Literature and Drama of Hawaiʻi
and Other Pacific Island Nations
KEAKA Hawaiian Language Theatre Festival
Offered at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo
In addition to weekday drama workshops, the June 2019 festival performances included a children's musical, a teen theatre workshop production, and a hula opera -- all in the Hawaiian language! To learn more about the festival, click HERE.
'Ekolu
Three Hawaiian Language Plays for Children
During spring 2018, the "Acting Troupe" class (DRAM 421) from the University of Hawai'i at Hilo took three short plays on tour to after-school programs for elementary school children in the Hilo area.
The plays shared three familiar children's stories (The Three Billy-goats Gruff, The Three Little Pigs and the Three Blind Mice). A pidgin-speaking Tūtū narrated the stories, which were performed by Hawaiian-speaking characters.
This was an experiment in language acquisition. The target audiences were children whose first language is Pidgin, and most only know a few words of Hawaiian. Most of the performers had almost no knowledge of Hawaiian language before starting the project; but they were joined by a handful of fluent speakers of the language. The more advanced speakers learned performance skills, while the more advanced performers learned Hawaiian language skills. It was a win-win experience to benefit the children of our island home.
The version shared here was a performance that took place at the Hilo Public Library.
