🎭 Audition Notice for a Fun Hanafuda Staged Reading!

PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theater Company proudly announces auditions for a staged reading of

HANAFUDA WITH GRANDMA
Written by Diane Aoki
Directed by Aiko Chinen

📅 Audition Dates
Friday, September 26, 2025
🕔 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm sharp (You may arrive late to read, but we must leave the premises at 7:00 pm.)
📍 Mission Auditorium, S King St, Honolulu, HI 96813

📅 Call Backs (if needed)
Saturday, September 27, 2025
🕑 2:00 pm
📍 Mission Auditorium (MA is the stately brick building across South King Street from Hawaii Mission Houses. Street or municipal parking nearby.

📅 Staged Reading Performance
Monday, October 27, 2025
Presented by PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theater Company with support from the City and County of Honolulu

📅 Rehearsals
Schedule TBD based on actor availability and need

Roles Needed
Grandma – Female, age 60+
KAPONO – Male, high school senior (about 17)
Narrator – Any gender, good speaking voice, reads stage directions

This is a reading — no memorization required! The absolutely free event will include Hanafuda card instruction and playing for an hour before the reading to be followed by a talk-back with the playwright, director, and playwright after the show. The stage will not be miked so actors must be able to project, or be willing to work with us to learn how to project.

All are welcome to audition. PlayBuilders is always happy to work with new actors to help enrich Hawaiʻi’s local acting pool. Just a desire to learn and try your best can take you far! You will have the opportunity to work under the direction of one of Hawaii's finest actors, Aiko Chinen. We are super happy she is joining us for the amazing project. For more information, call Terri Madden at (808) 218-0103 or go to www.playbuilders.org

About the Playwright:
​Diane Aoki
Diane Aoki is a Hawaiʻi-based playwright and educator whose work explores memory, cultural identity, and family legacy. Her play Memory Beads, premiering at Kumu Kahua Theatre in May 2026, traces five generations of mother-daughter relationships through stories and heirlooms rooted in Okinawan and Hawaiian history.
Diane is also a Story Circle Coordinator and contributing playwright with PlayBuilders of Hawaiʻi Theater Company, where she helps transform real community stories into theatrical works. Her writing reflects a deep commitment to uplifting underrepresented voices and fostering connection through the arts.