Learning to trust: Improv at Laughtrack Theater

by Doyle Moeller

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

What was your graduation experience? Given the prompt "graduation" the improv troupe Muslin Hamster began with monologues of their own experiences. Co-Owner Shannon Winpenny explains that she dyed her hair bright red so that her mother could see her. The theater takes pride in never performing the same skit twice, so expect to see a wide variety of skits when you visit.

Hidden in the heart of downtown, directly across from Hawaii Theatre and among the optometrists and the cafés is Laughtrack Theater, a welcome break from the predictable. 

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

Observe: the power of the power tie. Muslin Hamster members
Shannon Winpenny and Scott Hanada act out a scene in which
Shannon goes from doubting Scott's ability to get a promotion
to being overcome with desire for him because he is wearing not
just any power tie, but one that Donald Trump himself wore.

The lobby, featuring a wall painted with a group portrait of its founding members, is visible from the street. Beyond that wall, the theatre beings to take shape. The set is minimal, with the only props usually being a pair of stools. The stage, as well as the space, is small, but co-owner Kim Potter says it can seat up to sixty-five.

Once the show begins, it becomes clear why everything else is toned down: the actors provide the color and excitement. Muslin Hamster, one of the many groups performing at Laughtrack, works without any signals or cues, relying instead upon each other's ideas and trusting each other to support their ideas."

For learners, Laughtrack offers classes for all ages, with students ranging in age from eleven to eighty-three. Advanced classes often become performers for the theatre, and even people who want to learn a new skill or just have some fun are welcome.

"Our classes are for anyone who wants to try anything," says Laughtrack co-owner Shannon Winpenny. When she says anything, she literally means anything can happen: she explained that most, if not all long-form improvs start with an “idea generator” in which actors get a chance to feel out whatever subject the audience shouts out. 

In one performance, the prompt offered to the group was "graduation," so each member gave a short monologue about their graduation experience while elements from the monologues found their way into the scenes in interesting and unexpected ways, like a Nintendo DS played during graduation turning into playing Tetris on a wedding day, complete with a Lithuanian bride who enjoys the Russian music.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA

How can you keep a straight face when you're so happy? After a solemn walk down the "aisle" Muslin Hamster members Larissa Nielson, Shannon Winpenny, and Scott Hanada break the guise and express their joy at graduaiton.

Larissa Nielson, another UHM graduate and the second regular member of Muslin Hamster, says the thing she learned most from improv has nothing to do with theatre - she says she learned how to accept herself. To her and to many others at Laughtrack, that's what makes improv so awesome.

"In this house," says Muslin Hamster member and UHM graduate Scott Hanada, "it's all about love and support."

---

Laughtrack Theater - located at 1123 Bethel St. - holds shows every Friday and Saturday, at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door, and the theatre offers a 20 percent military and student discount. Outside food and drink are welcome, though ID's are checked for those bringing alcohol. For more information or tickets, call (808) 384-3362 or visit http://www.laughtracktheater.com/. 

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.

---

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/.

Not Your Parent's Puppets: Avenue Q at Manoa Valley Theatre

by Doyle Moeller

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA 

The odd and eclectic cast of characters sings the theme song as the play closes. Avenue Q’s cast included such oddities as Gary Coleman as the landlord, Trekkie Monster as a porn-addicted pervert, and Rod, a closeted republican day-trader. 

“Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”, “The Internet is For Porn” and “It Sucks To Be Me”; Proclamations of a cynical realist - but also song titles in Manoa Valley Theatre’s latest production, Avenue Q.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA 

Note the cast names: Manoa Valley Theatre
always recruits talent from the community,
so each production is inherently local. The
production follows Princeton, a recent college
graduate, as he struggles to find his purpose.
Puppeteered by Elitei Tatafu Jr., Princeton
goes from being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
to broken-hearted and in debt (but perhaps
just a bit more realistic) in the musical’s ninety
minute runtime.

