s
Nānākuli High and Intermediate School Performing Arts Center presents PlayBuilders of Hawaii Theater Company’s The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective, a compelling community-based play that brings together the authentic stories and experiences of Hawaii’s caregivers. This groundbreaking production, developed in collaboration with local caregivers showcases the power of storytelling and the strength of community-engagement.
The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective is the result of PlayBuilders’s commitment to foster creativity, inclusivity, and cultural awareness. Through an extensive process of story circles, interviews conducted over the past year by Terri Madden and workshops conducted by Catherine Restivo, and a collaboration between local theatre makers with local caregivers, The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective weaves together a tapestry of real-life narratives, capturing the essence of local caregivers’ diverse voices and perspectives.
Written with local caregivers by Terri Madden, and under the visionary direction of Dean Mo and Elizabeth Wichmann Walczak, The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective offers a unique theatrical experience filled with emotion, authenticity, and resonance. Audiences will be captivated by the real caregivers performing alongside experienced actors while they share authentic, powerful stories with universal themes, and relatable characters. For more information about how the play was put together, please go to www.playbuilders.org.
The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective 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: Aloha Graphics (Mark Merriam), Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Hawaiʻi Life Real Estate Brokers, Hawaiʻi Plantation Village, The Kūpuna Collective, 'Ōlelo Community Television, and ʻŌlelo Junior Academy for Media.
More About The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective...
Organized, written, and produced by community-based theater playwright, Terri Madden, MFA , with Jiaxing (Dean) Mo, MFA, Allan Okubo, Catherine Restivo, MFA, and Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak, PhD with local caregivers who shared their stories during a series of story-circles and workshops.
What is Community-Based theater?
Community-base theatre is a form of theater that is created and performed by members of a specific community. In involves active participation from community members in various aspects of theatre production, including acting, directing, set design, costumes, lighting, and stage management.
Before the play is written, we hold several to a dozen story-circles with community members and often hold workshops that eventually become support-groups for our community members. Participants often tell us that it is a healing experience. Stories are recorded and transcribed verbatim. Most of the words spoken in our plays come from community members themselves and are edited by our community based playwright with permission from participants, and then devised into a play.
After the first draft of the play is finished, we do a special invited reading for those who shared their stories with us, and at that time we ask permission to move forward to production. Community members are assured that they may remove their stories from the play at any time and for any reason, even if it is in the middle of a performance.
Several of the actors you see in "The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective" are actual caregivers.
What is Devised Theatre?
A devised theatre play is created and written by a collective of artists, as opposed to plays that are written by one or two people. Throughout the process, the ensemble members are asked to contribute to all the aspects of making a play. Meaning one person could be a writer, director, performer, and designer on various parts of the play.
Creating a Play For and With Family Caregivers
The idea of doing a community based play with and for caregivers came from a chance encounter Terri Madden had with Georgette Stevens when she was being made up for an 'Olelo Community Media Island Focus interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w3VwfdKdlE&t=49s
Terri's father wasn't doing well and she knew he would die soon and she was emotionally wrought. There were other three ladies in the room including Georgette and Terri apologized for being such a wreak. Georgette told her it was okay. She wasn't the only one to have gone through this. The other two women agreed. All three had either been a caregiver in the past or were currently a caregiver and like the character of Brooke in the play, Terri felt better, knowing that she wasn't the only one. Georgette had remembered Terri as the writer of PlayBuilders' "Dragonfly the Story of a Young Local Girls Journey Through Foster Care" in which her daughter, Ke'ala, had performed the role of Tara in Nanakuli High and Middle School's production of it in 2018. Terri commented, "We should do a community-based play on caregiving." Georgette agreed. KITV's Diane Ako interviewed Terri and Georgette recently on her "Aging Well" segment and they talked about that incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D8PGsW3K5A
Exactly a year after the passing of her father on September 7, 2021, Terri reached out to the family caregiving community through Hawai'i Public Radio and began conducting story circles at Hawai'i Life Real Estate Broker offices in Ewa, Haleiwa, Kaimuki, and Kailua.(Māhalo nui, Hawaii Life!) Hawaii Public Radio had made an announcement about the project and several of the folks who heard the announcement joined us to share their stories, including hospice social worker Kalawai'a Goo, poet Lindsay Desrochers who had been keeping a detailed journal on her husband, George's Altheimer's progression, and Liz Dixon a beautiful soul who had recently been diagnosed with caregiver burnout. Liz Dixon is actually performing in the play now and is doing beautifully.
