Board of Directors

PlayBuilders Board of Directors

Paul Kuehn, President
During his 28 year career in teaching and administration in both elementary and higher education in California, Paul and his wife LuAnn caught the Community Theatre bug from a friend who encouraged them to join her in volunteering in local theatres. After retiring from the State of California and moving to Hawaii, Paul found himself working at Leeward Community College as Dean of Academic Services, where one of his responsibilities was oversight of the Leeward Theatre. During this time, he was introduced to a relatively new Theatre Company, PlayBuilders, and soon they became Artists in Residence at Leeward Theatre. Paul has since retired, again, and enjoys spending time with his three grandchildren, working with PlayBuilders and enjoying his new home, Hawaii. If you look hard enough, you might catch him very early on Saturday mornings kayaking near Ala Moana.

Deanna Espinas, Secretary
Deanna Espinas was born and raised in Honolulu and currently resides in Palolo Valley. She worked for the Department of Public Safety for over 31 years as a correctional librarian, and retired in January 2014. She serves on the board of directors for Hawaii's Plantation Village, the Filipino-American Historical Society of Hawaii, and Friends of the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. She enjoys participating in a variety of cultural activities which celebrate people's experiences growing up in Hawaii. She is a member of Keolumana United Methodist Church, Faith Action for Community Equity, and just began her term on the Hawaii District Board of United Methodist Women.

Espinas believes that stories of family and friends who were born in the Philippines and struggled to make a new home for themselves here and elsewhere are fascinating. All stories shared become movies for the mind. There is an opportunity to imagine the actors, hear their voices, see what they wore, ate, and feel their emotions; these are memories to be passed on to our children.

Mary Pat Ashby, Treasurer
Mary Pat grew up in California and attended UC Berkeley in the mid60s for her BA. She lived the next eight years in New York City, first working for the welfare department and then for Pan American Airways. Hawaii was the next home in order to attend graduate school in international public health and in business. As much as she wanted to stay, the need to find employment in her chosen field meant she had to return to the mainland. The next twenty-eight years were spent in the Washington, DC metro area working in hospital financial management and administration. She married her husband Jack and they raised a son. In 2007, with their son through college, the Ashby’s looked to move back to Hawaii. It was settled when she was offered a job at The Queen’s Medical Center in the Quality Department. Now retired, the Ashby’s spend their time volunteering, travelling, and enjoying community theatre and Hawaiian music.

While living in the DC area, Mary Pat was the volunteer bookkeeper for their small church. In Hawaii, after joining Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church, she served as the treasurer of Angel Network Charities for three years and then as church treasurer for an additional three years.

'Robert Yokoyama, Public Relations Specialist
Robert Yokoyama studied English at the University of Hawaii, and has been employed at Abilities Unlimited as a direct support worker since 2010. Robert joined the PlayBuilders Ensemble in 2011 and has acted in many of our community based plays including, "Wahiawa, Remembah Wen", "Houseless in Paradise", "The Waipahu Project", and "Dragonfly, The Story of a Young Local Girl's Journey Through Foster Care."

Robert received a "Volunteer of the Year" Poʻokela award from the Hawaii State Theater Council for his work with PlayBuilders in 2013 and he became a member of Playbuilders Board of Directors in 2018. Robert focuses on pitching PlayBuilders theater projects to local news outlets and successfully connected with Hawaii News Now to have our "Bursting Bubbles Project" featured with reporter Jim Mendoza in October of 2019 and 2020.

Terri Madden, Founder, Producing Executive Director
A proud grandmother of 6, Terri was brought to Hawaiʻi by her military family in 1973, and is still married to the same sailor she met at The Point After in 1974. After a long career in real estate sales, she returned to school late in life and earned her MFA in theatre in 2010 and founded PlayBuilders of Hawai'i Theater Company early in 2011. She has served as their producing executive director since and has spearheaded community-based plays written in collaboration with residential communities of Wahiawa, Waipahu, and Chinatown, as well as special interest groups such as Honolulu’s homeless, LGBTQ+, former foster youth, and sexual assault survivors.