The community theatre has a long history of shocking the masses. Founded in 1969 by a group of University of Hawai’i graduate students, the theatre habitually hosts classics, such as Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” (last showing: November 2010) as well as more risque fare like the Rocky Horror Picture Show (last showing, June 2008) and Avenue Q. With a cast including characters like Trekkie Monster (a porn-addicted shut-in), Christmas Eve (A stereotypically F.O.B.ish Asian woman), Gary Coleman (yes, that Gary Coleman) and the Bad Idea Bears, the show is sure to be a shocking one.

Billed as “ Sesame Street on Steroids,” the show does have some striking similarities, with a pair of male roommates (one whose sexual orientation is open to question,) a hairy, grumpy shut-in, and few truly innocent characters. With human characters sprinkled among the puppets, the format simultaneously comfortably familiar and surprisingly fresh.

After the first few scenes, which set the stage of Avenue Q as a last-chance type of street filled with misfits and malcontents, the real story unfolds. Princeton, a recent college graduate, has no idea what to do with his new B.A. in English. Moving into an apartment on Avenue Q because avenues A through P were too expensive, the bright-eyed graduate soon gets a taste of the real world when he loses his job and decides to, instead of job-hunting, try to find his purpose.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA  

Puppets get it on too! After a booze-soaked night on the town, Princeton (top, played by Elitei Tatafu Jr, right) and Kate Monster (bottom, played by Jody Bill, left), get it on, while the rest of the cast sings “You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love)”.

“It's very relevant to those that are in the university system ... because it talks about ‘What do you do after you graduate?’ ‘What is this whole process supposed to look like?’” says Jen Dickenson, who plays Lucy the Slut in the show. She’s also a UH Manoa MFA student in youth theatre, and intends on using the puppetry skills she has acquired in this show in the near future, as she will be joining a traveling theatre over the summer.

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA 

Puppets can be rude too. After a song about how
Princeton’s (left, played by Elitei Tatafu Jr.) purpose
is to help others that are clueless, like the Newcomer
(right, played by Garett Taketa) the Newcomer loses
it, performs some crude gestures, and storms off,
leaving a stunned Princeton. 

The production is replete with UH alumni and students, with three current students (Garett Taketa, Cindy Hartigan, and Jen Dickenson) in the cast, one working as an assistant to the director (Morgan Lane-Tanner) and several alumni in the band and the crew.

The puppets presented unique challenges. Hair and makeup designer Greg Howell explained that the hair is just like wig hair, so that’s easy enough, but there were two puppets in particular that caused him trouble. “Most of them are fine, but there are two puppets that literally get fucked, so those get messed up every time.”

doyle moeller / KA LAMAKUA 

Princeton, sans body. The puppets require upkeep after each show, though some more than others. The puppets used were based on the original Broadway designs and each required over a hundred and twenty hours to hand fabricate.

The puppeteers quickly fade away, and before the middle of the first act audiences remark that they don’t see the people, only the puppets. With songs that are both shocking and uncomfortably true, the show offers an adult view of the world through a medium that we grew to love as kids. The story is one we can all relate to, and the characters are simultaneously two and three dimensional. Avenue Q is a production that is as appropriate for college students as it is for grandparents.

---

Avenue Q is running from March 3 to April 3, with one show every Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and two shows every Saturday. The theatre can be reached at (808) 988-6131 and tickets can be purchased in person at 2833 East Manoa Road or online at http://www.manoavalleytheatre.com.

Ayn Rand hits the big screen again

by Chris Mikesell

Even those who disagree with her politics cannot deny that Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged is and has been one of the most influential and widely read books in the world. Now, after a number of delays and rumored casting issues, its looks like the film adaptation of the book is finally going to hit theaters, with Part I of the trilogy scheduled to premiere on April 15 (tax day, appropriately enough!)

While tax day is still over two months away, however, we will have to settle for the trailer that debuted at today's CPAC conference.

How did Atlas affect your life? Was it one of the best books ever for you or were you just not sold on it? Let us know below in the comments.

Dancing Greener

Whether you want dancing in your sustainability or sustainability in your dancing, Kennedy Theatre's Dancing Greener dance concert is sure to please this weekend:

courtesy Kennedy Theater

"Recycling is the theme of this year’s annual dance concert. 

