Po’okela Awards 2018: UHM Kennedy Theatre, Students and Faculty Honored
Hawaiʻi State Theatre Council Announces the 2017-2018 Poʻokela Award Recipients at Stars’ Night Out
Kennedy Theatre Productions as well as individual UHM Theatre faculty and students were honored with awards for excellence at the 2017-2018 Season Po’okela Awards on Monday, August 6th at a gala which took place at Koʻolau Ballrooms & Conference Center in Kaneohe. The formal event included a full buffet dinner and featured live musical performances from some of the star-studded theatre productions seen around the state this year. Masters of Ceremony were Keoki Kerr and Jodi Leong. The Poʻokela Awards have recognized excellence in local theatre since 1984. Under the Poʻokela Awards adjudication process, a panel of three adjudicators selects honorees in twenty-three different theatre arts categories spanning: producing, directing, performing, design, and technical theatre. Awards are given for excellence in each category. The adjudicators may also recognize excellence outside these categories through discretionary awards.
Awards for UHM Kennedy Theatre Productions and/or
Department Faculty and Students:
Excellence in Service Award
Melisa Orozco Vargas, Theatre for Young Audiences Graduate Student
Pierre Bowman Award
Professor of Theatre Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak
Excellence in Theatrical Design Award
HAIR, WIG, MAKEUP DESIGN
Hannah Schauer Galli (Costume Shop Manager and Lecturer) and Yan Ma (PhD Student) for Fights & Delights: Three Chinese Comedies at Kennedy Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN
Christopher Patrinos (as Lighting Design Graduate Student) for The Spitfire Grill at Kennedy Theatre
Christopher Patrinos (as UHM Lighting Design MFA Recipient) for Beyond Therapy at Chaminade University Performing Arts
Jonah Bobilin (UHM Undergraduate Student) for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Chaminade University Performing Arts
SET DESIGN
Rachel Filbeck (as Scenic Design Graduate Student) for The Spitfire Grill at Kennedy Theatre
SOUND DESIGN AND ENGINEERING
Brian Shevelenko (Faculty) and Alten Kiakona (Undergraduate Student) for The Spitfire Grill at Kennedy Theatre
Excellence in Performance Awards
FEATURED MALE IN A PLAY
Donovan Oakleaf (Graduate Student in Performance) for Nora at Kennedy Theatre
FEATURED FEMALE IN A PLAY
Malia Wessel (Undergraduate Student) for Nora at Kennedy Theatre
LEADING FEMALE IN A PLAY
Christine Lamborn (Graduate Student in Performance) for Nora at Kennedy Theatre
Stacy Ray (Faculty) for The Seagull at Hawaii Shakespeare Festival
ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL
The cast of The Spitfire Grill at UHM Kennedy Theatre
SPECIAL ADJUDICATOR AWARDS
Yan Ma (PhD candidate) and Mark Branner (Faculty) for the Young Audiences Guide for Fights & Delights: Three Chinese Comedies at Kennedy Theatre
DIRECTOR OF NON-TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION
Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak/Mark Branner (both Faculty) for Fights & Delights: Three Chinese Comedies at Kennedy Theatre
DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Stacy Ray (Faculty) for Nora at Kennedy Theatre
Overall Production Excellence Awards
OVERALL NON-TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION
Fights & Delights: Three Chinese Comedies at Kennedy Theatre
OVERALL PRODUCTION OF A PLAY
Nora at Kennedy Theatre
Several member theatres provided live performances during the gala, including: Chaminade University Performing Arts with “Green Finch and Linnet Bird/Ah, Miss” from Sweeney Todd, performed by Riley Noland and Gabriel Giasolli and accompanied by Linda Asahina; Kumu Kahua Theatre with “The View of a Kupuna and Missile Threat” from 38 Minutes performed by Wally Wake and Ruby O’Malley; TAG- The Actors Group with “Rockin Jerusalem” from Choir Boy and performed by: Jarren Amain, Darian Aquino, Sam Tafolo; UHM Kennedy Theatre with “The Colors of Paradise” from The Spitfire Grill, performed by Jorin Young and Rachael Uyeno and accompanied by Ike Webster; Manoa Valley Theatre with “Ring of Keys” from Fun Home performed by Ember Isabello; Diamond Head Theatre with “Better with a Man” from A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder performed by Garrett Hols and Zachary Linnert and accompanied by Darcie Yoshinaga; and finally Paliku Theatre with “Hello Young Lovers” from The King and I, performed by Kathleen Stuart.
About Hawaiʻi State Theatre Council
Hawaiʻi State Theatre Council was created in 1970 and has been serving Hawaiʻi’s theatre community by promoting excellence in live theatre and facilitating theatre collaboration ever since. Participating theatres include All The World’s A Stage, Aloha Performing Arts Company, Chaminade University Performing Arts, Diamond Head Theatre, EPOCH, Hawaiian Mission Houses, Hawaiʻi, Shakespeare Festival, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Manoa Valley Theatre, Maui OnStage, Mid-Pacific Theatre Program, Paliku Theatre, PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theatre Company, TAG – The Actors’ Group, Leeward Theatre, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and Windward Readers’ Theatre.
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