Terri is currently producing "Open Your Hearts Wide", written by Marion Lyman-Mersereau under special agreement with Hawaiian Missionary Houses Historic Site and Archives, and a set of videos created with and for domestic violence survivors titled "The Bursting Bubbles Project" written with and for domestic abuse survivors and produced in collaboration with The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and ʻOlelo Community Television. She is also founder and producer of the annual PlayBuilders Festival and is proud to have helped introduce over 100 new plays written by local playwrights to Honolulu audiences since 2011.

Elizabeth Wichmann-Walczak, The PlayBuilders Ensemble Advisor
Elizabeth first visited Hawai‘i in 1959 as a child, and then moved here in 1971 to attend graduate school and then to teach in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; she retired from UHM in 2018, after serving as Director of the Asian Theatre Program for 33 years. Asian theatre is therefore very close to her heart, especially Chinese theatre, her specialty. But perhaps even more important to her is theatre that aims to make a difference, especially theatre involving community groups in the unpacking of social issues and the confrontation of inequities. For instance, before her career at UHM became too time consuming, she was a frequent director and actor with Kumu Kahua Theatre, taught a long-term “drama workshop” at OCCC with Dando Kluever, and worked with him, Tremaine Tamayose, and Carol Honda on several devised theatre projects with and for Hawai‘i public school students.

As soon as possible after she retired, Elizabeth therefore contacted PlayBuilders Executive Director Terri Madden, and asked about contributing to PlayBuilders. She is honored to be serving in this special capacity of Ensemble Advisor, and is delighted to be a member of the Board of Directors, and one of the playwrights and directors for the PlayBuilders “Bursting Bubbles Project” video series, as well.

Charles M. Kaʻaiai
Charles wrote plays and acted in community theater in the 70s and 80s. His last theatre gig took place back in 1993 when he produced the first centennial re-enactment of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1893. It was done over three days (January 15, 16, and 17) at or near the sites where the original action occurred. Vicky Kneubuhl wrote the play and Dallas Mossman Vogeler directed. Charles produced the re-enactment as part of the Hui Na’auao, the sovereignty education project. After that intense 3 years of work he swore that he would not do another theatrical production again, until now, and PlayBuilders is very excited to have him on board.

Prior to Covid-19, Charles was contracted by Hawaii Seafood Council to do the Fish Auction tours on Saturdays. He also consulted on the Seafood Council’s current Fish 101 S-K education grant for Guam, CNMI and American Samoa. He was a reviewer for Saltonstall-Kennedy Grants program in 2017 where he learned a lot of stories about the fisheries on the dock. He worked for the Fishery Council for 18 years as their community and indigenous program coordinator.

This space is open for a new board member.
Could it be you?
Specifically, we are seeking community involved people who are interested in supporting our mission of gathering and sharing real stories that resonates with, empowers, connects the culturally rich and diverse communities of Hawaiʻi. If you are interested in joining us, please email Terri Madden at terri.madden@playbuilders.org or call her at 808-218-0103.

Dr. Elaine Valdov
Elaine Valdov is a representative to the United Nations, a peace and human rights activist and conflict resolution specialist. She is the Founder and President of International Young Leaders’ Vision Summits, Yoga Peace Ambassadors and Yogis Beyond Borders. Dr. Valdov has held many NGO positions at the UN, including Chair – Executive Committee of NGOs Affiliated with the Dept. of Global Communications; Secretary General – Youth Assembly at the UN; Chair – NGO Committee for the University of Peace. She lectures internationally and is best known for her champion of causes and creation of peace initiatives for the UN Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World – and – the UN Sustainable Development Goals: working on issues from eradication of poverty and hunger, empowering women, providing for a sustainable environment, and health and education for all. She is also a practicing psychotherapist in NYC and a professional coach focused on “Finding Your Role in Creating a Culture of Peace”.

Elaine lives part time in Kailua, Hawaiʻi and has used her experience and expertise in assisting PlayBuilders work with domestic abuse survivors for almost a year. A former opera singer, Elaine is also involved creatively in PlayBuilders "Bursting Bubbles Project" video series as a director.

This space is open for a new board member. Could it be you?
Specifically, we are seeking more people of color who are interested in supporting our mission to join our board help make us stronger and more diverse. If you are interested in joining us, please email Terri Madden at terri.madden@playbuilders.org.