New works created using recycled materials and repertory restagings, including Murray Louis’s Porcelain Dialogues, will be featured. This lively presentation of contemporary dance and Pacific and Asian dance forms demonstrate the kinetic artistry of sustainability."

Shows are still on for Feb 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. and Feb 13 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the Kennedy Theater box office and are only $5 for UH Manoa students with validated IDs. 

Gnomeo and Juliet Review

by Chris Mikesell

The biggest problem with doing a remake of Romeo and Juliet would have to be the ending.

The play is a tragedy - not just because the leads die but because everybody in the play and the audience expects them to keel over by the end.

Even if it weren't a play so many people have done so many times before, and even if you've been living under a rock or on Mars since the early 1600's, you're bound to get the overwhelming feeling that things are going to end badly for whatever remix of the "star-crossed lovers" trope is coming across the stage this time, no spoiler alert required.

Thankfully, the people behind "Gnomeo and Juliet" are aware of this. The film's first line acknowledges that, yes, it's a story that's been told many times but that this time it's going to be told differently.

Just how different is left up to the creative workings of executive producer Elton John (yes, Sir Elton John, in all his bedazzled glory.) "Gnomeo" plays well, floating somewhere between fabulous Disney-esque musical theatre and the original source material.

Those who know the play will have a lot of fun figuring out how the original play's cast got translated into "Gnomeo's" garden gnomes world, though they may miss some of the specific details that get glossed over in the effort to make the originally rated-R plot of Shakepeare's work more PG - and more accessible to modern kids.

And yet... the impulse remains. It's a bright and charming children's movie with a few pop culture references, but it's still a Romeo and Juliet remake.

This can't end well, you'll tell yourself. These two lovebirds have got to die somehow.

"Gnomeo and Juliet" is so self-aware, however, that it almost feels like it's cheating. Just think: if Othello had access to a copy of his own play's Cliff's Notes, the play would take a lot less than two hours to get through, Iago would be dead, and Ophelia wouldn't be such dire need of a sassy gay friend on YouTube.

The thing is, I'm okay with that. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something the characters don't - it's the thing that makes you want to shout at the stage, the thing that makes you want to stop these guys from doing something stupid you know is going to happen.

It's a kid's movie. Let them have their fun.

FINAL VERDICT: "Gnomeo and Juliet" is Elton John's way of making the classic Shakespeare play work for the younger set. Strict purists may not enjoy the reinterpretation, but it isn't for them, now, is it? A-

Cinematografia @ Mark's Garage

courtesy silvana alfonso /
CINEMATOGRAFIA

If a night of Italian food and film sounds like your kind of night, Cinematografia @ Mark's Garage is the place to be next week Friday.

Cinematografia's film selection this month is "Un Giorno Perfetto" (A Perfect Day) by director Ferzan Ozpetek, starring Isabella Ferrari and Valerio Mastandreais, shown with English subtitles.

After the film will be a tasting of traditional Italian dishes, along with a wine bar featuring a selection of wines from northern Italy for $6 a glass.

Tickets are $15, or buy tickets for a group of four in advance for $50.

Reservations are reccommended for the post-film wine and food tasting - contact Silvana Alfonso at alfonsosilvana1@gmail.com or call (808) 222-2642 for reservations.

Tron Legacy: Pretty glowy bits

Film review by Chris Mikesell

I have to admit – the original Tron was a bit before my time.

                             

The first time I went to see this movie reminded me of the first maxim of journalism: always research. For Tron Legacy, that means going back and watching the first one. While “Legacy” will certainly turn heads in its intended 3D glory, audiences are bound to get lost right away unless they have the benefit of the first film to provide the proper context for this sequel.

If not for the handy exposition at the beginning of Joseph Kozinski’s modern reboot/sequel of Steven Lisberger’s 1982 original, we wouldn’t really understand what was going on at all.

Some things are indeed explained by watching the original film – a trait important to many sequels. Those flying staple things are from a video game. Blue is good – red, not so much.

