Vengeful Sword brings Kabuki to UH

by Doyle Moeller

courtesy KENNEDY THEATRE

Meg Thiel as Manno (the conniving teahouse madam) and James Schirmer as Fukuoka Mitsugi (the dutiful samurai) in the Kabuki production of "The Vengeful Sword" at UHM's Kennedy Theatrer. 

courtesy KENNEDY THEATRE

A night at a Kabuki show is the epitome of Japanese class, a celebration of culture, history, and tradition. Usually based on a historical event, Kabuki is a highly stylized form of theatre sometimes referred to as ‘avant garde’ or bizarre, the slow speech and plot development can sometimes leave some viewers wondering when it will end.

Regardless of what you think of Kabuki, Hawai’i is the only place outside of Japan to lay claim to a Kabuki tradition. Troupes first came to the islands to entertain migrant workers in 1893, and the University of Hawai’i has been producing Kabuki since 1924.

The Vengeful Sword (or in the original Japanese: Ise Ondo Koi no Netaba) is built around a fateful night in a teahouse in Furuichi, specifically the Abura Teahouse. on a summer night in 1796, a possibly intoxicated, and certainly jealous Magofuku Itsuki (name changed to Fukuoka Mitsugi in the play) pulled his sword in the teahouse, killing three and injuring six.

courtesy KENNEDY THEATRE

James Schirmer (top) plays Fukuoka Mitsugi while Murray Husted (below) plays the role of his rival, Aidamiya Kitaroku in the UHM Kennedy Theatre production of "The Vengeful Sword."

Director Julie A. Iezzi sought to recreate the atmosphere of a Japanese Kabuki performance, with “audience hawkers” (listed as such in the cast list) selling Tenugui (towels with wood block prints) and Chirashi (prints on broadsheet) in the hose before the start of the show, with proceeds from their sales going to the Red Cross Fund for Japan Relief. These hawkers, in addition to selling their wares, held conversations for the benefit of the audience and performed short skits. 

Once the actual show starts, and first-timers get used to the stylistic, rhythmic speech which includes speaking to a slow beat and with great variation in pitch and tone, it reveals a simple but well told story of a family heirloom, a few compelling characters, and even a few surprises foreshadowed by a close inspection of the show’s program.

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Catch the Vengeful Swordat Kennedy Theatre on April  21, 22 and 23 at 8pm, and April 24 at 2pm. For tickets or more information, call the Kennedy Theatre ticket office at 956-7655 or visit their website at http://www.hawaii.edu/theatre/.

Don't Miss This: Eat The Street For Japan

3/31 Thursday - Eat the Street for Japan!

This is the third "Eat The Street" event, held on Thursday from 5 to 9 pm at 555 South Street in Kakaako. This time, there will be a $2 fee, a portion of which will be sent to the American Red Cross to support Japan's tsunami and earthquake relief efforts. 27 food trucks will be attending, offering Japan-themed specialty foods like Mexican edamame, furikake chimney cakes, and ume thai basil popsicles. There will be live art by Lightsleepers, and their proceeds will also be going to the American Red Cross.

Kava - the communal drink

Michael J. Balick to talk at UH Manoa

by Hanna Martz

photo courtesy of michael balick

Kava being strained into a common bowl.

Of the many things that humans like to observe, our favorite seems to be the psychoactive properties of plant species. And for many that brings on a slew of drug related jokes about fungi and usually ends in a story about a trip in which no one actually fell. 

But for others, the plants and the cultural heritage of the knowledge becomes more than superficial. There is a ceremony associated with the plant. There are right and wrong things to do or say. A purpose, a sense of community, even enlightenment could come from these rituals.

In the case of Kava, or 'Awa, there is a long history and purpose in its use among the people of the South Pacific. Commonly viewed as a brown milky drink, Kava is processed from roots and rhizomes of the Kava plant (Piper methysticum; a type of pepper plant). The resulting concoction yields something that resembles mud and hot cocoa. Due to its relaxing qualities it's used to welcome guests, and help settle disputes. It links the drinkers to their ancestors and the drinking amassed a great deal of ceremony. On campus you can learn all about this communal plant and beverage. (Check out Kava-Fest if you're interested in more. There are plenty of knowledgeable people here in Hawaii.)

