Local playwright Daniel Akiyama‘s "A Cage of Fireflies" (working title) is one of eight projects to be developed at the Sundance Theatre Lab, July 9-29. It’s quite a coup; Akiyama’s play was one of 900 submissions and the first by an islander in the Sundance program.
Fellow localite Phyllis S.K. Look will direct, but it will be her second time there: In 1990, Look collaborated with Laurence Yep on his adaptation of "Dragonwings," his Newbery Honor-winning novel. So this makes this her second project — with a winged prospect.
Three L.A.-based actors — Dian Kobayashi, Emily Kuroda and Jeanne Sakata — are participating. Kobayashi, who holds a master’s from the University of Hawaii, last acted in Manoa Valley Theatre’s production of Philip Kan Gotanda‘s "Sisters Matsumoto."
"Fireflies"deals with three elderly sisters of the kibei generation, sent as children to be raised in Okinawa and returning to live and work in Hawaii; themes of familial love and conflict, progress and preservation, and selfishness and selflessness are explored. …
JUST DUCKY: When theater prospects at Manoa Valley Theatre wonder when "Honk!" was last produced at MVT, staffer Sarah Ward can provide a ready answer: 2002. Her daughter, Alaura Ward, had just turned 8 when the family musical premiered. MVT relaunched "Honk!" — which owes its roots to the ugly duckling tale — on Thursday, and Alaura now is playing Penny the Swan, weeks after graduating from Kaimuki High School and just short of turning 18 in August. "If we extend, she will turn 18 on stage," said mom, Sarah. …
To create new interest in the fable, Sarah Ward has fashioned family-friendly items to enhance the kiddie experience: $5 hats with duck beaks, little duck toys for $1. "I am also going to put some kid-friendly snacks at the bar, like animal-shaped fruit snacks and lemonade." Sounds pretty ducky. …
NOMINATIONS SEASON: The 2012 Emmy nomination process is under way — this is when a preliminary roster of actors, technicians and writers vies for consideration as Emmy nominees this fall. Our home-based "Hawaii Five-0" is not likely to snag a lion’s share of contenders, but Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan are being touted as candidates for lead actor in a drama and supporting actor in a drama, respectively. Caan, you recall, was a Golden Globe nominee in the show’s debut season. …
The odds are better for Ed Asner and James Caan, who appeared in separate episodes in season two, to compete for guest stars in a TV drama. …
Realistically, "Five-0" is the Rodney Dangerfield of TV drama, getting little or no respect. So don’t count on it being an outstanding drama nominee. …
NAME-DROPPING: Isle entertainer Matt Yee is performing his Outrageous Adult Sing-Along Show aboard the inaugural sail of the Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, hitting Asian ports, including China. "There’s a whole contingent of guests from Hawaii attending my shows and laughing and singing along," he notes. But they keep asking: "Where do you play at home?" Nowhere … but Yee hopes some venue will take a chance on his show. If you’re in the Big Apple in July, Yee returns to the Laurie Beechman Theatre on 42nd Street on July 22 before heading to London during the Olympics, performing at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern on Aug. 6. …
Janel Parrish, starring as Mona on ABC Family’s hit show "Pretty Little Liars," wore a $2,540 Tacori white-gold and diamond-studded pendant necklace when she attended the Young Hollywood Awards. Yep, the Hollywood set dons pricey gems — that they don’t own. …
Jason Momoa, whose credits include "Game of Thrones" and "Conan the Barbarian," joins Sylvester Stallone‘s "Bullet to the Head," an action flick directed by Walter Hill. …
And that’s "Show Biz." …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
