The Kāmau Trilogy is widely recognized as one of the first theater productions written by a Native Hawaiian. It started with "Kāmau" in 1994, followed by "Kāmau A’e" in 1998. and "Ua Pau" in 2019.
Kumu Kahua Theatre in Honolulu is staging the trilogy, written by ʻEwa Beach native Alani Apio, in its entirety for the first time.
"I started writing 'Kāmau' in my mid-20s in the mid-'80s and that was approximately 30 to 35 years ago," Apio said. "And in the ensuing years, I have lost more cousins and more friends and more schoolmates to suicide and drug addiction and prison, and there was a sense of catharsis when I wrote each of these plays."
The plays follow Native Hawaiian characters as they navigate issues like property displacement, mental health, tourism, family differences and more.
"What I hope for people to do is take a look around and say, is today any different? And if I'm fine with it, great, go on with your life. But if I'm not, what am I going to do about it?"
You can watch the performances at Kumu Kahua Theatre through the end of June in two ways: watch one play a night Thursday through Saturday, or all three consecutively on a Sunday. For more information, click here.
"If you can handle the emotional intensity, I would recommend people come on Sundays and watch all three together because there's an added intensity, an added depth, and an immediate resolution, without giving away the ending of the third play, that is different from watching it over three nights or three weeks of nights," Apio told HPR.
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org.
This interview aired on The Conversation on June 6, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