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2022-08-30/local-theater-company-will-host-story-circles-to-create-play-about-caregivers
Talk about the power of radio!
Georgette and her daughter Ke'ala Ford has also been involved with the project from day one and they brought in Evern Williams also from 'Õlelo Community Media . Evern Williams joined our workshop and wrote a poem for it called Stinking Thinking and taught us a calming exercise that is very effective and is featured as one of the Super Aunties' super powers in the play. Evern also produced several 'Õlelo Giving Voice PSAs for the project. The first one was developed a year ago, when we were still seeking caregiver stories with Deanna Espinas and Catherine Restivo and another one with Allan Okubo talking about the play we were developing. By the way, at one time we were going to call the play "Mālama I Nā Kahu Mālama" which means "Take Care of the Caregivers". Itʻs a really good name, but although the play includes perspectives from several Hawaiian people, it is not a Hawaiian play and so we decide call it "The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective" instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GGXfBajuu0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlJ8MZKeFTc
'Õlelo Junior Academy for Media, directed by Neal Rivera will be filming the play at the Māpunapuna studios the week following the closing of our November run in Honolulu! https://olelo.org/jam/. We are very excited about this opportunity to work with his talented middle and high school students.
In the meanwhile, Terri asked Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak to co-direct the play. Elizabeth directed for PlayBuilders' domestic violence survivor's project, Bursting Bubbles several years ago and on our history film with Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Open Your Hearts Wide which was written by Marion Lyman-Mersereau. The plan was for Elizabeth and Terri to direct the play. The universe also helped move things along by having MFA student and theatre practitioner, Catherine Restivo reach out to Terri via email telling her that she was very interested in the work PlayBuilders does and she wondered if there was anything coming up that she could help with. Catherine's resume was very impressive and Terri told her about the caregiver project. It seemed a good fit, especially after Terri learned that Catherine grew up being a caregiver to her older sister. Terri asked if Catherine could run workshops for the caregivers based on methodology she had learned while interning with Tectonic Theatre. Catherine agreed to become "Director of Devising" and Terri just needed to write some grants and cross her fingers.
The Hawai'i Council for the Humanities and the Atherton Foundation, along with in-kind donations from Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers and Hawaii Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives made this play possible!
After receiving a grant from the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities in late 2022 and while still waiting to hear news from the Atherton Foundation, Terri hired Catherine Restivo to hold workshops for caregivers who were interested in sharing their stories about caregiving which would then be shaped into a play as part of “The Mālama the Caregivers Theatre Project.” Catherine at this time, brought Dean (Jiaxing) Mo, MFA and stage manager, Ashley Zednick, into the project. Dean rarely missed a workshop and sincerely believed that the work we were doing was important. He became more and more involved with running workshops and is now co-directing the play with Elizabeth!
The workshop ran from early January to April 2023. and Catherine taught us her play building methodology. The group became very close and supportive to one another. Hospice social worker, Kalawai’a Goo and theatre practitioners Will Ha’o, Dean (Jiaxing) Mo, Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak, Allan Okubo, Darryl Soriano, and Terri worked closely with Catherine. Workshop participants read a rough draft of script that Katherine had devised which included workshop participant sharing their stories at Hawaii’s Plantation Village. Afterwords, we asked them if we had their permission to continue with the plan to produce a play based on their stories and they agreed!
