The stage at Windward Community College’s Palikū Theatre will transform into one of Hawaiʻi’s eeriest landscapes in November, when the Hawaiʻi Conservatory of Performing Arts presents The Green Lady of Wahiawā and Other Local Ghost Stories. Directed by Taurie Kinoshita, the premiere runs November 7–16.

Rooted in folklore, urban legends and historical accounts, the production reimagines some of Hawaiʻi’s most spine-tingling ghost stories—from the moss-haired Green Lady who terrifies Wahiawā gulch, to the blank-faced apparition who lurks in mirrors at Kahala Mall, to the infamous Kaimukī house haunted by a malevolent spirit.

The title tale, The Green Lady of Wahiawā, dates back to 1957 when children first reported sightings of a foul-smelling, seaweed-draped figure near Wahiawā Elementary. Over the decades, the legend became a cautionary fable meant to keep children from straying into the dangerous gulch.

The play also dramatizes The Faceless Woman, a ghost drawn from yōkai (Japanese supernatural beings) folklore and local reports from the old Waiʻalae Drive-In. Another vignette explores the Kasha of Kaimukī, a poltergeist or corpse-devouring demon said to torment those who enter its house.

Spanning the 1920s to present day, the show also incorporates stories tied to the Pali Highway and Japanese internment camps, weaving together themes of fear, bias, courage and faith. Each tale is staged in a unique style—film noir, realism, expressionism—offering audiences a theatrical journey into the supernatural side of Hawaiʻi.

Performances are recommended for ages 13 and up due to adult themes, language and minor stage violence.