Po‘okela Awards honor excellence in Hawaii theater

Diamond Head Theatre and Manoa Valley Theatre received 25 awards each as the Hawaii State Theatre Council announced the recipients of the 2019 Po‘okela Awards for excellence Monday evening at the Koolau Golf Club in Kaneohe. The University of Hawaii theater program was next in line with 12 awards, and Kumu Kahua was one behind that with a total of 11.

Eight other theater groups — All the World’s a Stage, Chaminade University, Hawaii Pacific University, the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival, the Hawaiian Mission Houses, Leeward Community College, Paliku Theater/Windward Community College and The Actors’ Group (TAG) — also received multiple awards.

One group that has received awards in previous years, The Playbuilders of Hawai‘i Theatre Company, was officially dormant for adjudication purposes during the 2018-2019 theater season. A second group, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, chooses not to participate in the Po‘okela Awards program, and so its productions, playwrights, actors and stage designers are not eligible for awards.

Up to six honorees can be recognized in most categories.

Overall Play

“Da Beer Can Hat” (Kumu Kahua Theatre)

“Dead Accounts” (Chaminade University

“Noises Off” (Diamond Head Theatre)

“The Wolves” (Kailua Onstage Arts)

Overall Musical

“Allegiance” (Manoa Valley Theatre)

“In the Heights” (Leeward Community College)

“Something Rotten!” (Diamond Head Theatre)

Overall Non-Traditional Production

“A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream” (University of Hawaii-Manoa)

“Going To School” (Hawaiian Mission Houses)

“Mining for Cole” (The Actors’ Group)

Other Winners:

(AWS = All The World’s A Stage; CHM = Chaminade University; DHT = Diamond Head Theatre; HPU = Hawaii Pacific University; HSF = Hawaii Shakespeare Festival; HMH = Hawaiian Mission Houses; KKT = Kumu Kahua Theatre; KOA = Kailua Onstage Arts; LCC = Leeward Community College; MVT = Manoa Valley Theatre; PKU = Paliku Theatre/Windward Community College; TAG = The Actors’ Group; UHM = University of Hawaii-Manoa)

Leading Male in a Play

Alex Monti Fox “True West” (TAG)

Brandon Hagio “Da Beer Can Hat” (KKT)

Brandon Karrer “True West” (TAG)

Daniel A. Kelin II “Shipwreck’d on the Body Beautiful or the Tats Dancing Man” (KKT)

Dean Mo “The Good Person of Setzuan” (UHM)

Kevin Keaveney “Title And Deed” (KOA)

Leading Female in a Play

Christine Chang “The Good Person of Setzuan” (UHM)

Po‘ai Lincoln “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train” (TAG)

Stephanie Keiko Kong “All’s Well That Ends Well” (HSF)

Therese Olival “Time Stands Still” (HPU)

Featured Male in a Play

Dezmond Gilla “Eurydice” (AWS)

Garrett Hols “Eurydice” (AWS)

Jason Kanda “Hedda Gabler” (HSF)

Jim Aina “True West” (TAG)

Marcus Oshiro “Da Beer Can Hat” (KKT)

Featured Female in a Play

Aiko Chinen “Shipment Day” (MVT)

Catherine Ann Restivo “The Good Person of Setzuan” (UHM)

Christine Lamborn “The Country Wife” (UHM)

Kris10 Misaki “Folks You Meet in Longs” (LCC)

Maile Kapua‘ala “Da Beer Can Hat” (KKT)

Qiaoer Zheng “June is the First Fall” (KKT)

Leading Male in a Musical

Christopher Obenchain “Matilda” (DHT)

Jarren Amian “The Rocky Horror Show” (MVT)

Kevin Peace “Something Rotten!” (MVT)

Matthew Pedersen “The Wiz” (PKU)

Leading Female in a Musical

Bailey Barnes “The Wiz” (PKU)

Caris Leong “Matilda” (DHT)

Kimie Fujioka “In the Heights” (LCC)

Kristen Lei “Allegiance” (MVT)

Featured Male in a Musical

Bradford Kaliko Yamamoto ”Allegiance” (MVT)

Colin Gardner “The Rocky Horror Show” (MVT)

Dann Seki “Allegiance” (MVT)

Ryan Dressel “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Featured Female in a Musical

Bailey Barnes “Avenue Q” (MVT)

Kyla Anderson “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Lea Woods Almanza “Hello Dolly” (DHT)

Malia Munley “Matilda” (DHT)

