Synopsis: Ka Hālau Hanakeaka, co-founded by Hailiopua Baker and Kaliko Baker, presents a new play, Lā’ieikawai. The play, all in Hawaiian, will be held at Kennedy Theater’s main stage on Feb. 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 8 p.m. And there will be two matinee showings on Feb. 22 and March 1 at 2 p.m. (There will be no subtitles; however, there will be a comprehensive audience guide to help with interpretation of the play.)

Welina e nā makamaka heluhelu. Ua pōmaika’i ko O’ahu nei i ka puka ‘ana mai o kekahi hana keaka hou a ka Hālau Hanakeaka a me kona mau mākua aloha, ‘o ia ho’i ‘o Hailiopua lāua ‘o Kaliko Baker. Kala loa i ‘ike ‘ole ‘ia ai kahi hana keaka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i ma ke kahua hana keaka. A no laila, ua piha hau’oli ka na’au i ka lohe ‘ana no kēia hana keaka hou, ‘o ia ho’i, ka mo’olelo ‘o Lā’ieikawai.

Ma mua o ke kama’ilio ‘ana no ua hana keaka hou nei, e kama’ilio iki ‘ia ka Hālau Hanakeaka, no ka mea, ua piha iho nei nā makahiki he 20 iā ia. He mau hana keaka ‘ōlelo Hawai’i nō kā Hailiopua lāua ‘o Kaliko. Ho’omana’o ko ‘oukou mea kākau i ka hana keaka ‘o Kaluaiko’olau. Ma mua loa ia, i ka makahiki 1995 a ma mua iki aku paha a ma hope iki mai paha. A ma hope mai o Kaluaiko’olau, ua hana ‘ia ka mo’olelo ‘o Maui. A ma hope mai ka mo’olelo ‘o Kamapua’a. He keu aku lākou ‘ekolu a ka nani. A ‘o ka nani o ka hana keaka hou, ‘akahi nō a hana ‘ia ka mo’olelo no kahi wahine. A ‘o Lā’ieikawai nō ia.

He mo’olelo lō’ihi ia, no laila, pīhoihoi ka na’au i ka ‘ike ‘ana i nā mea i ho’onohonoho ‘ia ma kēia hana keaka ‘ana. Eia mai kahi māhele o nei mo’olelo ‘o Lā’ieikawai i mo’olelo ‘ia e Kakae Kaleiheana, ‘oiai ‘o ia ma ka Leo Hawai’i, ia polokalamu lekiō ma mua. Penei ka mo’olelo.

‘O Lā’ieikawai. He mau kaikamāhine kēia, ‘elua lāua, kaikua’ana, ke kaikaina, a he u’i ‘o Lā’ieikawai, ‘o Lā’ielohelohe, ‘a’ohe ‘o ia u’i loa. But ‘o Lā’ieikawai, ‘o ia ka mea u’i o lāua, wahine u’i ‘o ia. A kuko maila nō ho’i ke keiki ali’i kupua o Kaua’i ‘o ‘Aiwohikupua. A ‘o ia ka mea e kāhea ai ‘o Lā’ieikawai i ke kūkū, “E Waka e Waka ē, he ‘ala.” A eia ka ‘ōlelo a kūkū, “E ō he ‘ala, ‘a’ohe kēnā he ‘ala ‘ē nā kaikuāhine ‘ala kēnā o ‘Aiwohikupua.” No ka mea, ‘ehā maile, maile ha’iwale, maile kaluhea, maile lauli’i, maile pākaha. A ke ‘ala o kēia po’e maile, he ‘ano kupua, hele maila kēia ‘ala, kūpaoa iā Lā’ieikawai. A kāhea mau nō ‘o Lā’ieikawai i ke kūkū, “E Waka e Waka ē he ‘ala ka’u e honi nei.”

A ‘ōlelo akula nō ho’i ke kupunawahine, “’A’ohe kēnā he ‘ala ‘ē. Nā kaikuāhine ‘ala nō kēnā o ‘Aiwohikupua. E ki’i mai ana iā ‘oe i wahine, keiki kāne kēnā lā, moe ‘ia aku.”

Hele a iā Kahalaomapuana, lilo ‘o Lā’ieikawai.

‘O ia ihola kahi māhele a Kakae Kaleiheana i mo’olelo mai ai, a he mea paha ia e hei ai ‘oukou e nā makamaka heluhelu, a komo ka ‘i’ini e naue aku i ka Hale Hana Keaka ‘o Kennedy no ka nānā ‘ana aku i ka u’i o Lā’ieikawai. E mālama ‘ia ana i ka hola 8:00 o ke ahiahi o nā lā 20, 21, 27, me 28 o ka mahina ‘o Pepeluali. A i ka hola 2:00 o ka ‘auinalā o ka lā 22 o ka mahina ‘o Pepeluali a me ka lā mua o ka mahina ‘o Malaki. He $25 o ke kikiki ma’a mau. No ka po’e ‘elemākule, ka pū’alikoa a me nā kumu a me nā limahana o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i, he $22 o ke kikiki. No ka po’e haumāna like ‘ole, he $15. A ‘o nā haumāna o ke Kulanui o Hawai’i ma Mānoa, he $8 wale nō me ka laikini haumāna i hō’oia ‘ia. E kū’ai koke ‘ia mai nā kīkīkī, o kū auane’i ‘oe ma waho o ka pā o Homa, a ‘a’ole e ‘ike ‘ia ka u’i launa ‘ole o Lā’ieikawai.

This column is coordinated by Kawaihuelani Center for Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.