Honolulu faculty member wins Po'okela award

Honolulu Community College
Contact:
Billie Lueder, (808) 845-9187
Communications and External Affairs, Honolulu Community College
Posted: Oct 1, 2012

Honolulu Community College Cosmetology Professor Jess Aki
Honolulu Community College Cosmetology Professor Jess Aki
Honolulu Community College Cosmetology Professor Jess Aki has two more Po‘okela awards to add to her growing wall of honor. She was recently recognized for best hair, makeup and wig design for two Diamond Head Theatre productions, “Cinderella” and “Sunset Boulevard,” at the 2012 Po‘okela Awards held in late August.
 
The annual awards ceremony celebrates excellence in local theater and is sponsored by the Hawai‘i State Theatre Council.
 
Working in the theater is her way of giving back to the community. She started out at Hawai‘i Opera Theatre doing makeup for the chorus then she moved to Manoa Valley Theatre, first as a dresser then a wig designer. In the summer of 2005 she started to work on shows at Diamond Head Theatre.
 
She has since worked at Palikū Theatre at Windward Community College, most recently on "Phantom of the Opera," doing the wigs and helping with makeup. Just this past summer, Aki had the unique opportunity to work on a movie set for an independent film entitled, “Man Up,” a comedy that will be released this fall. For Aki, it is a labor of love.
 
“My grandfather and grandmother met each other on the stage. So it is in my blood. Granddad would have Melbourne Stone from 'Gun Smoke' over to play cards. Actors on stage or TV and movies are just ordinary people with a job to do,” shares Aki.
 
A 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient, Aki has found a creative outlet in theater since leaving the salon seven years ago.
 
“I love teaching. It is the fundamentals of a skill that cannot be changed, so I need that creative outlet to stay energized. I get to transform people turning witches into beautiful goddesses and young men into princes, genies, and werewolves. How much fun is that! I have a hobby that entertains people and helps them enjoy life a little more," says Aki.