MAI NSTAGE 2004-2005 S EA SO N

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University of Hawai'i at Manoa Department of Theatre and Dance • College of Arts and Humanities Front of House Information For large print programs, assistive listening devices, or any other accessibility requests, please contact the House Manager or call the Kennedy Theatre Box Office at 956-7655 (voice/text). Please silence all pagers, phones and digital watches. No photog­ raphy or video recording is permitted. Please refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in the theatre. In following with University of Hawai'i policy, smoking is not permitted within 20 feet of the Kennedy Theatre building. Your as­ sistance in helping us adhere to this policy is greatly appreciated. The UHM ticket program is supported by a grant from the Stu­ dent Activity Fee and Program Board.

DON'T MISS Shakespeare's Birthday Bash XXXV April 24, 6pm Free and Open to the Public WATEVA! director Terence Knapp celebrates the Bard's birthday with readings, songs and stories. A 35 year tradition!

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NOW SHOWING Late Night at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre

Arabian Night By Roland Schimmelpfennig Directed by Peter Ruocco

April 23, 29*, 30 at 11:00 p.m. April 24 at 8:00 p.m.

*post-show rap follows Friday, April 29 performance Arabian Night takes place in an apartment complex on a hot sum­ mer night. Intoxicated into delirium, neighbors who are strangers lose touch with reality, acting on suppressed passion and hidden desires. The end result is confusion, danger and chaos- is it real, or heat-induced fantasy? Artistic Staff Director: TERENCE KNAPP Associate Director: R. KEVIN DOYLE Assistant Director: CYNTHIA BREHM Scenic and Properties Designer: JOSEPH D. DODD Lighting Designer: DEAN BELLIN Costume Designer: SANDRA FINNEY Sound Designer: GERALD KAWAOKA

Cast (In order of appearance): Prince Amalu: DAVID JONATHAN Kawika, an attendant: JAY CASTILLO Alika, another attendant: JORDAN "VALENTINO" CAIRE lahela, also known as Honey Boy: KELCIE NOELANI AV A Fisherman: TRAVIS KEKOA TAMASHIRO Kukana: JAMY L. N. TORRES Count Opo-Nui: ALVIN CHAN Sir Andy Waha: CHI HO LAW lope, a clown: JABEZ SKY ARMODIA Princess Mahealani: NOELLE POOLE Malolio, her steward: TROY M. APOSTOL Koa, a pirate: DANIEL AKIRA NISHIDA Loka, brother to lahela: FRANK KATASSE Kohala, a gardener: SAVADA J. GILMORE First Constable: JAY CASTILLO Second Constable: JORDAN "VALENTINO" CAIRES A Priest: TRAVIS KEKOA TAMASHIRO

The play is set in an imaginary kingdom of Hawai'i. There will be one intermission.

twelf nite o' WATEVA! is performed with the permission of the Benton estate. Special Thanks to DEBRA BENTON

This production is dedicated to the memory of EARLE ERN51 Production Staff Stage Manager: Ulu Mills Scenic Artist: Angela Price Props Coordinator: Ryan Burbank Stage Combat Consultant: Tony Pisculli Pidgin Advisors: Jay Castillo and Jordan Caires Music Consultant: Stephanie Conching Staff Technical Director: Daniel J. Anteau Staff Asst. Technical Director/Facilities Coordinator: Gerald Kawac Light Board Operator: Kiana Rivera Sound Board Operator: Stephen Keating Stage Crew: Mary Jo Bautista, Lynn Kinoshita, Helen Luu Set Construction Crew: Dean Bellin, Nina Buck, Ryan Burbank, Angela Price, John Striffler, Shawn Thompson Staff Costume Shop Manager: Hannah Schauer Galli Costume Construction Crew: Tsehaitu Abye, Jill Bowen, Jason Bra ~ Kris Fitzgerald, Kelley Graves, students from THEA 221 Wardrobe Supervisor: Anji Scalf Dressers: Krystal Green, Cassandra Jimenez, Robert Wyllie Faculty Design Consultants: Daniel J. Anteau, Joseph D. Dodd, Sandra Finney Sign Language Interpreters: Jan Fried, William Koki, Colleen McEv Pre-Show Chat Coordinators: Daniel Akiyama, Sammie Choy Front of House Staff Staff Theatre Manager: Marty Myers Box Office Supervisor: Nicole Tessier Box Office Staff: Josh Greenspoon, Kelsie Pascual, Danielle Williams, Robert Wyllie Publicity Director: Jessica Jacob Publicity Assistant: Ashley Logan House Manager: Frank Episale Assistant House Managers: Leilani Rivera, Jonathan Cabrera Website Assistant: Michael Nomura Photographer: Karis Lo Poster Graphic: Sandra Finney Department Office Staff: Tana Marin, Lori Ann Chun Department Chair: W. Dennis Carroll Director's Notes I will always treasure the memory of the mustachioed, gangly lad who trotted into my office, way back in 1970, announcing himself as Jim Benton and demanding to know if I was the "Shakespeare Wallah of Hawai'i." He was just returned from a year of performing in Hair in Las Vegas, and he was burst­ ing with curiosity about the Bard. At his nagging insistence I found myself, in addition to the five Mainstage productions in which I was involved, conducting informal readings of the Shakespearean canon and when it came to certain comic or regional scenes where dialects might be used, I suggested that characters be sketched in pidgin, which tickled Jim Benton's fancy enormously.

In 1974, when I returned to Kennedy Theatre after directing in an award-winning professional Japanese language production of (titled Juniya), in modern dress and with Beatles-like music, Jim put into my hands his entire transcription of Shakespeare's 12N with the words "this is for you." We dubbed it WATEVA after the Bard's secondary title and the rest is ancient history. I thought it might be fun to bid a fond farewell to Kennedy Theatre, where I have direct­ ed about half of the Shakespearean canon over the past 35 years, with this delightful version of the play in which I made my professional debut at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1954, as Feste the clown. I played the same role in 's pro­ duction for the which toured for three months in 1963 with as Viola. Joyful memories of half a century's happy opportunities.

And so, over 30 years later, it seems appropriate to introduce a new generation of students to this delightful Hawaiian­ style adaptation from one of my first and dearest students. I also dedicate this production to the memory of Dr. Earle Ernst, the distinguished Kabuki scholar and prime mover of this magnificent Kennedy Theatre, who invited me from Lon­ don to be a director, in particular of Shakespeare's plays, at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. I particularly wish to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for the wonderful gifts of talent and skills invested by the cast, the staff, and my colleagues in this sayonara pro­ duction at Kennedy Theatre. The experience has been joyful. .. the memory will long be treasured. About the Playwright James Grant Benton (1949-2002) is best known as a member of the ground-breaking comedy group "Booga Booga" and a seminal figure in contemporary local comedy. "Booga Booga" began in the mid-70's when Jimmy, Rap Reiplinger, and Ed Ka'ahea, who were all performers in the original WATEVA!, coalesced to form their own distinctive local-style comedy troupe. Benton also served as a language coach and cutural advisor for many television and film production companies and appeared in several locally-filmed television series and films, his last being the award-winning Picture Brides. Benton later formed the Mo'ili'ili Blind Fish Tank and was a popular motivational speaker. He appeared in many produc­ tions at Kennedy Theatre in the 70s and made his final appear­ ance in a production of The Marriage in 1994. His popular adap­ tation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night has been performed at Diamond Head Theatre, East-West Players in Los Angeles, Leeward Community College, and Kennedy Theatre, and can be found in the Library of Congress.