Special guests joined UH Mānoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman and Lāʻieikawai director Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker for an intimate reception before enjoying the new Hawaiian Theatre program’s inaugural production. Much to everyone’s delight Arts and Humanities Dean Peter Arnade gave his entire introductory remarks in Hawaiian, putting into action the new language skills he has gained through Hawaiian Language courses at UH.
At this historic event, Dean Arnade said, “This production represents the culmination of the Hawaiian Renaissance. This production could not have been done just a few years ago.”
Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker announced that the newly launched Hawaiian Theatre program received approval to offer a MFA in Hawaiian theatre, making this the only indigenous theatre graduate degree offered by any university in the world.
Lāʻieikawai is about a beautiful chiefess who was hidden away as a child in a cave for her protection. The story follows her quest to find love. The stage adaptation of the traditional moʻolelo of Lāʻieikawai incorporates mele, hula and chant and the entire performance is in the Hawaiian language. This production has been a long time coming for Assistant Professor Tammy Hailiʻōpua Baker, overseer of the Playwriting MFA and catalyst behind the program. After earning both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at UH Mānoa, Baker worked in the Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language for 15 years. “Theater was always my joy,” says Baker, so when the opportunity arose to start a theater program for Hawaiian language productions, she jumped at it. The artistic direction for the production included renowned Kumu Hula - Snowbird Puananiopaoakalani Bento, R. Keawe Lopes, Jr., and cultural consultant Dr. Annette Ku'uipolani Kanahele Wong.
The production of Lāʻieikawai was hosted by the Asian Theatre Program in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Contributors to the production include: SEED (Student Excellence, Equity and Diversity), the Hawai'i State Foundation for Culture and the Arts, and Hawai‘inuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
We gratefully acknowledge these contributions and are proud to announce that this production inaugurates a new Hawaiian Theatre Fund at the UH Foundation.
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