ʻo Laeʻahi, hoa alo ehu o ke kakahiaka
Akāka ka hiʻona a ka manaʻo
E hea akula he welina, he aloha ea.
Ka Papahana Hana Keaka Hawaiʻi
Ka Papahana Hana Keaka Hawai‘i (the Hawaiian Theatre Program) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) is dedicated to cultivating hana keaka, Hawaiian theatre, as a vital space for language, culture, and contemporary expression. Grounded in the four kūkulu (pillars) of hana keaka – Mo‘olelo (Narratives/Histories), Kū‘auhau (Genealogy), Hana No‘eau (Visual/Performative Arts), ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian Language) – our productions bring ancestral knowledge into conversation with the present, centering Hawaiian voices, issues, and creativity on stage.
The program includes courses on the history of theatre in Hawai‘i, the study and analysis of indigenous Hawaiian theatre, and training in both traditional and contemporary Hawaiian performance forms. Original hana keaka productions reflect and honor the language, traditions, history and values of Kānaka Maoli. A primary focus of the program is to grow practitioners of hana keaka; actors, playwrights, directors, designers, technicians, and patrons in order to grow the profession of hana keaka. Through the vision and intentions of Ka Hālau Hanakeaka, a Hawaiian-medium theatre troupe founded by Hailiʻōpua and Kaliko Baker, coupled with the curriculum and productions of the Hawaiian Theatre Program, our hui continues to serve the community and build capacity in the discipline of Hawaiian theatre. Ua ao Hawaiʻi, ke ʻōlino nei.
The Hawaiian Theatre Program Timeline at UHM
The program starts with Lāʻieikawai (2015) by director of the program,Kumu Hailiʻōpua Baker, as the inaugural full-length Hawaiian-language production on the UHM Kennedy Theatre mainstage. The landmark production was a collective effort, shaped through the contributions of Kumu Kaliko Baker, Kumu Keawe Lopes Jr., Kumu Snowbird Bento, and Kumu Ipo Kanahele Wong, and supported by the UHM Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge and Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language.
The ʻAha Hana Keaka: Hawaiian Theatre Symposium (2016) celebrated the past and future of hana keaka. The symposium highlighted the works of Ka Hālau Hana Keaka and other haku keaka that gave life to traditional moʻolelo as a means to invigorate and stimulate the consciousness of our lāhui.
Nā Kau a Hiʻiaka (2017) by Kauʻi Kaina, the program’s first MFAgraduate. These foundational productions established the legacy of hanakeaka at UHMandset the course for future works blending ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, mele, hula, and contemporary performance practices. In October 2017, the Hawaiian Theatre Program co-sponsored The Art of the Chanter with hula masters Kealiʻi Reichel and Kaumakaiwa Kanakaʻole.
Then in 2018, the program ran a developmental series showcasing new works entitled Ka Wai Māpunapuna featuring original plays and screenplays. Collaborative efforts continued with Todd Farley’s (MFA in Theatre for Young Audiences) thesis production that featured ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi narration and original mime choreography. Farley’s Moʻolelo o ke Koa (2019) was an ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi translation of Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat.
Kealiʻiikeola Simpson’s (MFA in Directing) qualifier How The Press Toppled the Monarchy (2019) and thesis production I Am Lot Lane (2019) brought Hawaiian mo‘olelo to the foreground. Keola’s creative work unsettles the establishment and maintenance of settlerism in the UHM Department of Theatre and Dance.
ʻAuʻa ʻia: Holding On (2019), by Kumu Hailiʻōpua Baker captures pivotal moments in Hawaiʻi’s history from the perspective of four students, while researching 19th century Hawaiian language archival material. Hawaiian mele and hula are used to transport audiences through time. This production was invited to tour New York City as a part of Reflections of Native Voices (2020), a two-week festival hosted by SAFE HARBORS NYC and La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, that featured theatre, music and native dance performances by visionary Indigenous artists from across the country. This tour placed Hawaiian theatre within a national Indigenous arts conversation, showcasing hana keaka on an East Coast stage and affirming its resonance beyond Hawaiʻi.
The novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, temporarily halted live productions and facilitates the dissemination of hana keaka on virtual platforms. In collaboration with Kanaeokana, a virtual showcase was held of new works developed by students in partial fulfilment of their MFA in Hana Keaka in 2020. Ākea Kahikina presented Da Kine Dating and scenes from Ho‘oilina. Kaipulaumakaniolono Keala presented No ke Kūpāpā Nui Weliweli a Keakaokū me Lanihuli, Ninaninau and Hale ʻŌpeʻa.
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hawaiian Theatre Program remained steadfast in creating and sharing art with our communities. He Leo Aloha (2021) by Kaipulaumakaniolono drew upon mele and ancestral wisdom to navigate the tumultuous seas of love, earning multiple national awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF).
This wasfollowed by Hoʻoilina (2022) by Ākea Kahikina, a powerful exploration of inheritance and the stratification of Hawaiian identity, which was likewise honored with several national KCACTF awards.
From September of 2022 to January 2023, the East West Center (EXC Arts Program presented an exhibit called Hana Keaka: The Art of Hawaiian Theatre at UHM in the EWC Gallery. The exhibit included the following:
- An opening Gala including reception, gallery tours with curators, and a live performance by the Tuahine Troupe.
- Performances of Ka ‘Umikūmālua o nā Pō, a Hawaiian language adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Iāsona Kaper.
- A staged reading of Glitter in the Paʻakai, written by Joshua “Baba” Tavares.
- A panel reflecting on the UHM Hawaiian Theatre Program with current and past MFA Hana Keaka students
- Indigenous Language Theatre, a panel featuring Dr. Apolonia Tamata (University of the South Pacific) and Dr. Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa).
Building on this momentum, the program supported innovative new works that expand the boundaries of Hawaiian theatre. Iāsona Kaper’s Hawaiian-language adaptations of Shakespeare, including Kaisara (2023), draw inspiration from translation practices found in Hawaiian-language newspapers. Likewise, works by Lily Hiʻilani Kim-Dela Cruz Okimura centered resilience, representation, solidarity, and mental health awareness, furthering the program’s commitment to stories that speak to contemporary Hawaiian experiences. Hiʻilani was a part of 11 productions during her time in the program, contributing both on stage and behind the scenes to projects that reflected her deep care for community and cultural storytelling.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the program hosted Fijian playwright and scholar, Dr. Apolonia Tamata, from the University of South Pacific as a Fullbright Scholar-in-Residence. Dr. Tamata co-taught PACS/THEA 462: Drama and Theatre in Oceania and the inaugural offering of THEA 768: Seminar in Hawaiian & Indigenous Performance, the research methods course for the PhD in Hawaiian and Indigenous Performance.
The program further developed through original productions, touring performances and collaborations. The program presented Ka Pō Leʻa o Halāliʻi, a concert-style performance showcasing student musicians under the direction of Tawaroa Kawana and Hera Hanita-Paki of Aotearoa. The following year, Joshua “Baba” Tavares staged Glitter in the Paʻakai (2023), an original hana keaka thesis production that reveals the polarizing facets of an ʻohana (family) grappling with loss, identity, and healing.
In the spring of 2024, program faculty and students contributed to two international gatherings. ‘Ahahui Noiʻi Noʻeau ʻŌiwi’s (ANNO) Noiʻi Nowelo Conference, a two-day gathering of artist-scholars, community leaders, and Indigenous practitioners from across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The program also participated in the national Consortium of Asian American Theaters & Artists (CAATA) ConFest, further extending the program’s reach across both local and national stages.
Fall season brought Puana, an original hana keaka by Kumu Hailiʻōpua Baker and Kaipulaumakaniolono Keala with original music by Kumu Keawe Lopes Jr. and Zachary Alakaʻi Lum and hula under the direction of Kumu Hula Tracie Lopes. Rooted in mele and moʻolelo, Puana explored the deep connections that Kānaka Maoli have with their ancestors through song. Puana wove together story, chant, and song to affirm cultural knowledge and ignite dialogue around Hawaiian identity.