The characters are painted with broad strokes...literally. Things that have no business glowing on a person are alight in the Grid, though I suspect that modern moviegoers can appreciate the fact that digital breasts are now neon-lit like landing strips at an airport for the sexually deprived.

Some things, however, are not really explained all that well. There’s one scene where Jeff Bridges (reprising his role as a now-aged Kevin Flynn from the first film) and his son Sam (played by Garrett Hedlund) finally meet in the Grid and they sit down to eat, of all things, a dinner complete with suckling pig and fresh vegetables in a digital world devoid of organic anything.

This is bothersome because not only was it never really explained, it was never even questioned. Everyone just sort of assumes that it would be perfectly natural to suddenly have a roast pig appear. “Why yes, here on the Grid we have roast suckling pig and haricot verts lying around all the time.”

I get that it’s supposed to be a virtual world, but that’s not really an excuse for sloppy storytelling. At least “The Matrix” tried to explain how the characters made random objects pop up whenever they needed them, and while fantastical, the explanation still had its own logic and rules to it.

The problem with Tron Legacy’s kind of sci-fi storytelling is not that these sorts of things are impossible. Of course you can’t make a football field full of gun racks or a three course meal suddenly appear. That’s reality. But audiences are able to accept these kinds of impossible things because they are able to suspend their disbelief according to the “rules” of whatever the setting is.

Even an explanation as deux ex-y as “A wizard did it, it was MAGIC” presupposes that 1) there are wizards afoot and 2) they are capable of wild shenanigans of a thaumaturgical nature.

It’s sad that a film like “Tron Legacy” makes no effort to fill in these blanks because the rest of the film’s experience is absolutely spot-on. The transition from the film’s 2D scenes to its 3D scenes is exceptional, the look of the new Grid is sleek and sexy, and the soundtrack from the brains of Daft Punk made waves in mp3 players long before the film itself opened in theaters.

It would be a nearly perfect movie – if it weren’t for that damn pig.

FINAL VERDICT: This new iteration of Tron is, despite its inconsistencies, sharp and sexy. A- 

Tangled: Predictable self-discovery

Review by Chris Mikesell

                                                        

It's understandable why some mothers and fathers might not want to take their kids to see Disney's newest animated musical.

It might give them ideas.

Tangled, the latest in a long line of colorful kids movies from Disney, will not win many awards for its originality: saying that this film, the latest in a time-honored tradition of Disney animated musicals (that is, itself, based on yet another hundred year-old children's fairy tale) is derivative is sort of like saying Hugh Hefner dabbled in nude photography or that Mufi Hannemann is a little taller than average.

But like any film that relies so heavily on formula, the fun is in how Tangled remixes its tropes. The princely hero of the story, a fellow by the name of Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) is actually a thief by trade who just wants to evade capture. Hunting him are the kingdom’s guards, led by the noble white stallion, Maximus, who acts more dog than horse.

But the real star – Rapunzel, voiced by Mandy Moore – is not only incredibly likeable but is also someone to whom all the dejected, downtrodden children of the world can relate: she is kept prisoner in the tower that holds her not through any bars or doors, but rather through the manipulative lies of her mother and kidnapper, Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy.)

Of course, Tangled is a Disney movie and there aren’t many deviations from the happy ending you would suspect from a Disney princess fairy tale. (Spoiler alert: The first five minutes of the movie pretty much tell you how it is going to end.)

But really, Tangled isn’t a film that tries to throw audiences curveballs. What it is instead is a movie about a young woman who, in the process of stepping out into the world for the first time, actually discovers that she is capable of more than her mother has led her to believe.

It’s a lesson worth teaching to any child.

Final Verdict: Disney’s Tangled is a wholesome romp of self-discovery that will amuse kids, but may be too predictable for the grown-ups. B.

Rise Up Hawaii: Helping Hawaii’s Homeless

by Candace Chang 

courtesy Rise Up Hawaii

For concert goers that enjoy live local music and want to do something to extend helping hands to Hawaii’s homeless families, this Saturday’s Rise Up Hawaii concert is perfect for your weekend plans.

