Kumu Kahua Theatre

Kumu Kahua Theatre Plays about life in Hawaiʻi. Plays by Hawaiʻi playwrights. Plays for people of Hawaiʻi.
(227)

This Sunday and Monday at 6 p.m., join us at auditions for ALL BUSS UP IN A HI STATE: A TRILOGY OF HAWAI‘I PLAYS, writte...
09/12/2026

This Sunday and Monday at 6 p.m., join us at auditions for ALL BUSS UP IN A HI STATE: A TRILOGY OF HAWAI‘I PLAYS, written by Hannah Ii-Epstein and directed by Harry Wong III!

This trilogy reveals how personal choices are shaped by historical forces, and how cycles of loss can echo through families as powerfully as love. Yet even in their darkest moments, these stories insist on the resilience of ʻohana and the enduring connection to the ʻāina. Spanning generations, the three plays of ALL BUSS UP IN A HI STATE offer a lyrical and unflinching portrait of a community confronting colonization, commodification, and addiction—while searching for healing in the land, in memory, and in each other.

ALL BUSS UP will run from January 21 to February 21, 2027, with the possibility of added performances. Director Harry Wong III is looking for 10+ actors to play multiple characters. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Sides will be provided.

If you’re interested in auditioning for ALL BUSS UP, visit kumukahua.org/auditions/all-buss-up for more info!

Please feel free to call our Kumu Kahua office at 808-536-4222 or email [email protected] with any questions.

Good luck!

“Where are you?“You are in Kumu Kahua Theatre, in the King Kamehameha the Fifth Post Office Building, at the corner of B...
09/11/2026

“Where are you?

“You are in Kumu Kahua Theatre, in the King Kamehameha the Fifth Post Office Building, at the corner of Bethel and Merchant streets in Chinatown.

“Tonight’s play takes place about a hundred years ago, in a law office that was located on Merchant Street, on the corner diagonally across the intersection right outside the theatre…”

THE QUEEN’S WILL continues this weekend at Kumu Kahua!

Written by Sean T.C. O'Malley and directed by Reyn Afaga, this powerful historical drama follows Princess Theresa Owana Kaʻōhelelani Laʻanui Wilcox Belliveau—who fights for her freedom and identity after being accused of conspiracy to commit forgery of Queen Liliʻuokalani’s last will and testament.

Tonight’s performance of THE QUEEN’S WILL, and Sunday’s matinee, are already sold out! There are only two chances left to catch the show this weekend: Tomorrow and Saturday at 7 p.m.

Save your seats now before they’re gone—visit kumukahua.org!

New month, new contest!Presented by Kumu Kahua Theatre and Bamboo Ridge Press, this month’s playwriting contest has yo...
09/10/2026

New month, new contest!

Presented by Kumu Kahua Theatre and Bamboo Ridge Press, this month’s playwriting contest has your choice of two (!) Christmas prompts:

One prompt is a throw-back to the first year of the play prompt contest. For some reason, it snows in Hawai‘i on Christmas day. Write a ten-page maximum scene about the event. Why did happen? Did anyone see it coming? Does it portend anything? How do people react? How does nature react?

The second prompt is inspired by a play Harry Wong’s daughter wrote: Write a 10-page maximum scene about an argument between Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, a Leprechaun, Cupid, Headless Horsemen, etc. The argument can be about anything—who’s more beloved; who’s more famous; who’s holiday is better; who ate the last cookie; why didn’t you take out the trash; a romantic entanglement. Anything.

Choose one prompt or write both. Only one play will win the September prompt, but all entries may be eligible to be part of a special presentation in December this year.

You have until September 30 to submit your scripts. Our favorite receives $100, and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press!

(Unsure how to format a script? Learn the basics at dramatistsguild.com/script-formats)

To learn more or submit, visit kumukahua.org/gotryplaywrite. Good luck!

09/09/2026

THE QUEEN’S WILL continues this weekend at Kumu Kahua Theatre!

Set in the turbulent early years of the Territory of Hawai‘i, Princess Theresa Owana Kaʻōhelelani Laʻanui Wilcox Belliveau finds herself fighting for her legacy and identity when she is accused of conspiring to forge the last will and testament of Queen Liliʻuokalani.

The Princess and her legal team confront a sensational trial filled with deception, contradictions, hidden secrets, and alleged bribes. As increasingly eccentric witnesses take the stand, the truth becomes harder to separate from manipulation and intrigue.

With her reputation and freedom at stake, the Princess must ultimately confront a deeper question: who is she, and what will she do when the trial is over?

Performances of THE QUEEN’S WILL run this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. This Sunday’s matinee is already SOLD OUT, and tickets are selling fast for the remaining shows…

Don’t miss this one—save your seats now at kumukahua.org!

Tonight and tomorrow at 6 p.m., join us at auditions for KUPUA, written by Haili‘ōpua Baker, and directed by W. Keali‘in...
09/07/2026

Tonight and tomorrow at 6 p.m., join us at auditions for KUPUA, written by Haili‘ōpua Baker, and directed by W. Keali‘inohopono Kahele and Reyn Afaga!

KUPUA presents two traditional stories, “Ka ʻEnuhe” and “Ka Puhi a me Ka Loli,” which explore the perilous allure of hidden appetites that masquerade as love or comfort while quietly consuming the life of the ʻohana. In each story, kupua embody forces that drain sustenance and vitality under cover of night, and it is only through vigilance and decisive action that balance is restored.

Together, the plays suggest that survival depends on seeing clearly, confronting deception, and protecting the bonds of family and community from what would quietly devour them.

