ABOVE: Taiko drums, lanterns and talking fish delight children in the Honolulu Theatre for Youth's production of Koi Storytime. COURTESY HONOLULU THEATRE FOR YOUTH
Houselights dim before a matinee performance at the three-hundred-seat Tenney Theatre in Honolulu. Some of the all-ages audience of kids, teens and adults regard the minimalist set decorations with curiosity: Why is there a modern deejay booth with speakers and turntables, when The Royal School is supposed to be a play about heirs to the Hawaiian monarchy? The unraveling of convention starts making sense within moments, as the Honolulu Theatre for Youth (HTY) launches into an original historical drama/hip-hop musical a la Hamilton , set in the nineteenth-century Kingdom of Hawaii.
"What we're looking for first and foremost is engagement with the community," says The Royal School playwright and performer Moses Goods, whose Native Hawaiian ancestry partly inspired him to co-write the story (along with local playwright Lee Cataluna) based on true events at a school for the children of Hawaiian royalty. "Yes, our work is targeted to youth, but we don't dumb it down; we focus on the craft of storytelling and try to make it interesting, entertaining and informative for people of any age." Goods, 46, has been part of HTY for more than twenty years and has written or co-written many of its productions. "Whether it's for elementary or high school students, we touch on things that are important to their sense of place, of belonging, of being part of a greater whole," Goods says. "We may tell stories that address the environment, social issues or other vital topics. It's educational, but underneath it all what we're really sharing is the joy of imagination and artistic expression."
Creative props are a mainstay of HTY productions. Here, Jarren Amian (left) and Emily Wright bring the undersea world to life for Under the Blue.
The Royal School, one of HTY's productions aimed at teenagers, depicts growing pains among a group of teenage royals who find themselves changing as Hawaii and the world change around them. The musical format puts a new spin on historical characters and the classic themes of love, loss, ambition and familial duty to which modern teens can relate. The adults in the room come away with a deeper understanding of some of the most influential people in Hawaii's history. A detailed performance guide accompanying the show is filled with educational material, glossaries, writing and visual art exercises aligned with the Hawaii State Department of Education curriculum goals.
"One of our major jobs is to take conversations that are happening in this community and include young people and their families in those conversations," says HTY Artistic Director Eric Johnson. "So when we are talking about history, nature, water or energy, we're bringing young people into topics and conversations that matter to their families, friends and neighbors and connecting them with the wider community. These kids are the next generation that will shape our future."
At an upbeat show called Under the Blue, preschool and elementary students learn about the ocean, its inhabitants and the trash that threatens them. The room full of exuberant toddlers and single-digitarians is loud and rambunctious. But when the show starts all eyes and ears become fixated on the colorful, interactive performance. The kids laugh, cheer and participate. "Deeper! Deeper! Deeper!" they chant as the characters descend into an undersea world made vivid through props and puppetry. Billowing blue and white streamers as waves, bright green ribbons as kelp forests, corals knitted from colorful yarn, and funky fabric fish with glowing eyes. The all-senses show includes spritzing the audience with water, and a climactic rain of bubbles has kids dancing in the aisles.
"My favorite things were the acting and the music," says 8-year-old Alma Clarke after the show. "They also taught us a lesson, but it was fun!" What kind of lesson did she come away with? "We learned that lots of trash goes into the ocean," Alma says. "And if we can, it's our responsibility to pick that trash up. And some can be recycled, too—you can actually make something else from it, like arts and crafts."
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(LEFT) HTY artistic associate and actor Moses Goods in the green room at Tenney Theatre. (RIGHT) HTY builds its own sets and makes most of its props. Here, technical director Eric West creates a bamboo prop backstage at Tenney Theatre.
The content, style and preschool-to-elementary audience of Under the Blue are completely different from that of The Royal School, and the two productions demonstrate HTY's range of stagecraft. "Sometimes people think it's a children's theater, so they're expecting familiar stories like The Little Mermaid," says Johnson. "But all of our works are original, locally written and locally produced. We almost exclusively create our shows from scratch. The scripts, the songs, the props—it's all done by an in-house team that loves telling stories of this place for the people of this place."
In addition to producing its own theater, HTY also holds the distinction of being the state's only theatrical production company that employs its cast and crew year-round. "We pay our performers and ensemble a living wage, with health benefits and retirement," Johnson says. "They are full employees, which is very uncommon. It's a completely different model than typical community theaters, where only a few staff are paid and most of the participants are volunteers."