After the workshop, Catherine moved off island and Terri became responsible for taking what Catherine had done and adding more stories from private individual interviews she had conducted. She also created a plot that was inspired by how the idea was borne in the first place. Leeward Community College became Georgette's Beauty Emporium and Georgette became Aunty Georgette, and Ke'ala became "The Girl Wonder"! Terri also asked Francine Less and Diana Aoki to work with Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak and Diana Espinas on their stories when they expressed interest in getting involved.
Original Caregivers who participated in the workshop were Lindsay Desrochers, Liz Dixon, Emily Jorgensen, Georgette Stevens, Deanna Espinas, Evern Williams, Kalawai'a Goo, and Will Ha'o. (By the way, Lindsay in in the process of having portions of her journal on the progression of her husband's Alzheimer's published! The name of the book is No One is Prepared for Alzheimer's...One Family's Story by Lindsay Pjerrou Desrochers.
Mālama I Nā Kāhu Mālama Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60hzc6mYkCY&t=202s
A few days later after the reading, PlayBuilders held a special festival for caregivers called Mālama I Nā Kāhu Mālama (Take Care of the Caregivers) that was presented at Kumu Kahua Theatre as part of their dark night series. It featured our recently "graduated" workshop participants reciting their own works (directed by Terri) alongside experienced Kumu Kahua actors who performed new works written by NY caregivers that had been collected by Carol Polcovar and directed by Will Ha’o. It was an evening filled with aloha, and afterwords, several local writers decided to join our ranks: Diane Aoki, Emily Jorgensen, and Francine Less.
Taking Gold and Turning It Into a Nugget
After the workshop, Terri spent the months between April and October of 2023 taking what had been accomplished in the workshops, conducting additional interviews over zoom, developing a plot and setting and finally finishing the play. Dean (Jiaxing) Mo, Allan Okubo, Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak assisted Terri by providing feedback and editing services. Final copyediting was provided by Diane Aoki.
Terri says that writing process was so difficult. She remembers crying in one of the meetings with caregivers after sharing what she had written. They didn't like it. Allan Okubo kept saying, "The play needs to be about the Caregivers. It can't be about the cared for." She says it was tough, but after that meeting, she went home, continued to cry- thinking about everything she had been through with her father and created the character of Brooke which Kathy Byrne is playing. Once she could place herself in the play, at her most vulnerable, she was able to create the super aunties, and the girl wonder, and all the other characters and stories easily fit into the setting of Georgette's Beauty Emporium.
Former workshop attendees, Lindsay Desrochers, Liz Dixon, Deanna Espinas, Ke’ala Ford, Emily Jorgensen, Georgette Stevens, and Evern Williams attended 3 more zoom readings of the new play and provided important insight. Geriatric Social Worker, Kevin Kawamoto attended all 4 readings and was a much appreciated cheerleader. He helped to increase our confidence and resilience during this very challenging process. He also helped keep in touch with our community partners, The Kūpuna Collective! After the 4th reading, Kevin sent Terri the following letter about the final draft of the play.
Kevin Kawamoto, MSW, PhD
Wed, Sep 6, 9:00 PM
to Terri via Email
Hi Terri,
Just a quick note to say that I think you hit on all the major and important issues around caregiving with this script and that the
audience members who come to the play will feel like they are part of the story sharing in the beauty salon because they'll recognize
something of their own experiences in these authentic caregiver stories.
Audiences of caregivers will discover their community or tribe in that salon, just as the salon occupants have discovered each other
there. Finding a community of people who understand your journey because they are on a similar journey themselves is so reaffirming
and validating. Even if not immediate, solutions transpire. Just the process of being able to move something deeply internal, personal,
and private to a safe space outside of oneself is going to be healing for so many people.
It's a heavy topic but also peppered with humor in appropriate places and with an underlying sentiment of mutual support throughout
-- from beginning to end.
This play is an antidote to despair! I hope the performers and PlayBuilders know how much impact their
words and emotions can have on people who often feel as though they are traveling on this journey alone.
I think (The) Super Executive Aunties and the Malama the Caregivers Collective will find many kindred souls searching for camaraderie,
meaning, and understanding through reality-based performance art like this. Best wishes as you move this project forward in the
weeks and months ahead.
