Greg Howell, award-winning actor, hairstylist and makeup artist, will be remembered at a memorial service and celebration of life at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Manoa Valley Theatre, 2833 E. Manoa Road. Howell died Dec. 24 in Honolulu after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 58.
Although he had a large and loyal clientele at the Paul Brown Salon and Day Spa, where his skill at shaping eyebrows was legendary, Howell was best known for his work in Hawaii’s vibrant community theater scene. He received 13 Po‘okela Awards for his hair, makeup and wig design in numerous stage productions and two for his work as an actor.
In August, Howell received the Hawaii State Theatre Council’s Pierre Bowman Award for lifetime achievement in the theater.
Howell’s many friends rallied around him when he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma B-cell cancer. They staged a couple of shows to help cover his medical bills. Howell was in the audience for the last one, at Paliku Theatre, in December.
Howell starred twice in "Fully Committed," a one-man show in which he played several dozen characters of both sexes. The first production, at The Arts at Marks Garage in 2002, earned him rave reviews but was not eligible for a Po‘okela. His reprisal of the role at Manoa Valley Theatre in 2006 earned him the award for leading male in a play.
Howell received his second award as an actor in 2009 for his portrayal of a 78-year-old man in the title role of MVT’s production of "Tuesdays with Morrie."
In addition to his award-winning work for MVT and The Actors Group (TAG), Howell received "Pokies" for hair and makeup design at Army Community Theatre.
His final appearance as an actor was in MVT’s production of "August: Osage County" in 2011. His last stage work as a hair and makeup stylist was for 2012’s MVT production of "Spring Awakening" and TAG’s "Seven Guitars."
Howell is survived by his mother, Peggy H. Howell, of Madison, Tenn.; his father, Ocie G. Wood, of Beech Island, S.C.; brothers Jesse Clyde, Michael and Clinton; and sisters Delilah Howell Reynolds and Brooke Howell Pinkerton.
