Dates and Venue to Be Announced Soon
 for PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theater Companyʻs
The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collectiv
is funded by Grants from The Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities
through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities,
​ The Atherton Family Foundation,
And  in-kind donations from:
Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives,
Hawaiʻi Life Real Estate Brokers,
Hawaiʻi Plantation Village,
The Kupuna Collective,
and  ʻŌlelo Junior Academy for Media.

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On April 2, 2023, PlayBuilders held a reading at Hawaiian Plantation Village of the first draft of the play for caregivers who shared their stories with us. Readers were actual caregivers along with experienced actors. The play, formed from collected stories was curated and lead by Catherine Ann Restivo.The purpose of the reading was to obtain permission to do a full production of the newly community-engaged and created play for the general public in November of 2023 which is National Caregivers Month.  We are very happy to announce that permission was obtained! Archives: Call for Caregiver Stories for PlayBuilders from Hawaii Public Radio in September of 2022.
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/community-calendar/event/playbuilders-of-hawaii-theater-company-caregiver-story-circles-15-08-2022-18-13-46

​We Did it! We devised a new play with and for Hawaii's Caregivers!​

 (Photos are of our  story circles that took place a various Hawaii Life Real Estate Brokers' offices on Sunday afternoons between September 2022 and April 2023. We thank Hawaii Life with deep gratitude for their generosity in making space for our project on Sunday afternoons over the past year.)

PlayBuilders of Hawaii Theater Company is a community-based theater company located in Honolulu. Since 2011, we have been creating plays with, for, and about the many culturally rich and diverse communities of Hawai’i.  We are currently working in collaboration with family caregivers in Hawaiʻi, because at some time in our lives, all of us will either need a caregiver and/or become a caregiver. It's part of the cycle of life, and we believe the theatrical exploration of this topic has already begun to spark many great conversations here on Oahu that will benefit all of Hawaii’s people for years to come.

Mahalo nui to the many Community Members Who Shared their Stories with us!
Allan Okubo
Cathy Restivo
Darryl Soriano
Dean Mo
Deanna Espinas
Elizabeth (Liz) Dixon
Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak
Evern Williams
Georgette Stevens
Ke’ala Ford
Lindsay A Desrochers
Terri Madden
William Ha'o

Between September and the end of March 2023, Director of Play Devising for the Malama the Caregivers Project, Catherine Ann Restivo, held devising workshops rehearsals with the caregivers  and they wrote the initial draft a play under the working title, "Malama the Caregivers." On April 2nd, PlayBuilders held an invited reading of the new play for those who shared their stories with us in order to obtain special permission to do a full production of the newly community-engaged and created play for the general public in November of 2023 which is National Caregivers Month.  

Terri Madden spent the summer of 2023 editing and making the community requested changes to the script with Allan Okubo, Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak, and the caregivers. We are still editing and we will hold auditions and cast caregivers to perform onstage along side our veteran performers soon. Rehearsals will commence September 18th at Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives. and will be presented at Kumu Kahaua Theatre as part of their dark night series November 20, 21, and 22.

PlayBuilders’ mission is to gather and share real stories that resonate with, empower, and connect the many culturally rich and diverse people of Hawai’i. If you have ideas to share or want more information about participating, please contact Terri Madden at 808-218-0103, or terri.madden@playbuilders.org.
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​Meet the Directors!

​Terri Madden, MFA
 Writer, Director, and Producer for the Mālama Caregivers Theatre Project.

Founder and Executive Producing Director of PlayBuilders, Terri holds an MFA in Theatre from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and is a Po'okela award winning actor, playwright, and director. She has produced all of our community based shows since 2011, including Houseless In Paradise and Dragonfly the Story of a Young Local Girl's Journey Through Foster Care, both of which were recognized as "Best Plays" by the Hawaii State Theatre Council.

Terri's army officer father brought his family here on orders in 1973 and Terri has considered Hawaiʻi home since. She is a grandmother of 6 and lives with her husband, 2 doxies and 7 chickens in Hawaii Kai. Her father passed away during Covid to service related Parkinsonism, and the experience of helping him navigate his illness inspired her to organize "The Caregivers Project."

Elizabeth Ann Wichmann-Walczak, PhD
Co- Director for the Mālama Caregivers Theatre Project, 
Script supervisor and editor.

 In 1981 Elizabeth  joined the faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, where she served as Director of the Asian Theatre Program from 1985 until she retired in 2018.  Theatre that aims to make a difference, is important to her.  She currently serves as PlayBuilders Vice President, and has contributed as one of the playwrights and directors to three major PlayBuilders projects: the “Bursting Bubbles” anti-domestic violence video series; the “Open Your Hearts Wide” film about descendants of the first Protestant missionaries and their contemporary status.
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Jiaxing Mo, MFA
Co-Director for the Malama Caregivers Production

Jiaxing Mo(Dean) is from a small city in Sichuan, China. From an early age, he was exposed to different performance arts. He attended Lewis-Clark State College for Undergraduate Education. He participated and performed extensively in the school's Theatre Program and Multi-Media productions. He appeared in regional and national commercials while working with Ryan Artists in Portland, Oregon. Dean later attended University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa for Graduate Degree in Performance. He studied Chinese Theatre and Western Theatre Techniques while studying in the programs. He was awarded the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Nominations, and Po'okela Award for Best Leading Actor. Dean has performed in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, and Hawaiʻi. ​

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Allan Okubo
​Actor Creator, Editor

​Allan was an original board member of Playbuilders and participated in several productions over the years. He initially started acting in the early ’70’s with Hawaii 5-0, Magnum P.I., and other productions in the islands. He came full circle appearing in Hawaii 5-0 opposite Alex O’Loughlin in 2011. He started his stage career in 1991 with a Kumu Kahua Theatre production of PILGRIMAGE, written by Edward Sakamoto and directed by Jim Nakamoto. Throughout the years he has appeared in most theatres in Hawaii, the last at Kumu Kahua Theatre in the re-mount of Aloha Las Vegas in 2022. He received Po’okela Awards for Leading Male in a Play (MISO) IN 2010, Ensemble work (THE TEMPEST) in 2016 and (TWELF NITE O’ WATEVA) in 2018, and for Featured Male in a Play (CINDERELLA WALTZ) in 2020. He is excited to be involved with Playbuilders again and this original production about the plight of Caregivers.

​PLAYBUILDERS MISSION IS TO GATHER AND SHARE REAL STORIES THAT RESONATE WITH, EMPOWER, AND CONNECT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE CULTURALLY RICH AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES OF HAWAI'I.

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​About PlayBuilders

PlayBuilders original plays have been supported by the Hawaii Peoples Fund, the Hawaii Community Coalition, The Geist Foundation, The Cooke Foundation, The Atherton Foundation, and The National Endowment of the Arts. Our work would be impossible without the support of  individual donors like you. Mahalo nui loa

​News

Community partners for past shows include The Wahiawa Historic Society, Catholic Charities, Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University, Family Programs Hawaii, Waipahu Community Coalition, The Foster Care Training Committee, Partners in Development, Leeward Community College,  the Mele Program of Honolulu Community College, Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, and the Hawai'i State Department of Health. 

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Coming Up Next

​We are always working on new projects, performances, and collaborations. Stay tuned for news on upcoming plays, behind-the-scenes updates, live events, and more. Coming soon: "Open Your Hearts Wide" by Marion Lyman-Mersereau and "Bursting Bubbles" by Laura Clark Greaver. PlayBuilders' PlayFestival will be held here on this website during the entire month of September!




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