KUPUA will run from October 29 to November 29, 2026, with the possibility of added performances. Directors W. Kealiinohopono Kahele and Reyn Afaga are looking for 5 actors to play multiple characters. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Sides will be provided. Actors can prepare a monologue from the script, but it isn’t required.

If you’re interested in auditioning for KUPUA, visit https://www.kumukahua.org/auditions/kupua for more info and to read the script!

Please feel free to call our Kumu Kahua office at 808-536-4222 or email [email protected] with any questions.

Good luck!

“For our ʻohana, this production carries a very personal meaning. It touches upon the life, legacy, and history surround...
09/05/2026

“For our ʻohana, this production carries a very personal meaning. It touches upon the life, legacy, and history surrounding our kūpuna, and we are deeply moved to see these stories given a place on the stage for today’s generation.

“Theater has a powerful way of making history come alive … as people with hopes, struggles, relationships, choices, and legacies that continue to resonate.

“We encourage our community to come experience The Queen’s Will for yourselves. Come with an open heart, listen to the story, engage in the conversation, and reflect on the history of Hawaiʻi that continues to shape who we are today.

“Please support local theatre. Please support Hawaiian stories. And most importantly, please come see The Queen’s Will.”

Mahalo Elizabeth Keka‘aniauokalani La‘anui and the ‘Ohana of Princess Theresa Owana Ka‘ōhelelani La‘anui for joining us at a recent performance of THE QUEEN’S WILL, and for these kind words about the show (and for sharing this wonderful photo)!

Tonight at 7 p.m. is your last chance to catch THE QUEEN’S WILL this weekend at Kumu Kahua Theatre; Sunday’s matinee is SOLD OUT.

Save your seats now by visiting kumukahua.org. We hope to see you soon at the theatre!

If you haven’t seen THE QUEEN’S WILL, tonight’s your chance: Bring a friend and save with buy-one, get-one-free tickets!...
09/05/2026

If you haven’t seen THE QUEEN’S WILL, tonight’s your chance: Bring a friend and save with buy-one, get-one-free tickets! Use code LADIES when purchasing tickets at kumukahua.org for this evening’s performance.

Don’t miss this historical drama that follows the sensational 1918 trial of Princess Theresa Owana Kaʻōhelelani Laʻanui Wilcox Belliveau, who finds herself accused of conspiring to forge the last will and testament of Queen Liliʻuokalani.

This Sunday’s performance of THE QUEEN’S WILL at Kumu Kahua Theatre is already sold out!

Join us tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m. instead—get your tickets at kumukahua.org!

Meet the cast: In THE QUEEN’S WILL, Reb Beau Allen plays Lorrin Andrews!Not to be confused with his grandfather Lorrin A...
09/03/2026

Meet the cast: In THE QUEEN’S WILL, Reb Beau Allen plays Lorrin Andrews!

Not to be confused with his grandfather Lorrin Andrews, the 19th century missionary—or his cousin, Lorrin Andrews Thurston—this Lorrin Andrews is an idealist who returned from early life and education in New York City to make the Honolulu of his father’s birth a better place.

Lorrin Andrews is a lawyer, political leader, a baseball lover, and a staunch defender of the rights of working people and the oppressed. Defending Princess Theresa in this case proves to be more complicated than anyone knew; the consequences of the trial threaten Lorrin’s confidence in the ability of law to provide justice.

“You mean you forgot how you and the Queen worked on the new will for months last summer—in secret—and asked me to prepare the final version for her royal signature? Or do you mean you forgot that the bequests in the new will were very much in your favor?—as mister Davis will certainly point out.”

Don’t miss THE QUEEN’S WILL at Kumu Kahua Theatre, happening tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday at 7 p.m. This Sunday’s 2 p.m. matinee is already SOLD OUT!

Save your seats now before they’re history… Visit kumukahua.org!

09/03/2026

THE QUEEN’S WILL resumes at Kumu Kahua Theatre this weekend!

Join us for performances happening Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. (Don’t forget this Friday is buy-one, get-one tickets—use code LADIES when checking out online for that evening’s show!)

Save your seats now before they sell out—visit kumukahua.org!

In the tumultuous early years of the Territory of Hawaiʻi, Princess Theresa Owana Kaʻōhelelani Laʻanui Wilcox Belliveau ...
09/02/2026

In the tumultuous early years of the Territory of Hawaiʻi, Princess Theresa Owana Kaʻōhelelani Laʻanui Wilcox Belliveau finds herself at the center of a sensational criminal trial when she is accused of conspiring to forge the last will and testament of Queen Liliʻuokalani.

As the Princess and her legal team fight to clear her name, they confront a parade of increasingly eccentric witnesses as well as a web of lies, contradictions, secrets, and alleged bribes.

If you haven’t seen THE QUEEN’S WILL, based on the real-life remarkable trial of 1918, here’s your chance: Bring a friend and save with buy-one, get-one-free tickets for this Friday, September 4th!

(Just use code LADIES when purchasing tickets for that night at kumukahua.org.)

Get your tickets for THE QUEEN’S WILL at Kumu Kahua Theatre now before they sell out—visit kumukahua.org!

Address

46 Merchant Street
Honolulu, HI
96813

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 3pm
Tuesday 11am - 3pm
Wednesday 11am - 3pm
Thursday 11am - 3pm
7:15pm - 10:30pm
Friday 11am - 3pm
7:15pm - 10:30pm
Saturday 7:15pm - 10:30pm
Sunday 1:15pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18085364222

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kumu Kahua Theatre posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Kumu Kahua Theatre:

Shortcuts

Share

Category