Kevin
Mahalo nui to the following caregivers who provided written works for "The Super Executive Aunties and the Mālama the Caregivers Collective," Diane Aoki (with Deanna Espinas), Lindsay Desrochers, Deanna Espinas, Ron Heller (with Dean Mo), Emily Jorgensen, Francine Less (with Elizabeth Wichman-Walczak), Amber Milsap, Ken Takeya (with Terri Madden), and Evern Williams.
Mahalo nui also to James Labrie and Robert Yokoyama for sharing their stories about riding the Handi-Van! Recently we had to do an emergency search for venues. Robert got his friend Jim Mendoza to do a story on us for Hawaii News Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eul5s8Y0r60
PlayBuilders Mission is to gather and share real stories that resonate with, empower, and connect the many culturally rich and diverse communities in Hawaiʻi.
Contact:
PlayBuilders of Hawai'i Theater Co
Terri Madden
807 Kaluanui RD
Honolulu HI 96825
808-218-0103
terri.madden@playbuilders.org
Nānākuli High and Intermediate School Performing Arts Center presents PlayBuilders of Hawaii Theater Company’s The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective, a compelling community-based play that brings together the authentic stories and experiences of Hawaii’s caregivers. This groundbreaking production, developed in collaboration with local caregivers showcases the power of storytelling and the strength of community-engagement.
The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective is the result of PlayBuilders’s commitment to foster creativity, inclusivity, and cultural awareness. Through an extensive process of story circles, interviews conducted over the past year by Terri Madden and workshops conducted by Catherine Restivo, and a collaboration between local theatre makers with local caregivers, The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective weaves together a tapestry of real-life narratives, capturing the essence of local caregivers’ diverse voices and perspectives.
Written with local caregivers by Terri Madden, and under the visionary direction of Dean Mo and Elizabeth Wichmann Walczak, The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective offers a unique theatrical experience filled with emotion, authenticity, and resonance. Audiences will be captivated by the real caregivers performing alongside experienced actors while they share authentic, powerful stories with universal themes, and relatable characters. For more information about how the play was put together, please go to www.playbuilders.org.
The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective 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: Aloha Graphics (Mark Merriam), Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Hawaiʻi Life Real Estate Brokers, Hawaiʻi Plantation Village, The Kūpuna Collective, 'Ōlelo Community Television, and ʻŌlelo Junior Academy for Media.
More About The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective...
Organized, written, and produced by community-based theater playwright, Terri Madden, MFA , with Jiaxing (Dean) Mo, MFA, Allan Okubo, Catherine Restivo, MFA, and Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak, PhD with local caregivers who shared their stories during a series of story-circles and workshops.
What is Community-Based theater?
Community-base theatre is a form of theater that is created and performed by members of a specific community. In involves active participation from community members in various aspects of theatre production, including acting, directing, set design, costumes, lighting, and stage management.
Before the play is written, we hold several to a dozen story-circles with community members and often hold workshops that eventually become support-groups for our community members. Participants often tell us that it is a healing experience. Stories are recorded and transcribed verbatim. Most of the words spoken in our plays come from community members themselves and are edited by our community based playwright with permission from participants, and then devised into a play.
After the first draft of the play is finished, we do a special invited reading for those who shared their stories with us, and at that time we ask permission to move forward to production. Community members are assured that they may remove their stories from the play at any time and for any reason, even if it is in the middle of a performance.
Several of the actors you see in "The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective" are actual caregivers.
What is Devised Theatre?
A devised theatre play is created and written by a collective of artists, as opposed to plays that are written by one or two people. Throughout the process, the ensemble members are asked to contribute to all the aspects of making a play. Meaning one person could be a writer, director, performer, and designer on various parts of the play.
