By Staff Reports
(HONOLULU) – Masters of the Currents is a play addressing current tension in Hawaii surrounding its newest immigrants from Micronesia. This is a story of three Micronesian youths on their journey of identity growing up in Hawai’i, and the conflicts they must overcome to be accepted by their peers while seeking connections to the history and rich cultural traditions of their ancestral islands of Micronesia. As sea levels rise and political tensions escalate creating new refugees, worlds of cultures will collide. It’s a local story layered in monumental global issues.
This collaborative theater production led by Los Angeles based TeAda Productions was developed over the last three years with the participation of local Micronesian community. Nationally recognized creative duo, Ova Saopeng and Leilani Chan have been working closely with communities in Honolulu to gather stories and lead multi-generational theater workshops. As a result, this new play premiered as part of Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s 2017/18 season last Fall performing for over 9000 middle and high school students. The play received overwhelming positive response from teachers, students and public audiences.
“This play was AMAZING!! It is so important that adults and children alike recognize the damage stereotypes does to peoples\’ culture. It was so eye opening to see this presentation. I learned so much about what some of my students and their families go through.” — 5th Grade Teacher
The launch of the inter-island tour begins in Maui and ends in the Big Island in early March 2018. As a result of their efforts offering story-telling and theater workshops, Leilani and Ova have cast four Honolulu-based Chuukese and Kosraean community members to perform in the play. This is the first professional play for all of these actors and, for some, their first theater production. The inter-island tour will be a life-changing experience for the Micronesian cast members. Masters of the Currents will also be the first nationally touring play about the Micronesian experience in the U.S. continent.
“Masters assembled a group of true members of Hawaii’s Micronesian community. The result is a natural honest representation of a very real community. Their personal connection to their culture resulted in a more appropriate and powerful telling of the story.” – Hitting The Stage
WHAT: “Masters of the Currents” play launches inter-island tour
WHEN: Maui Arts & Cultural Center – McCoy Studio Theater
Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets at www.mauiarts.org
Tickets: $28 (plus applicable fees)
10% discount for MACC Members and half-price kids under 12
UH Hilo Performing Arts Center
Thursday, March 8 at 7:30 p.m.
https://hilo.hawaii.edu/depts/theatre/tickets/
- General: $25
- Seniors 55 and Over/Faculty/Staff/Alumni: $20
- Children 17 & Under & UHH/HCC Students: $12
TeAda Productions development partners include The Alliance for Drama Education and the Honolulu Theatre for Youth and community partners include Innocenta Sound-Kikku and the Micronesian Health Advisory Coalition/All Mike, and Pacific Voices/Kokua Kalihi Valley.
Lead Artists
Leilani Chan and Ova Saopeng were raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and are currently Los Angeles-based theater artists. They have over fifteen years experience working with refugee and immigrant communities. Their engaging artistic methodology in creating new work involves sharing community based story collection methods, social justice practices and devised ensemble techniques in the process. This project is their opportunity to return to their roots, to kokua (give back), and to explore the past and present changes. They hope their work offers dialogue toward more understanding, healing and reconciliation.
About the Partners
TeAda Productions is a nomadic theater of color rooted in the stories of immigrants and refugees. We are committed to healing and honoring the lives of the displaced, exploited and overlooked. Our artistic process starts and ends with conscious listening, community building, and creative courage. Through theater workshops and performances, TeAda offers acts of service that are transformative and impactful. For more info visit www.teada.org.
Alliance for Drama Education’s T-shirt Theatre led by George Kon and Jonah Moananu, is a youth theater company with a 30-year history based at Farrington High School. Their mission is to help Hawaii’s youth rehearse for life to master the skills needed to win jobs, justice and joy.
For more info visit http://rehearseforlife.com
Micronesian Health Advisory Coalition/All Mike led by Innocenta Sound-Kikku and Steve Sylvan Palsis advocates for the health and well-being of Micronesians to improve their quality of life in seeking justice and equality. For more info visit https://www.facebook.com/allmikemhac
Honolulu Theatre for Youth, produces professional theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of young people, families and educators in the state of Hawai‘i. For more info visit http://www.htyweb.org
This project was made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Masters of the Currents is a National Performance Network / Visual Artists Network (NPN) Creation Fund co-commissioned by Maui Arts & Cultural Center (lead commissioner), TeAda Productions, Brava Theater Center, Pangea World Theater, and NPN. For more information: www.npnweb.org. The NPN/VAN Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The National Endowment for the Arts , Network of Ensemble Theaters’ Travel & Exchange Network (NET/TEN), and Hawai’i People’s Fund and Kim Coco Fund for Justice of the Iwamoto Family Foundation.
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Cultural Grant Program; California Arts Council The Local Impact (LI) program, and the Los Angeles County Arts Commission’s Organizational Grant Program (OGP).
For more information, visit teada.org or contact Ova Saopeng ova@teada.org (310) 435-1810