Rache Sapla “Matilda” (DHT)

Shannon Winpenny “Hello Dolly” (DHT)

Leading Male in a Non-Traditional Production

Jim Howard “Mining for Cole” (TAG)

Kip Wilborn “Mining for Cole” (TAG)

Leading Female in a Non-Traditional Production

Shari Lynn “Mining for Cole” (TAG)

Featured Male in a Non-Traditional Production

Brother Gary Morris, S.M. “Mining for Cole” (TAG)

Ensemble Performance in a Play

“Dead Accounts” (CHM)

“King Lear” (HSF)

“Noises Off” (DHT)

“The Wolves” (KOA)

Ensemble Performance in a Musical

“Beehive” (DHT)

“Pageant” (MVT)

“The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (CHM)

Director of a Play

Denny Hironaga & Karen Hironaga “Da Beer Can Hat” (KKT)

Ike Webster “The Good Person of Setzuan” (UHM)

Kevin Keaveney “Marjorie Prime” (KOA)

Stacy Ray “The Wolves” (KOA)

Tyler Haugen “Dead Accounts” (CHM)

Director of a Musical

Brad Powell “Pageant” (MVT)

Bryce Chaddick “Matilda” (DHT)

Christopher Patrinos “In the Heights” (LCC)

John Rampage “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Paul Mitri “Allegiance” (MVT)

Rob Duval “The Rocky Horror Show” (MVT)

Director of a Non-Traditional Production

William Ha ‘o “Going To School” (HMH)

Paul Mitri and Sai Bhatawadekar “A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream” (UHM)

Musical Director

Ike Webster “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Ike Webster “A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream” (UHM)

Jenny Shiroma “The Rocky Horror Show” (MVT)

Kip Wilborn “Allegiance” (MVT)

Matthew Mazzella “Pageant” (MVT)

Choreography/Movement/Stage Combat

Christine Yasunaga “Allegiance” (MVT)

John Rampage & Erin McFadden “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Katherine Jones “The Rocky Horror Show” (MVT)

Marcelo Pacleb “The Wiz” (PKU)

Sai Bhatawadekar “A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream” (UHM)

Costume Design

Anna Foster “The Wiz” (PKU)

Karen G. Wolfe “Holiday Inn” (DHT)

Karen G. Wolfe “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Karen G. Wolfe “Hello Dolly” (DHT)

Maile Speetjens “A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream” (UHM)

Sound Design & Engineering

Claire Ranney “In the Heights” (LCC)

Jason Taglianetti “The Rocky Horror Show” (MVT)

Kainoa Jarrett “Allegiance” (MVT)

Kerri Yoneda “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Peggy-Anne Siegmund “King Lear” (HSF)

Set Design

Claire Paul “In the Heights” (LCC)

Michelle Bisbee “Dr. Seuss’s The Cat In The Hat” (UHM)

Michelle Bisbee “Allegiance” (MVT)

Sarah Danvers “June Is The First Fall” (KKT)

Willie Sabel “Noises Off” (DHT)

Light Design

Chris Gouveia “In the Heights” (LCC)

Christina Sutrov “Eurydice” (AWS)

Janine Myers “Allegiance” (MVT)

Hair, Make-up and Wig Design

Friston Ho‘okano “Da Beer Can Hat” (KKT)

Linda Lockwood “Holiday Inn” (DHT)

Linda Lockwood “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Lisa Ponce de Leon “The Wiz” (PKU)

Lisa Ponce de Leon “The Rocky Horror Show” (MVT)

Hawaii Resident Playwrights’ Original Work

Darrell H.Y. Lum “Da Beer Can Hat” (KKT)

Gary Pak “The Watcher of Waipuna” (KKT)

Lee Cataluna “Going To School” (HMH)

Moses Goods “The Epic Voyage of Kane‘apua” (PKU)

various authors “#MeToo Monologues: Stories for Healing” (HPU)

Non-Resident Guest Artist

Aleks Pevek “Something Rotten!” (DHT)

Ethan Le Phong “Allegiance” (MVT)

Adjudicators’ Special Awards

Coco Weil – puppetry specialist “Avenue Q” (MVT)

Ike Webster and Sai Bhatawadekar – music and lyric composition “A Midsummer Night’s Bollywood Dream” (UHM)

John Cummings – prop design “Matilda” (DHT)

Maile Kapua‘ala – beard design “All’s Well That Ends Well (HSF)

Michelle JoAnn – video production “#MeToo Monologues: Stories for Healing” (HPU)