Creating a Play For and With Family Caregivers
The idea of doing a community based play with and for caregivers came from a chance encounter Terri Madden had with Georgette Stevens when she was being made up for an 'Olelo Community Media Island Focus interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w3VwfdKdlE&t=49s
Terri's father wasn't doing well and she knew he would die soon and she was emotionally wrought. There were other three ladies in the room including Georgette and Terri apologized for being such a wreak. Georgette told her it was okay. She wasn't the only one to have gone through this. The other two women agreed. All three had either been a caregiver in the past or were currently a caregiver and like the character of Brooke in the play, Terri felt better, knowing that she wasn't the only one. Georgette had remembered Terri as the writer of PlayBuilders' "Dragonfly the Story of a Young Local Girls Journey Through Foster Care" in which her daughter, Ke'ala, had performed the role of Tara in Nanakuli High and Middle School's production of it in 2018. Terri commented, "We should do a community-based play on caregiving." Georgette agreed. KITV's Diane Ako interviewed Terri and Georgette recently on her "Aging Well" segment and they talked about that incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D8PGsW3K5A
Exactly a year after the passing of her father on September 7, 2021, Terri reached out to the family caregiving community through Hawai'i Public Radio and began conducting story circles at Hawai'i Life Real Estate Broker offices in Ewa, Haleiwa, Kaimuki, and Kailua.(Māhalo nui, Hawaii Life!) Hawaii Public Radio had made an announcement about the project and several of the folks who heard the announcement joined us to share their stories, including hospice social worker Kalawai'a Goo, poet Lindsay Desrochers who had been keeping a detailed journal on her husband, George's Altheimer's progression, and Liz Dixon a beautiful soul who had recently been diagnosed with caregiver burnout. Liz Dixon is actually performing in the play now and is doing beautifully.
https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2022-08-30/local-theater-company-will-host-story-circles-to-create-play-about-caregivers
Talk about the power of radio!
Georgette and her daughter Ke'ala Ford has also been involved with the project from day one and they brought in Evern Williams also from 'Õlelo Community Media . Evern Williams joined our workshop and wrote a poem for it called Stinking Thinking and taught us a calming exercise that is very effective and is featured as one of the Super Aunties' super powers in the play. Evern also produced several 'Õlelo Giving Voice PSAs for the project. The first one was developed a year ago, when we were still seeking caregiver stories with Deanna Espinas and Catherine Restivo and another one with Allan Okubo talking about the play we were developing. By the way, at one time we were going to call the play "Mālama I Nā Kahu Mālama" which means "Take Care of the Caregivers". Itʻs a really good name, but although the play includes perspectives from several Hawaiian people, it is not a Hawaiian play and so we decide call it "The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective" instead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GGXfBajuu0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlJ8MZKeFTc
'Õlelo Junior Academy for Media, directed by Neal Rivera will be filming the play at the Māpunapuna studios the week following the closing of our November run in Honolulu! https://olelo.org/jam/. We are very excited about this opportunity to work with his talented middle and high school students.
In the meanwhile, Terri asked Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak to co-direct the play. Elizabeth directed for PlayBuilders' domestic violence survivor's project, Bursting Bubbles several years ago and on our history film with Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, Open Your Hearts Wide which was written by Marion Lyman-Mersereau. The plan was for Elizabeth and Terri to direct the play. The universe also helped move things along by having MFA student and theatre practitioner, Catherine Restivo reach out to Terri via email telling her that she was very interested in the work PlayBuilders does and she wondered if there was anything coming up that she could help with. Catherine's resume was very impressive and Terri told her about the caregiver project. It seemed a good fit, especially after Terri learned that Catherine grew up being a caregiver to her older sister. Terri asked if Catherine could run workshops for the caregivers based on methodology she had learned while interning with Tectonic Theatre. Catherine agreed to become "Director of Devising" and Terri just needed to write some grants and cross her fingers.
The Hawai'i Council for the Humanities and the Atherton Foundation, along with in-kind donations from Hawai'i Life Real Estate Brokers and Hawaii Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives made this play possible!
After receiving a grant from the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities in late 2022 and while still waiting to hear news from the Atherton Foundation, Terri hired Catherine Restivo to hold workshops for caregivers who were interested in sharing their stories about caregiving which would then be shaped into a play as part of “The Mālama the Caregivers Theatre Project.” Catherine at this time, brought Dean (Jiaxing) Mo, MFA and stage manager, Ashley Zednick, into the project. Dean rarely missed a workshop and sincerely believed that the work we were doing was important. He became more and more involved with running workshops and is now co-directing the play with Elizabeth!