To keep such an operation running, especially in the post-pandemic era, requires strategic collaborations and partnerships. Commercial and government organizations often provide support and expertise. Bishop Museum, the Board of Water Supply and many other organizations and agencies have provided everything from funding to technical support, research and guidance to ensure complex topics are handled accurately; it's up to HTY to make those topics accessible and entertaining. "Theater is a perfect way to get young people excited about the issues that are facing us," Johnson says. "It doesn't have to be didactic. It's just a way of bringing out curiosity in a subject. We often work with a lot of different community organizations to make sure we get the history, the science and the other details right. And those have been some of our most successful collaborations."
“We’re ohana,” says HTY artistic director Eric Johnson of the tight-knit, full-time ensemble cast and crew, who do everything from performance to administration and fundraising. (ABOVE) HTY staffers pack into the van that delivers performances to schools around Oahu.
HTY stages seasonal shows throughout the year in its primary venue at Tenney Theatre on the grounds of the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Honolulu. K-12 schoolkids are bused in regularly on field trips to see the productions. In many cases HTY is the first and often only exposure local kids have to live theater. "We want them to learn, and we also want them to be inspired by the creativity," Johnson says. "Theater is a beautiful place to bring children and ideas together.'"
Staff also organize touring versions, taking many of HTY's productions to neighbor islands, which have even fewer opportunities for children to experience live theater. Some productions have also toured nationally and internationally. The logistics are different for touring shows, so the costumes, props and set pieces must be designed for mobility. Some HTY staff also work in residency as on-campus teaching artists at various schools on Oahu or neighbor islands, focused on helping those schools develop or improve their arts programs. "Honolulu Theatre for Youth provides programs and services to more students in Hawaii than any organization outside of the Department of Education," says Managing Director Becky Dunning. "We want to give kids a chance to experience live theater, no matter where they live or what their background is. When young people connect with stories they can relate to, it helps them relate more to the world they live in." Dunning says one of the most rewarding aspects of producing live shows for young audiences is the positive impact it has on their lives outside the theater. "Lots of studies show the benefits of exposure to the performing arts at an early age," Dunning explains. "Live theater makes it easier for kids to understand emotions, how other people think and feel. It helps them develop a deeper sense of empathy that can improve the way they communicate and interact with others."
“We almost exclusively create our shows from scratch,” says Johnson. “The scripts, the songs, the props—it’s all done by an in-house team that loves telling stories of this place for the people of this place.” (ABOVE) Wright engages preschool and elementary-age children before a performance of Under the Blue.
Exposure to the arts often inspires audience members to get involved themselves. To help kids discover and develop their own talents, HTY conducts classes and workshops in acting, writing and other aspects of theatrical arts for kids. Aliya Aiona-Shapiro, now 14, is a three-time alumna of HTY's Summer Drama Program. "It's really fun and exciting," says Aiona-Shapiro, who joined her first summer class when she was 10. "Every year, there are new things to explore and new people. We learned how to work in an ensemble, creating and then memorizing our own script, running through the lines together, working with props and costumes and then performing for friends and family on the big stage, which was so exciting! It pushed my limits and helped me really see the stuff I could do." HTY staffers provide prompts but let the kids do their own heavy lifting artistically, producing and performing their own show every year. "I felt like I learned to be a better leader and work better with people," says Aiona-Shapiro. "And after going through these programs, I think it's easier for me to talk to people and be more outgoing. It's really helped me with that."
Aiona-Shapiro has gone on to earn leading roles in school plays and looks forward to continuing her involvement in the performing arts. She's in good company: Over the years HTY has produced a number of outstanding performers, many of whom have joined the organization as cast and crew. Notable cast members past and present include the late beloved Hawaii comedian Rap Replinger, Goods (who has also earned multiple credits in film and television, including appearances on shows like NCIS: Hawaii and a major role alongside Jason Momoa in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Chief of War) and a certain diva often referred to as the Divine Miss M. Earlier in her career, Miss M was an HTY cast member who simply went by her given name: Bette Midler. "A lot of cast members have gone on to other work in theater, film and television," Johnson says. "But I'm proud of the fact that so many stay right here and remain part of this team. We have people who have been with HTY for multiple decades. We're ohana."
"This is our sixty-ninth season," Dunning notes. "We were actually incorporated in 1955, when this was still the Territory of Hawaii." With such a broad impact across the state, why are they still called "Honolulu" Theatre for Youth, instead of "Hawaii" Theatre for Youth? Dunning explains that HTY founder Nancy Corbett worked for the City and County of Honolulu, and HTY was originally conceived as a program within the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation. "She really felt that all children deserve opportunities to experience great theater and great art. She wanted to bring families together around storytelling, songs and live performance. It's grown so much since then, thanks to sponsors, donors and supporting members. But no matter how much we grow, we'll always be the Honolulu Theatre for Youth."
