10 Minute Play Festival

Group 1: KupaʻĀina

Catch these three plays in Group 1 on
Friday, May 24 at 2:30PM or Sunday, May 26 at 1:00PM.

“Lele Ka ʻUhane”

By Jackie Pualani Johnson

In “Lele Ka ʻUhane,” the venerable Mauna a Wākea, the towering eminence that created Hawaiʻi Island, draws Alvaro and Palila to her summit to appreciate the night sky, resplendent with stars. The mountain pulls the reins after their chance meeting as Alvaro rushes to fix failing astronomical equipment at the summit. Palila counters his impetuous response and accuses him of ignoring cultural protocols. The two tussle over pono, correct, behavior and both learn about family kuleana, responsibility, as the forces on the mountain take charge. Pīpī holo kaʻao. So the tale unfolds.

About the Playwright: Jackie Pualani Johnson

she/her

Jackie Pualani Johnson, Professor Emerita, was born and raised in Hilo, Hawai’i, and earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in Theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she toured with the Colorado Caravan in the 1970s. In 1978, she founded the Hilo Community Players’ Shakespeare in the Park, celebrating 47 years in Kalākaua Park in 2024, and Kid Shakes, the accompanying family offering. She retired from the Performing Arts Department at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo in 2017, after 38 years as a drama professor and department chair, where she directed musicals, classics, and contemporary Western and Ethnic theatre. Her recent writing, directing, and performance projects have focused on the living history of Hawaiian aliʻi during the monarchy period and the immigration cultures that sought a better life in Hawaiʻi. These projects help illuminate her mixed heritage of Hawaiian, Portuguese, Norwegian, German, and Chinese. She remains active in retirement, adapting children’s books into a musical, writing another about early union history, and working with Native Hawaiian youth in performing arts programs. A wise saying from the Hawaiian perspective guides her career: ‘Aʻohe pau ka ‘ike i ka hālau hoʻokahi. One can learn from many sources.

“The Beach Cave”

By Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl

“This monologue is based on a true story I heard over forty years ago and have never forgotten. The woman who told me her story was here in the islands recovering from some kind of personal issue. I cannot remember her name, and I never saw her again. It made me think very deeply about the ancestral presence in our ʻāina, and what kind of agency our kūpuna might actually have in our temporal realm. And like the woman in the monologue says, I did not want this story to be completely lost in the chasm of time.”

About the Playwright: Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl

she/her

Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl is a Hawaiʻi playwright and author of Hawaiian, Samoan and Caucasian ancestry. She holds a master’s degree in drama and theatre from the University of Hawai`i. Her many plays have been performed in Hawai`i and the continental United States and have toured to Britain, Asia, and the Pacific. An anthology of some of her work, Hawai`i Nei: Island Plays, is available from the University of Hawai`i Press, and a second volume of plays, Navigating Islands, is in production at the press. In addition, she has written numerous living history performance programs for historic sites and community organizations, the most notable being January 1893, performed over a three-day period in 1993 at the ceremonies observing the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Her mystery novels Murder Casts a Shadow, Murder Leaves Its Mark, and Murder Frames the Scene were also published by UH Press. She is the writer and co-producer for the television series Biography Hawaii. Biography Hawaiʻi has produced six documentaries that have aired on PBS Hawaiʻi. In 1994, she was the recipient of the prestigious Hawai`i Award for Literature and in 2006 she received the Eliot Cades Award for Literature.

“Guinaifen Månglo: a Typhoon Mawar Play”

By CJ Ochoco, Hannah Elmore, Akiko Katagiri, and Joyce Torres of Breaking Wave Theater Company

In May of 2023, Typhoon Mawar devastated the island of Guam, but in its aftermath, the island remained resilient and came together to rebuild as a community.

About the Co-Writers: CJ Ochoco

she/her/hers

CJ Ochoco is a Guam-raised theatre creative who currently travels between Nashville, Guam, and everywhere in-between. She earned her BA in Fine Arts: Theatre from the University of Guam (2016), her Masters of Arts Leadership and Cultural Management through Colorado State University (2019), and her Graduate Certificate and Masters in Strategic Communications from the University of Maryland Global Campus (2023). CJ enjoys wearing many hats. While her first passion was stage management, she has found joy in producing, arts administration, playwriting, and even bass playing for Guam band “Friends with Instruments.” From the University of Guam Theatre to the Guam International Film Festival to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, CJ has been involved with various arts organizations. In 2018, she helped Breaking Wave Theatre Company, where she serves as the President and primary Producer for the company. CJ believes in the healing power of the arts, and she believes that healing can begin when everyone has the space and opportunity to share their stories. She aims to use her skills to create and elevate diverse storytelling, on stage and behind it.

About the Co-Writers: Hannah Elmore

she/her/hers

Hannah Elmore is an actor, director, and writer based on Guam. She holds a BA in Fine Arts: Theatre from the University of Guam. Hannah is a member of Breaking Wave Theatre Company and currently serves on its Board of Directors. She has served the company as Outreach Coordinator for the productions of 21 Chump Street and Much Ado About Nothing and as Assistant Director for Unspoken: A Mental Health Anthology Series Vol. I and Vol. III. Hannah also works as an Acting Instructor at Body Arts Dance Studio, teaching the next generation of young actors. Her favorite stories to write and direct are comedies because she believes that laughter is the best form of medicine and can truly feed the soul. Her notable acting credits include: Viola/Ceasario (Twelfth Night), Masha (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike), Honey (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing), and Jane Bennett (Pride and Prejudice).

About the Co-Writers: Akiko Katagiri

she/her/hers

Akiko graduated with a BA in Theatre from Chapman University. Since her graduation, she lived in Los Angeles as a husting actor until her return to Guam in December 2021. Her appearances on projects range from voice overs, short films, commercials and theatrical productions including The Joy Luck Club National Tour, Fugu, The Importance of Being Earnest and various original plays. Upon returning to Guam, she has appeared both on and off stage in productions such as Miss Saigon, Little Shop of Horrors and Beauty and the Beast in hopes to share her gratitude to the Arts where it all started for her. You can find her training on the weekends with her newly established Japanese sword fighting group, Team Bärk. She aims to live by the virtue of appreciation, and is honored to be a part of the BWTC team to represent her home. She dedicates her performance to the resilient people of Guam.

About the Co-Writers: Joyce Torres

she/her/hers

Joyce Torres (she/her) is a storyteller and actorvist from the island of Guam. While currently based in Nashville, TN, Joyce considers herself an artist nomad, traveling frequently throughout the year. A Jill of many trades, when she is not writing, directing, or exploring new ways to tell stories, you can find Joyce sharing her love of theatre with our youth and the community as a teaching artist. Joyce is a vocalist and cajon player in "Friends With Instruments,” and is on the board of directors for Breaking Wave Theatre Company. Joyce is an advocate for using theatre to create spaces that encourage diversity, inclusivity, and empathy.