The workshop ran from early January to April 2023. and Catherine taught us her play building methodology. The group became very close and supportive to one another. Hospice social worker, Kalawai’a Goo and theatre practitioners Will Ha’o, Dean (Jiaxing) Mo, Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak, Allan Okubo, Darryl Soriano, and Terri worked closely with Catherine. Workshop participants read a rough draft of script that Katherine had devised which included workshop participant sharing their stories at Hawaii’s Plantation Village. Afterwords, we asked them if we had their permission to continue with the plan to produce a play based on their stories and they agreed!
After the workshop, Catherine moved off island and Terri became responsible for taking what Catherine had done and adding more stories from private individual interviews she had conducted. She also created a plot that was inspired by how the idea was borne in the first place. Leeward Community College became Georgette's Beauty Emporium and Georgette became Aunty Georgette, and Ke'ala became "The Girl Wonder"! Terri also asked Francine Less and Diana Aoki to work with Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak and Diana Espinas on their stories when they expressed interest in getting involved.
Original Caregivers who participated in the workshop were Lindsay Desrochers, Liz Dixon, Emily Jorgensen, Georgette Stevens, Deanna Espinas, Evern Williams, Kalawai'a Goo, and Will Ha'o. (By the way, Lindsay in in the process of having portions of her journal on the progression of her husband's Alzheimer's published! The name of the book is No One is Prepared for Alzheimer's...One Family's Story by Lindsay Pjerrou Desrochers.
Mālama I Nā Kāhu Mālama Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60hzc6mYkCY&t=202s
A few days later after the reading, PlayBuilders held a special festival for caregivers called Mālama I Nā Kāhu Mālama (Take Care of the Caregivers) that was presented at Kumu Kahua Theatre as part of their dark night series. It featured our recently "graduated" workshop participants reciting their own works (directed by Terri) alongside experienced Kumu Kahua actors who performed new works written by NY caregivers that had been collected by Carol Polcovar and directed by Will Ha’o. It was an evening filled with aloha, and afterwords, several local writers decided to join our ranks: Diane Aoki, Emily Jorgensen, and Francine Less.
Taking Gold and Turning It Into a Nugget
After the workshop, Terri spent the months between April and October of 2023 taking what had been accomplished in the workshops, conducting additional interviews over zoom, developing a plot and setting and finally finishing the play. Dean (Jiaxing) Mo, Allan Okubo, Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak assisted Terri by providing feedback and editing services. Final copyediting was provided by Diane Aoki.
Terri says that writing process was so difficult. She remembers crying in one of the meetings with caregivers after sharing what she had written. They didn't like it. Allan Okubo kept saying, "The play needs to be about the Caregivers. It can't be about the cared for." She says it was tough, but after that meeting, she went home, continued to cry- thinking about everything she had been through with her father and created the character of Brooke which Kathy Byrne is playing. Once she could place herself in the play, at her most vulnerable, she was able to create the super aunties, and the girl wonder, and all the other characters and stories easily fit into the setting of Georgette's Beauty Emporium.
Former workshop attendees, Lindsay Desrochers, Liz Dixon, Deanna Espinas, Ke’ala Ford, Emily Jorgensen, Georgette Stevens, and Evern Williams attended 3 more zoom readings of the new play and provided important insight. Geriatric Social Worker, Kevin Kawamoto attended all 4 readings and was a much appreciated cheerleader. He helped to increase our confidence and resilience during this very challenging process. He also helped keep in touch with our community partners, The Kūpuna Collective! After the 4th reading, Kevin sent Terri the following letter about the final draft of the play.
Kevin Kawamoto, MSW, PhD
Wed, Sep 6, 9:00 PM
to Terri via Email
Hi Terri,
Just a quick note to say that I think you hit on all the major and important issues around caregiving with this script and that the
audience members who come to the play will feel like they are part of the story sharing in the beauty salon because they'll recognize
something of their own experiences in these authentic caregiver stories.
