Tennent taking turn as clever Androcles at Hawaii Theatre

Veteran actor Leslie "Buz" Tennent has the right stuff for playing military men. He had the major supporting role of Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm in Hawaii Opera Theatre’s summer production of "A Little Night Music" in 2008 and was Captain von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" at Diamond Head Theatre in 2010. Tennent returns to military service next week playing a blustering Italian captain in Hawaii Theatre’s commedia dell’arte presentation of "Androcles and the Lion."

Tennent describes the production, targeted at kids in kindergarten through eighth grade, as "the Three Stooges meet Shakespeare."

The characters of a clever servant (Androcles) and a military

officer who "underneath it all is a coward" (the Captain) are both stock types. Jordan Savusa stars as Androcles and Michal Nowicki is the lion in director Brian Lee Sackett’s staging of the timeless story of a man who dares help an injured lion and is amply repaid for his kindness.

Tennent has appeared in lead roles in local productions ranging from "Carousel" to "Ragtime," and also spent more than 10 years in Germany as a professional opera singer. Doing commedia dell’arte, or comedy of art, an improvisational, stylized form of broad comedy traditionally performed by actors playing stock characters, is something new for him — and a type of theater rarely seen in Hawaii.

"I thought it would be an interesting stretch creatively for me as an actor," Tennent says. "It’s very uplifting. (The story) is sort of a morality play — good deeds, friendship, loyality … and a nice bit of escapism for an hour."

Parents would be wise to download the study guide for the play from the theater’s website, www.hawaiitheatre.com, to discuss unusual vocabulary and help young keiki understand the plot and historical context for the story. The youngest theatergoers might not absorb the moral of the tale, but will nevertheless be awed by the distinctive character masks.— John Berger

Contest seeks clothes made of recyclables

Attention, eco-conscious fashionistas.

The Salt Lake-Moanalua Public Library is hosting its inaugural Project "Green" Runway competition for environmentally aware designers of all ages.

Entrants must use recyclable goods — newspaper, magazines or cardboard, for instance — and fashion an outfit that would make Versace proud. At least half of the outfit must be made from recyclable products.

The fashions will be judged in three age groups: children, teens and adults. Contestants can pick up a registration form at the library’s information desk.

Each contestant must attach a photo of their outfit, front and back, to their registration form and submit it by March 29. All photos become the property of the library. Photos can also be sent via email to AlohaSaltLake@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name and phone number so that the library staff can identify your photo.

The top five entries from each category will be invited to model their outfits for celebrity judges (yet to be announced) at 3 p.m. April 12. Finalists will be contacted by April 5.

There is no entry fee for the contest, which is sponsored by the Friends of Salt Lake Public Library. For more information, call Marcia or Zhan at the library, 831-6831.

Aloha Bluegrass Music Academy offers 4-day after-school camp

Children across the U.S. are being given the opportunity to learn one of the country’s traditional folk music forms.

Students, ages 6 to 18, can sign up for a four-day after-school camp where they can learn instruments such as the banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, bass and ukulele. They will also learn about traditional songwriting and dance.

Bluegrass Camps for Kids teaches old-time folk music in four states, but the Aloha Bluegrass Music Academy will also include instruction in slack-key guitar, courtesy of Keoki Kahumoku, son of Maui’s George Kahumoku Jr.

Other academy faculty members will be K.C. Groves (mandolin, guitar, vocals, bass), Katy Rexford (fiddle, vocals, guitar), Dave Richey (guitar, dobro, vocals, bass) and Rion Schmidt (banjo, guitar, bass and vocals).

Classes will run March 19 to 22, with the camp culminating in a concert the final evening.

The programs run from 3 to 6 p.m. for children ages 6 to 18 at the Community Center of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, 720 N. King St., and cost $125.

There will also be a session from 7 to 9 p.m. for adults and children over 12.

For information or to register, call 845-2112 or email david.gierlach@gmail.com, or register March 19, the first day of the camp, at 2:30 p.m. Visit www.bluegrasscampsforkids.com.

Children’s book tells the tale of a pooch named Knuckles

"Knuckles: The Hound of Hanalei" (Done by Dogs Publishing, $15) is a heartwarming tale surrounding an adopted pup. Knuckles is taken away from his family on Kauai and left at the animal shelter.

He encounters folks looking for a pet and longs for a home of his own. They stop by and pet him, but he remains at the shelter.

Eventually, a couple adopts Knuckles and provides him a home on the beach in Hanalei with a big yard, ocean waves and sea creatures to play with — a place where he feels safe and loved.

Hawaiian words are used throughout the text, and a glossary and pronunciation guide are provided at the end of the story. The book, written by Rick and Susan Dierker and illustrated by Melinda Sandler, is available at EverybodyKnowsKnuckles.com.