Upcoming Shows
Gathering and sharing real stories that resonate with, empower, and connect the many culturally rich and diverse communities in Hawaiʻi.
It starts with just an idea and a desire to engage with a unique community here in Hawaiʻi. It takes time form partnerships, get folks
involved, organize story circles, and conduct personal interviews. It also takes time to find the right theater-practitioners. We hire a director and commission a playwright who helps us gather the stories, and shapes them into a play. When the first draft of the play is completed, we hold a special invited reading so community members may offer feedback and grant us permission to go forward with the production.
Once we get the go-ahead, we get to the fun part. We hold auditions, inviting community members to participate in the telling of their own stories alongside our experienced actors, then rehearse for about 5 weeks and finally ta da! The set is built, the costumes are made, and the curtains are hung. We hold our breath as the first audience members arrive and cross our fingers that they understand and appreciate the love and care our communities have to share. This year we are very proud to two original world premieres. The first is being written for
and with domestic violence survivors and the other is for and with Hawaiian missionary descendants.
involved, organize story circles, and conduct personal interviews. It also takes time to find the right theater-practitioners. We hire a director and commission a playwright who helps us gather the stories, and shapes them into a play. When the first draft of the play is completed, we hold a special invited reading so community members may offer feedback and grant us permission to go forward with the production.
Once we get the go-ahead, we get to the fun part. We hold auditions, inviting community members to participate in the telling of their own stories alongside our experienced actors, then rehearse for about 5 weeks and finally ta da! The set is built, the costumes are made, and the curtains are hung. We hold our breath as the first audience members arrive and cross our fingers that they understand and appreciate the love and care our communities have to share. This year we are very proud to two original world premieres. The first is being written for
and with domestic violence survivors and the other is for and with Hawaiian missionary descendants.
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Bursting BubblesProduction Dates:
October 8-17 at the ARTS at Marks Garage, and also touring schools and churches. Playwrights: Laura Clark Greaver, Lauren Ballesteros, Cindy Remirez, Elizabeth Wichmann- Walczak Producer/ Community Organizer Terri Madden Director Laura Clark Greaver Two years ago, domestic violence survivor and author of the self-published book "Falling Perfectly Without Trying", Jenny Duhaylonsod Delos Santos, approached PlayBuilders executive director Terri Madden, about doing a play with and for the domestic violence community. Terri had other plans and suggested that Jenny to write her own play. Jenny joined a playwriting class taught by Terri, but eventually said that with everything going on in her life, it was too difficult and she really needed for PlayBuilders to take it on as a project. Eventually Terri agreed. Jenny's book and her courage are the inspiration and cornerstone of the "Bursting Bubbles" project. Since meeting with Jenny that first time, Terri has interviewed over a dozen survivors and the PlayBuilders Ensemble, headed by Laura Clark Greaver has been holding weekly workshops and story circles with domestic violence survivors over the last six months. A special invited reading for survivors will take place in June. For more information about "Bursting Bubbles" please contact Terri Madden at terri.madden@playbuilders.org. |
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Open Your Hearts Wide invited Production Dates:
April 24, 6 pm Invited Community Reading (Ticketed) November 5 - 22 at the Hawaiian Missionary Houses Historic Site and Archives Playwright: Marion Lyman-Mersereau Producer/ Community Organizer: Terri Madden Directors: Mark Branner, William Haʻo Playwright and Missionary Descendent Marion Lyman-Mersereau spent a year asking fellow descendents one simple question in preparation for the bicentennial of the arrival of the Thaddeus in 1820. That question was, "What is it like to be a descendant and what do you think of your ancestors?" She has written a community-based play on the answers she received called "Open Your Hearts Wide". A special invited reading for missionary descendents will take place on April 24th, 2020 at 6 pm at the Hawaiian Missionary Houses Historic Site and Archives. For more information about "Open Your Hearts Wide", please contact Terri Madden at terri.madden@playbuilders.org. |