But one particularly knowledgeable person will be on Campus this Friday to talk about Kava's properties and history. Hosted by the Ethnobiology Society, Michael J. Balick PHD, a prominent botanist and with the New York Botanical gardens and author of a couple different ethnobotanical books, will be discussing Kava with UH students and staff Friday at 3:30 pm in the Biomedicinal Sciences Building (BIOMD), room B-103. He will also be doing a Q & A session along with a book signing.

photo courtesy of michael balick

Piper methysticum growing in a lowland forest.

In his book, Plants, People and Culture: the Science of Ethnobotany, co-written with Paul Alan Cox, Balick explains the importance of plants and the special relationships with them that pervade our human world. The interaction between plants and humans spans thousands of years. We use them for sustenance, healing, material, even spiritual guidance; sometimes more than one at the same time. 

They have become an integral part of our lives and have helped shape cultures and history around the world. It is this symbiotic relationship that many students and faculty study here at UH Manoa is known as Ethnobotany. It is a study that humans have unconsciously been dabbling in since prehistory – testing out their environment for what-did-what and making note of what helped someone or what killed them. They learned how to manipulate plants for crops and other uses – developing concepts of tinctures, teas, salves and earth-ovens; humans figured out how to find, mix and use the properties of plants they wanted.

Here in Hawaii, we have the opportunity to see the relationship between plants and people and the subsequent affect on culture just by looking around. It is for this reason that so many people come here to study the native plants and the various cultures of the Hawaiian Islands. Don't miss out on a part of Pacific culture: join the discussion Friday, B-103 BIOMD.

Stopping stalkers online

courtesy PAU Violence Program 

by Chris Mikesell

Find yourself wishing your Facebook had a "dislike" button whenever a new "friend" pops up? Getting harassed and threatened in the span of 140 characters? Is your MySpace becoming less your personal space and more like the final frontier of bad behavior online?

It happens more than you think. Cyberstalking and cyberbullying through social media is the topic of a talk being put on by Jodi Ito of the ITS department next week Tuesday, Jan/ 25 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Dining Room 203E as part of National Stalking Awareness Month. The talk is being sponsored sponsored by the PAU Violence Program and Women's Center.

For more information, call 956-8059.

Seeking soap for Haiti

by Jessie Bristow

Food, gifts, good deeds, and sharing each other's cultures are all part of the holiday spirit. This year the University of Hawaii at Manoa Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work Heath Concentration Students invite all members of UH to help the outbreak of Cholera in Haiti by donating bars of soap from Dec. 2^nd to the 8^th.

jessie bristow / KA LAMAKUA

A few days into the donation drive and already a collection box in
Henke Hall is starting to fill up. 

Suresh Tamang, 39, a Doctoral Student, is the head coordinator of the soap drive. Tamang, his classmates, and their teacher Dr. Ka'opua all shared the idea of helping with the situation in Haiti. "Rather than collecting money, okay let's do the soap drive." Tamang feels that it is better to give what is needed in order to help solve the problem, rather than donate money hoping that it ends up contributing to the right people.

Haiti was hit by a major earthquake on January 12, 2010. Almost a year later the country is still in devastation. Amongst the chaos, the threat of the Cholera Disease has surfaced. According to the International Medical Corps, Cholera is a lethal disease caused by an infection of the intestines. Only about 20 percent of infected people show symptoms. The disease causes severe dehydration and diarrhea. Cholera is spread by contamination of food or water with fecal matter. The best way to prevent the disease from spreading is by having clean water sources and soap to kill bacteria and help with sanitization. According to the Haiti Soap drive flyer, more than 1,100 people have died from the disease, and over 20,000 have become sick.

jessie bristow / KA LAMAKUA

One nicely decorated donation box in Hale Manoa is filling up
with soap from hotels. 