The program has also been enriched by the artistry of MFA Hana Keaka graduates Noelani Montas and Kaʻiukapu Baker, who contributed both onstage and behind the scenes in recent productions. Noelani, a proud Kanaka and Dominicana theatre artist from Southern California with a background in scenic, lighting, and projection design, brought her expertise in projection and technology design to multiple works, while also performing in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Kaʻiukapu, a Native Hawaiian theatre artist from Kahaluʻu and longtime practitioner of hana keaka, lent her skills as both an actor and costume designer. Her design work has supported a wide range of productions within the program, from Ka ʻUmikūmālua o nā Pō, to Kaisara Glitter in the Paʻakai, and Puana. Together, Noelani and Kaʻiukapu exemplify the program’s commitment to collaboration, cultural grounding, and the integration of design and performance in Hawaiian theatre.
In 2025, the program’s voice work was featured in collaboration with artist Meleanna Aluli Meyer for the unveiling of Ka ʻUmeke Lāʻau at Honolulu Hale, where faculty and students recorded the 38,000 ancestral names from the Kūʻē Petitions of 1897 so visitors could hear the voices of kūpuna resonating within the work. That same year, Puana made its first international appearance at the Kia Mau Festival in Aotearoa, as part of the festival’s He Ngaru Nui program. In Wellington, Puana brought its mo‘olelo of ancestor-descendant relationships, spiritual connection, and musical legacy to Indigenous audiences and artists beyond Hawai‘i, joining a festival that centers Māori, Pasifika, and global Indigenous voices.
Looking ahead, the Hawaiian Theatre Program is proud to announce its upcoming hana keaka production, Lele Wale, premiering in March 2026. Written and directed by current MFA Hana Keaka candidate Ikaika Mendez, Lele Wale follows five Lahaina residents in the aftermath of the 2023 fires as they navigate loss, memory, and resilience while envisioning a path forward. The production is supported by Marcus Goh, who joined the program in Fall 2025 as a new MFA Hana Keaka student, marking the next generation of artists carrying this work forward. Together, they signal an exciting future for Hawaiian theatre at UH Mānoa and beyond.
Beyond the MFA Hana Keaka
A PhD concentration in Hawaiian and Indigenous Performance launched in 2023, welcoming its first two students: ‘Ika‘aka Nāhuewai from Hilo, Hawai‘i and Miglena “Maggie” Ivanova from Bulgaria. This doctoral track centers performance practices of Hawaiʻi and Oceania in a global context, engaging Indigenous performance traditions, methodologies, language, culture, politics, history, environment, and sustainability.
To support this academic vision, the ‘Ahahui Noi‘i No‘eau ‘Ōiwi – Research Institute of Indigenous Performance (ANNO) was established in 2022 as a Strategic Investment Initiative funded by the Office of the Provost. ANNO’s work follows three guiding maʻawe:
- Maʻawe Mua – Scholarship and Publication
- Maʻawe ʻElua – Curriculum and Archive
- Maʻawe ʻEkolu – Outreach and Recruitment
Together, these strands position ANNO as a leader in Hawaiian and Indigenous Performance research. In March 2024, ANNO organized its inaugural conference, Noi‘i Nowelo, which also serves as the title of its inaugural publication, Noi‘i Nowelo – A Survey of Hawaiian and Indigenous Performance (2025), featuring groundbreaking work from faculty and students alike. For details on ANNO, visit www.manoa.hawaii.edu/anno.
Through these productions, academic programs, and research initiatives, the Hawaiian Theatre Program at UH Mānoa continues to affirm hana keaka as a living, evolving practice. Grounded in language, culture, and ancestral knowledge, yet responsive to the needs and experiences of today, our work serves both Hawaiʻi and the global community. We invite you to join us in celebrating, supporting, and advancing Hawaiian and Indigenous performance as we look toward the next generation of storytellers and visionaries.
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