Call It Courage will debut on the Honolulu Theatre for Youth stage February 15 - March 9. Photo courtesy of Honolulu Theatre for Youth.
By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– —Call It Courage, adapted from the Newbery Medal-winning children’s tale by Armstrong Sperry, will debut on the Honolulu Theatre for Youth stage Feb. 15 –- Mar. 9.
The play opens at Tenney Theatre on the grounds of The Cathedral of St. Andrew Friday, February 15 at 7:30 p.m., and continues Saturdays, Feb. 16, Feb. 23, Mar. 2 & Mar. 9 at 4:30 p.m. American Sign Language-interpreted (ASL) performance is on Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m.
Single tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for youth. Tickets may be ordered online at www.htyweb.org or by calling HTY at 839-9885. Walk-ups are welcome on a space available basis.
Sperry’s novel, published in 1941, is set in pre-contact Polynesia. It tells the story of Mafatu, a young boy who is terrified of the sea. Despite his name (“Stout Heart”) and his status as the son of the Great Chief of Hikueru, a race of Polynesians who worshipped courage, he is branded a coward. Mafatu’s determination to overcome his fear sends him on a solo voyage, fraught with storms, sharks and cannibals. Will he perish, or will he return triumphantly to his village?
HTY’s unique staging of Call It Courage incorporates a sand table and dynamic lighting; narrators create images in the sand which are projected onto a scrim as the story unfolds. Chanting and a host of traditional, authentic Hawaiian and Polynesian instruments, including kâ‘eke‘eke (bamboo pipes), ‘Ohe hano ihu (nose flute), ‘Ili‘ili (pebbles), niu (coconut halves), pahu (drum), kûpe‘e (ankle rattle), oeoe (gourd whistle), pû‘ili (bamboo rattles), and bamboo chimes are played live onstage.
HTY Artistic Director Eric Johnson said, “Not only did this novel win the Newbery Medal, but Sperry’s belief that children could grasp a subject as abstract as spiritual courage changed the expectation of what children’s literature could be. He knew that ‘children have imagination enough to grasp any idea, and respond to it, if it is put to them honestly and without a patronizing pat on the head.’ That is a sentiment we have very much tried to honor in our staging of this play.”
Call It Courage is performed by HTY company actors Maile Holck, Junior Tesoro, Alvin Chan and Kala‘i Stern. Director is Eric Johnson; set, light, video and props designer is Chesley Cannon with set consultation by H. Bart McGeehon and video consultation by Adam Larsen; costume designer is Sandra Payne. Kala‘i Stern composed all melodies and chants.
Honolulu Theatre for Youth is Hawaii’s non-profit professional theatre company providing theatre and drama education programs that make a difference in the lives of Hawaii’s young people and families. Founded in 1955, HTY is recognized the world over as one of America’s most honored theatres.