The Soap Drive for Haiti will continue through this week, and if necessary will be extended for a few more days after December 8^th. The donation drive is working with the organization "Clean the World" to help get the supplies sent to the proper locations in Haiti. The organized drive is also being represented on the West Oahu campus, allowing more people to be aware of the situation in Haiti and what they can do to help. "We are accepting liquid and other soaps as well, as long as it is any form of soap," says Tamang. Boxes are filling up with new soap, liquid soap, and even soap leftover from hotels.

Boxes for the soap drive can be found all over campus. The Campus Center, Queen Lili'uokalani Center for Student Services, Medical Department, Henke Hall, Hale Manoa, Hale Haiawai, and in the Public Heath and Bio Med building.

The Soap Drive for Haiti encourages everyone to spread the word about how anyone can help. All donations are greatly appreciated. Spreading the holiday spirit and the gift of soap will help stop the spreading of Cholera in Haiti.

For more information or to donate, contact Suresh Tamang at tamang@hawaii.edu or at 675-8019.

Black Friday Blues

by Candace Chang

candace chang / KA LAMAKUA

With stores offering some of the best deals of the year and long lines wrapping around aisles and aisles of grumpy customers, it is perhaps the best of times and the worst of times to be out there shopping.

But poor college students like me just can’t resist retail prices like this, no matter what the risk.

Many students, like Jan Takamatsu, will be shopping around for Christmas gifts for their friends and families.

“(I'm going to) Best Buy or any place that has electronics," said Takamatsu when asked about her Black Friday plans. "Possibly at Toys R Us too, for presents my niece might like.”

While Toys R Us may be a big hit with those shopping for kids, the majority of shoppers, to please the kid inside them, will be heading to Best Buy to stock up on the most affordable techno toys available. Large flat screen TVs, video game consoles, and the new Xbox 360 “Kinect” seem to be popular items that will dazzle and entertain the child in you.

Other students, like Mark Yee, are going a more practical route. Yee is looking for “shirts, shorts, and jackets. Probably from the NEX, Pac Sun, Sears, and Old Navy.”

Thrifty students like Yee are making lists of the essential things that they need and pinpointing the stores with the best deals to make their purchases now, while prices are down. When heading out on Black Friday, it is always a good idea to look through the ads and make lists of what you want ahead of time and from where; this will help you save both time and money as you avoid long lines and unnecessary purchases.

Whether you are shopping to indulge or spending smart money to save, remember to be safe and courteous as you make your way through the bunches of bargain hunters. Unconfirmed rumors of an ambulance at Wal-Mart have spread a sobering note through the shopping frenzy, reminding customers to be careful not to get too caught up before the situation turns critical. 

Don’t Miss This: 11/15 – 11/18

Looking for something new to do this week? Check out this week's Don't Miss This!

courtesy UHMMUSIC

Orvis Auditorium is putting on "Musical Theater Review," a selection of performances from West Side Story, Oklahoma, The Full Monty, and other Broadway musicals.

The event begins at 7:30 p.m. tonight. Admission is $6 for UH Manoa students with validated IDs, $10 for General Admission. For more information, visit http://www.hawaii.edu/uhmmusic.

Join the University Chorus and the Windward Choral Society for a concert entitled, "A Light of Song" Tuesday evening from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Admission is $6 for UH Manoa students with validated IDs, $10 for General Admission. For more information, visit http://www.hawaii.edu/uhmmusic.

The Blood Bank of Hawaii is bringing the Blood Bus back to campus for their blood drive this Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Campus Center.

Appointments are encouraged - to make one, call the Blood Bank of Hawaii at 848-4721 or visit the Health Promotions Office at QLC 313D.

Polyfest 2010 is happeneing in Hale Aloha Courtyard Thursday night from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

There will be cultural performances, including hula and traditional Tahitian and Samoan dance, breakdancing, a performance by the Teckniqlingz Dance Crew, musical performances, plus Hawaiian games, lei making, kava tastings, and a drum circle.

For more information, contact Timothy Flynn tflynn@hawaii.edu.

Don’t Miss This: 11/8 – 11/12

Looking for something to do on campus this week? You need go no further than Ka Lamakua’s weekly Don’t Miss This every Monday!