Click the button to watch Jonathan Masaki's story on "Hanafuda with Grandma" by Diane Aoki. The reading took place on October 27 and it was a wonderful event that over 200 people participated in!
No One is Prepared for Alzheimer's
Life isn't easy, and no one knows that more than a caregiver.
Don't miss this important reading at the Downtown Arts Center On November 16 at 2:30-4:40 Pm. Just $10.
The story is real-life and stars veteran actors Allan Y. Okubo and PeggyAnne Siegmund Directed by Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak
For tickets go to downtonearthi.org/events
Okinawan Project News!
Lee Tonouchi has written 50 pages so far and It's wonderful!
as of October 12, 2025. More information to follow soon! Reading for the community who shared their stories is scheduled for January 8!
Hot PlayBuilders News!
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Okinawan Festival last weekend!
What a wonderful celebration it was! We had such a great time visiting the many booths—including the Lion Shishimai selfie booth—and watching all the incredible performances. It was inspiring to see the community come together with such dedication and joy. The organizers worked so hard, and we are so grateful we could be there to join in honoring Okinawan culture.
Looking Ahead: The Okinawan ProjectWe’re excited to share that our Okinawan Project is moving into its next phase. So far, we’ve hosted seven story circles and conducted interviews with more than 40 community members. Thanks to these rich and heartfelt contributions, playwright Lee Tonouchi has already begun crafting the play.
Rehearsals will begin in mid-August 2026 at the Jikoen Honwanji Social Hall, with two performances scheduled for September 26, 2026, at the Okinawan Center. We’re also working to secure additional venues so we can bring this important play to more communities across Hawai‘i, including the Big Island and Maui.
Mahalo for the SupportWe are deeply appreciative of the in-kind support we’ve already received from the Okinawan Center and Jikoen Honwanji. As we move forward, we continue to seek funding to ensure that our community participants, story collectors, playwright, director, and team are recognized and compensated for their work.
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(A note from Jon Itomura, Executive Director at Hawaii United Okinawa Association: "The translation for the Japanese characters is read in Okinawan... "Miree Ya Kugani" , A Bright Hopeful Future ". Japanese will read Okinawan words differently because Okinawa, like the Hawaiians, did not have a written language, thus, words and names are often mis-read as the Okinawan word is read differently from the literal translation of the Japanese characters. Japanese Mirai = Future / "in okinawan" and Korean = miree, Kugani "in Okinawan" = gold)"
lee tonouchi + PLAYBUILDERS =
1 great Local kine
Okinawan community-Based Play !
PlayBuilders is excited to collaborate with the Hawaii United Okinawa Association, Young Okinawans of Hawaii, Okinawan Paranku Ladies and other Okinawan groups to collect stories for playwright Lee Tonouchi to write an original community-based play commemorating 125 years of Okinawan immigration to Hawai'i and worldwide.
Directed by Reiko Ho, the play will be presented by PlayBuilders on September 26, 2026 in the Okinawan Center Ballroom, courtesy of HUOA, at 4 pm and 7 pm. Additional venues and dates will be announced in the near future.
To learn what to expect at a PlayBuildersʻ Talk-Story Circle, please copy and paste the following link into your browser and take a look at this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVP_EGElK-I&t=6s
Okinawan Talk-Story Circles are On-going
Please contact Terri Madden at
[email protected] for dates, times and location.
Project-Based, Not Season-Based
PlayBuilders of Hawai‘i operates through community-driven projects rather than traditional theatrical seasons. Each production grows organically out of relationships with specific communities, beginning with story circles, interviews, and collaborative development.
This approach allows us to stay responsive to the needs, timing, and voices of the people we serve. Instead of a preset season, our work emerges when the stories are ready to be told—ensuring that every piece is rooted in authenticity, cultural respect, and shared ownership.
PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt Organization.
