A University of Hawaii at Manoa play written and directed by a graduate student in the Department of Theatre and Dance captured eight national awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

The national theater program, which includes 18,000 students annually from colleges and universities across the country, awarded productions in higher education that promote long-term societal impacts through an artistic lens.

Performed exclusively in Hawaiian, “He Leo Aloha” follows the story of a group of Hawaiian students at UH Manoa and their struggles with finding and navigating love and the meaning of true aloha.

In a news release, Kaipulaumakaniolono Baker, the student who penned the play, said, “These awards are truly a testament to the beauty of our mele and mo‘olelo and the amazing kanaka who continue to serve as their vessels today.”

The play that opened Kennedy Theatre’s 2021-22 main-stage season in September earned awards ranging from directing and individual performances to lighting and music.