Kumu Kahua presents MAINLAND EDUCATION (Dec08)

HONOLULU, HI: Mainland Education by Scot Izuka, will play at Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street in downtown Honolulu, from January 8th through February 8th, 2009.

Cultures mix, match and clash at the University of Kansas in the early 1980s. Jerome, a second-year graduate student, is a third-generation Japanese-American from Hawaii. His roommate Yan is Taiwanese and still struggling comically with the English language. They meet the outgoing and assertive Cathy, born and raised in the Midwest, and her roommate Rei, a Japanese national who speaks English well but with an accent. As the four spend time together, they attempt to surmount difficulties created not only by language barriers but also by national identities and cultural mores. Jerome is self-conscious about others' interpretations of his Japanese appearance outside of Hawaii. He begins a relationship with Cathy but is later drawn to Rei, who is pressured by her parents about being with Jerome because, to Japanese people, he is a foreigner. As the school year progresses, the friends' mutual understanding grows, but not without difficulties. A Kumu Kahua world premiere.

Performance schedule: Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8pm:
January 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31; February 5, 6, 7, 2009
Sundays 2pm:
January 11, 18, 25; February 8*, 2009
*American Sign Language interpretation available upon request

James Nakamoto will direct the production, with set design by Melissa Cozza, costumes by Dusty Behner, light design by Abel Dulles-Coelho, Make-Up & Hair by Mish Umipeg, Stage Manager is Denise-Aiko Chinen and the Assistant Director is Denny Hironaga. The cast features: Kathy Hunter, Julie Nakamoto, Shiro Kawai, Christopher Takemoto-Gentile, and Tyler Tanabe.

Kumu Kahua Theatre is an air-conditioned, intimate 100-seat performance space; Patrons are strongly advised to purchase tickets in advance as individual performances do sell out. Performances are at 8pm Thursday through Saturday, and at 2pm on Sunday afternoons. Tickets can be purchased with a credit card by calling 536-4441, or by visiting our box office between 11am and 3pm Monday through Friday. Ticket prices range from $5 to $16. Tickets are on sale now. For more information about this and other productions, or to buy tickets online, visit http://www.KumuKahua.org.

Kumu Kahua productions are being supported by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, celebrating more than thirty years of culture and the arts in Hawai‘i (with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts); the Annenberg Foundation; the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, Mufi Hannemann, Mayor; paid for in part by the taxpayers of the City & County of Honolulu, the Hawai’i State Legislature, and Foundations, Businesses and Patrons.

Questions? Email



	What Could The University Of Kansas In The 1980s Possibly Have To Do With Hawai’i? Find Out When Kumu Kahua Theatre Presents Mainland Education By Scot Izuka! HONOLULU, HI: Mainland Education by Scot Izuka, will play at Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant Street in downtown Honolulu, from January 8th through February 8th, 2009. Cultures mix, match and clash at the University of Kansas in the early 1980s. Jerome, a second-year graduate student, is a third-generation Japanese-American from Hawaii. His roommate Yan is Taiwanese and still struggling comically with the English language. They meet the outgoing and assertive Cathy, born and raised in the Midwest, and her roommate Rei, a Japanese national who speaks English well but with an accent. As the four spend time together, they attempt to surmount difficulties created not only by language barriers but also by national identities and cultural mores. Jerome is self-conscious about others' interpretations of his Japanese appearance outside of Hawaii. He begins a relationship with Cathy but is later drawn to Rei, who is pressured by her parents about being with Jerome because, to Japanese people, he is a foreigner. As the school year progresses, the friends' mutual understanding grows, but not without difficulties. A Kumu Kahua world premiere. Performance schedule: Thursday, Friday & Saturday 8pm: January 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30, 31; February 5, 6, 7, 2009 Sundays 2pm: January 11, 18, 25; February 8, 2009 American Sign Language interpretation available upon request James Nakamoto will direct the production, with set design by Melissa Cozza, costumes by Dusty Behner, light design by Abel Dulles-Coelho, Make-Up & Hair by Mish Umipeg, Stage Manager is Denise-Aiko Chinen and the Assistant Director is Denny Hironaga. The cast features: Kathy Hunter, Julie Nakamoto, Shiro Kawai, Christopher Takemoto-Gentile, and Tyler Tanabe. Kumu Kahua Theatre is an air-conditioned, intimate 100-seat performance space; Patrons are strongly advised to purchase tickets in advance as individual performances do sell out. Performances are at 8pm Thursday through Saturday, and at 2pm on Sunday afternoons. Tickets can be purchased with a credit card by calling 536-4441, or by visiting our box office between 11am and 3pm Monday through Friday. Ticket prices range from $5 to $16. Tickets are on sale now. For more information about this and other productions, or to buy tickets online, visit http://www.KumuKahua.org. Kumu Kahua productions are being supported by the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, celebrating more than thirty years of culture and the arts in Hawai‘i (with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts); the Annenberg Foundation; the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts, Mufi Hannemann, Mayor; paid for in part by the taxpayers of the City & County of Honolulu, the Hawai’i State Legislature, and Foundations, Businesses and Patrons. Home \| News \| Calendar \| Directory \| Plays \| Library/Storefront \| Timeline Copyright 2008, Roger W. Tang Questions? Email

What Could The University Of Kansas In The 1980s Possibly Have To Do With Hawai’i? Find Out When Kumu Kahua Theatre Presents Mainland Education By Scot Izuka!