THURSDAY-OCT. 6
>> Manoa Valley Theatre presents comedy ‘Sylvia’
We all know people who treat their pets like people. The pet industry is booming because of such people.
If you note a tone of annoyed condescension here, then welcome to “Sylvia,” a romantic, anthropomorphic comedy opening at Manoa Valley Theatre today.
The plays tells the story of two empty-nesters, Greg, a bored financier in New York, and his wife, Kate, who’s finding a new lease (or leash?) on life as a teacher. An oddball love triangle is brewing at the beginning of the play when Greg comes home with Sylvia, who seductively tells him that he’s “God” and cuddles with him.
But Sylvia is not your usual “other woman.” She’s a dog — a clingy, endearing stray — that Greg found in the park. Sylvia is able to dialogue with Greg and Kate (although is it really Sylvia they’re talking to or their own inner voices?) She becomes a wedge between the couple, as she becomes the topic of discussion, argument and eventually therapy.
Playwright A.R. Gurney originally had some trouble getting the work staged. “(Theaters) refused it on the grounds that it equated a dog with a woman, and to ask a woman to play a dog was not just misogynist, but blatantly sexist,” he told Playbill.com.
But once “Sylvia” opened off-Broadway in 1995, with none other than Sarah Jessica Parker of “Sex in the City” in the title role, critics went bow-wow for it. Vincent Canby of the New York Times said the production “is so full of theatrical intelligence and writerly skill that it consistently pleases, even when, like a dog, it makes a slight mess.”
Manoa Valley Theatre’s production has Christine Lamborn as Sylvia, Peter Togawa as Greg and Cindy Shea as Kate. Stu Hirayama plays three characters: Tom, Phyllis and Leslie. Guest director is Stephanie Conching.
“SYLVIA”
>> Where: Manoa Valley Theatre
>> When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 4 p.m. Sundays, through Oct. 6
>> Cost: $22-$40 (ages 13 and over)
>> Info: 988-6131, manoavalleytheatre.com
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
>> Skateboarding films coast into museum
Outlaws are welcome as HI Sk8, a film festival of locally made skateboarding films, returns to the Doris Duke Theatre for two nights this weekend.
Started eight years ago, the event was an immediate hit for the local skating community, attracting both great skaters and talented filmmakers. Friday’s opening night, which begins with a reception, features a film “Winward Heelflip” by Jason Park, who can do backward “wheelies” — riding on the front wheels only, rather than the rear wheelies — while going down stairs. Taylor Oishi, an animator and filmmaker who has made music videos, contributes “Super Fast.” Other filmmakers include Alexander Dushenko, Mackenzie Yoshida, Darin Lee and Travis Ota.
The festival continues at 7 p.m. Sunday with a screening of “Ye Olde Destruction,” pictured above, by artist and filmmaker Thomas Campbell. The film features almost 50 skateboarders as they travel the world skating in pools, skate parks and their own DIY skate venues. Two cars, a Cadillac and a Ford station wagon, figure prominently in their bag of tricks, as they vault from one to the other or use them as ramps for jumping and stunts.
HI SK8 FILM FESTIVAL
>> Where: Honolulu Museum of Art
>> When: Opening night reception 6 p.m. Friday, (films at 7:30 p.m.); “Ye Olde Destruction,” 7 p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: $10-$12
>> Info: 532-6097, honolulumuseum.org
SATURDAY
>> VegFest O‘ahu offers music and food for thought
“Eat your veggies!” That will be more of a cheer than a demand this Saturday at VegFest O‘ahu festival, a celebration of “plant-based, sustainable living” at the Frank Fasi Civic Grounds.
The free festival will offer plenty of food, entertainment and education about vegetarian living, including demonstrations of plant-based favorites foods. Can’t imagine a loco moco without the beef and eggs? There’s a healthy version made with brown rice and tofu, to be cooked up by Paul Onishi of Down to Earth at 1:45 p.m. There will be plenty of other wellness activities, like yoga, sound baths and dance classes, along with a series of speakers talking about subjects such as “How to Get Plastic Out of Your Diet” (1 p.m.) and “How You Can Solve Climate Change Today” (2:15 p.m.).
Organizers say you’ll only be getting on the bandwagon of sustainable living. Plant-based food sales has grown five times more than total grocery sales this year, while restaurant offerings of meat alternatives has risen by a whopping 268%.
Enjoy some music with your healthy vittles, too: Acoustic R&B artists Hook + Line takes the stage at 11:45 a.m., followed by versatile rock and blues performer Tavana at 1 p.m. Paul Izak will blow your mind with harmonica and guitar playing at 2:15 p.m., and Taimane, pictured inset, and her phenomenal ukulele mastery close out the day at 3:45 p.m.
VEGEST O’AHU 2019
>> Where: Frank Fasi Civic Grounds
>> When: 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: vegfestoahu.com
SUNDAY
>> Get a grip with WWE wrestlers
The high-flying, slam-banging, bone-crashing heroes of World Wrestling Entertainment comes to Blaisdell Arena on Sunday.
The evening features a half dozen of the organization’s biggest stars, including Kofi Kingston, at right, who won his first WWE Championship earlier this year at Wrestlemania 35 in New Jersey. He’s a good teammate as well, joining fellow wrestlers Big E and Xavier Woods to form the tag team New Day, which held the tag team title for a record 483 days.
Fans of female wrestling can look forward to a match between two competitors who have helped popularize women wrestling. Charlotte Flair, the daughter of former world champion Ric Flair, will take on the single-monickered Bayley, aka Pamela Rose Martinez, pictured at left, who likes to hug her fans as she enters the ring. Both have numerous titles to their credit in WWE’s complicated universe of competitions, tournaments and championships.
Other wrestlers of local interest might be Shinsuke Nakamura, a former mixed martial arts and pro wrestler from Japan who is the reigning Intercontinental Champion and is known as the “King of Strong Style,” and Nuufolau Joel Seanoa, who is from southern California and wrestles under the name Samoa Joe.
WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT
>> Where: Blaisdell Arena
>> When: 7 p.m. Sunday
>> Cost: $20-$125
>> Info: 800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com