Audiences of caregivers will discover their community or tribe in that salon, just as the salon occupants have discovered each other
there. Finding a community of people who understand your journey because they are on a similar journey themselves is so reaffirming
and validating. Even if not immediate, solutions transpire. Just the process of being able to move something deeply internal, personal,
and private to a safe space outside of oneself is going to be healing for so many people.
It's a heavy topic but also peppered with humor in appropriate places and with an underlying sentiment of mutual support throughout
-- from beginning to end.
This play is an antidote to despair! I hope the performers and PlayBuilders know how much impact their
words and emotions can have on people who often feel as though they are traveling on this journey alone.
I think (The) Super Executive Aunties and the Malama the Caregivers Collective will find many kindred souls searching for camaraderie,
meaning, and understanding through reality-based performance art like this. Best wishes as you move this project forward in the
weeks and months ahead.
Kevin
Mahalo nui to the following caregivers who provided written works for "The Super Executive Aunties and the Mālama the Caregivers Collective," Diane Aoki (with Deanna Espinas), Lindsay Desrochers, Deanna Espinas, Ron Heller (with Dean Mo), Emily Jorgensen, Francine Less (with Elizabeth Wichman-Walczak), Amber Milsap, Ken Takeya (with Terri Madden), and Evern Williams.
Mahalo nui also to James Labrie and Robert Yokoyama for sharing their stories about riding the Handi-Van! Recently we had to do an emergency search for venues. Robert got his friend Jim Mendoza to do a story on us for Hawaii News Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eul5s8Y0r60
PlayBuilders Mission is to gather and share real stories that resonate with, empower, and connect the many culturally rich and diverse communities in Hawaiʻi.
Contact:
PlayBuilders of Hawai'i Theater Co
Terri Madden
807 Kaluanui RD
Honolulu HI 96825
808-218-0103
terri.madden@playbuilders.org
Congratulations to The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālam the Caregivers Cast!
Brooke..........................................Kathy Byrne
Kevin............................................Patrick Chee
Aunty Liz......................................Liz Dixon
Aunty Emalia...............................Sharon Garcia-Doyle
Aunty Deanna.............................Deanna Espinas
Girl Wonder Ke'ala......................Kealailiahi Ford
Kalawai'a......................................William Ha'o
James............................................James LaBrie
Amber...........................................Jamie McOuat
Rachel ......................................... Francine Less
Ken, Allan.....................................Allan Okubo
Neva ............................................Shannon Patalano
Emily.............................................Shawn Quapaw
Charles.........................................Steve Royal
Lindsay.........................................Peggy Anne Siegmund
Georgette....................................Georgette Stevens
Robert .........................................Robert George Yokoyama
Directors: Dean (Jiaxing Mo) and Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak
Stage Manager: Kathy Bowers
Producer and Playwright: Terri Madden
April 2, 2021 reading, Hawai'i Plantation Villiage on April 2, 2023. The actors seated and reading participated in Catherine Restivo's devising workshop between early January and the end of May 2023 . The stories they are reading were theatrically explored during the workshop, and one of the pieces about a Tutu Kane and a plumeria tree is being staged very much like it was during Catherine's workshop with a little flare by Dean Mo. So much was generated by this workshop. Perhaps the most important thing was friendship and support thanks to Catherine's Leadership.
The Mālama the CaRegivers Theater Workshop and story circles
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(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.)
The Super Executive Aunties of the Mālama the Caregivers Collective 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. 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 held auditions and cast caregivers to perform onstage along side our veteran performers . Rehearsals will commenced September 18th at Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives. and will be presented at at Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives 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. Meet the Directors!
Elizabeth Ann Wichmann-Walczak, PhD
Co- Director for the Mālama Caregivers Theatre Project, Script 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. 
Dean (Jiaxing) Mo, MFA
Co-Director for the Malama Caregivers Production Script editor. 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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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.
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
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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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