UPDATE: APRIL 1, 2025
Our award-winning theatre program at UH Mānoa is getting a rare opportunity to take Native Hawaiian stories to the world stage—but they need our help getting there.
In honor of its 10th year, the Hawaiian Theatre program has been invited to perform Puana this June at the Kia Mau Festival in Aotearoa (New Zealand), an international Indigenously-led performing arts festival in Aotearoa (New Zealand). The festival is a premier showcase of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous performing arts.
Puana, which premiered at Kennedy Theatre in September 2024, delves into the profound spiritual bonds between Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) and their kūpuna (ancestors) through the transformative power of song. The production is performed predominantly in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), honoring and celebrating the richness of Hawaiian storytelling.
Taking a production overseas is no small feat. The twenty-member cast and crew need community support to raise $70,000 to cover travel expenses.
Please support this trip and other opportunities by making a gift to the Hawaiian Theatre Fund.
Make a GiftEstablished in 2014 by Dr. Hailiʻōpua Baker, the MFA in Hawaiian Theatre in the UH Mānoa Department of Theatre and Dance, was the first Indigenous theatre graduate program in the world. Its inaugural mainstage production, Lāʻieikawai (2015) was the first-ever Hawaiian language production to be featured on Kennedy Theatre’s mainstage in the venue’s half-century history.
“We aim to cultivate a community of actors, directors, crew members and theatre practitioners,” said Baker. “Theatre plays a vital role in revitalizing the Hawaiian language and preserving our culture for future generations.”
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 Hawaiian Theatre.
Revitalizing Language and Cultural Identity
UH Mānoa’s Hawaiian Theatre program has produced eight original hana keaka, all performed mainly in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Committed to revitalizing the Hawaiian language and fostering cultural identity through theatre, the program continues to break new ground in Indigenous performing arts.
Its impact has been recognized on both local and national stages. In 2022, Tammy Haili‘ōpua Baker received the prestigious Kennedy Center Medallion of Excellence, one of the highest honors in theatre education, for her leadership in advancing Indigenous arts.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Hawaiian Theatre program is marking its 10th anniversary with a major achievement – its latest Hawaiian language production, Puana, has been invited to perform at the 2025 Kia Mau Festival in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in June. This internationally acclaimed festival, led by Indigenous communities, highlights Māori, Pacific and Native performing arts, providing a prestigious platform for authentic cultural storytelling.
“Kia Mau is a call to hold steadfast. In a way, it’s like our Hawaiian word hoʻomau – to perpetuate,” said Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker, director and founder of the UH Mānoa Hawaiian Theatre program. “Being invited to this festival elevates our work and places it on an international stage, demonstrating the quality and depth of the stories we bring to life.”
Help bring Hawaiian theatre to Aotearoa
Taking a production overseas is no small feat. The 20-member cast and crew need community support to raise $70,000 to cover travel expenses.
Your generosity makes a lasting impact on our students, faculty, and community. Join us in supporting this important work.
Questions? / More Information
If you would like to learn how you can support UH students and programs like this, please contact us at 808-956-8700 or send us a message.