Rise Up Hawaii is a brand new organization of musicians, students, teachers, and volunteers that seek to promote generosity and a motivation to change. Founded in January of this year, they have already held events to raise funds for Haiti and the Humane Society, and generated thousands of dollars for charity.

Movie Time: Megamind

Review by Candace Chang

(courtesy DreamWorks on YouTube)

Looking for a good family movie? Then make time for Megamind.

Placing first at the box offices for two weeks in a row, this movie packs a loaded punch of feel good comedy and all star casting. Will Ferrell steals the lead role as the villainous underdog Megamind and Brad Pitt costars as his haughty rival Metro Man. The love interest Roxanne Ritchi is a wily woman waging war on evil, voiced by Tina Fey and accompanied by her very own sidekick, crude comedian Jonah Hill aka Hal Stewart.

The plotline is simple and somewhat recalls Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, except in this one, the bad guy wins. The story follows Megamind, the only surviving child of a planet inhabited by blue aliens, as he grows up in a penitentiary system, raised by convicts and constantly butting heads with the show off super-kid Metro Man. This all culminates as he reaches adulthood and strives to be the ultimate bad guy, attacking Metro Man and Metro City on a daily basis with witty repartee and poor pronunciation. One day, when it looks like Megamind is losing once again and all is business as usual, a surprising discovery about Metro Man’s weakness is made and Megamind unexpectedly, and inadvertently, wins. This leaves Megamind with the question, what is there to do now that he’s won?

To find out what happens when the bad guys triumph and the good guys are gone, make your way to the theaters for some family friendly and fully animated fun. Bring a sibling, bring a date, bring your grandma, this film is suitable for all ages and audience members.

Kings of Spade Winning Hearts

by Candace Chang

This Halloween, Hallowbaloo in Chinatown was definitely the place to be. Not only were there amazing dancing performances by groups like The Shakti Dance Movement and Cherry Blossom Cabaret, but it featured fantastic bands like the increasingly popular Kings of Spade. 

Local artists Kings of Spade have been growing a following of loyal fans since first coming together roughly a year ago, finalizing their full band with the addition of bassist Max Benoit. The other members consist of Kasi Nunes on vocals, Jesse Savio on guitar, Matt Kato on drums, and DJ A2Z, aka Mike Morgan, on turntables. They have opened for mega-bands like Bon Jovi, Chris Daughtry, and Mutemath. Now, it is their turn to take center stage - in Chinatown and in the hearts of Hawaiʻi's people. 

Last Saturday, on the night before Halloween, Kings of Spade took the stage at 9:30 p.m., following up behind the reggae band Ooklah the Moc and finishing off that night's Hallowbaloo musical festivities on a fun, frenetic note. They showed up on stage playfully dressed as a band of Indians, with lead singer Kasi renegading as a cowboy and bassist Max in a somewhat revealing loincloth that was at constant peril of the winds. The crowd was thrilled to see them, cheering wildly at the very start of their performance. With such talented artists on stage, it’d have been hard not to share in their enthusiasm.

It is difficult for me to find the words to describe just how spectacular this band is. The combination of Matt on drums and Max's booming bass produces a beat that reverberates down to your bones, forcing your body to flail about in absurd styles of dancing. Kasi’s vocals, altering between the rough grate of rock and the sweet crooning of jazz, adds soul and meaning to the music, as she reaches out and exudes charisma to her listeners, tantalizing their ears and drawing them in. Jesse’s guitar nicely compliments this eclectic mixture of melody, weaving in and out and sometimes stealing the spotlight of a song, while DJ A2Z’s fingers spit out synthesized sounds to smooth it all together and deliver it full and complete in a perfectly bundled package.

But more than the music, it's the energy and personality of this band that I love the most. They have a way of pumping up their listeners and exciting the crowd, feeding off the energy and doubling it back to their fans. Even more than that, this band is special for the way they are always reaching out to their admirers and really getting to know them, whether it’s by mingling with the audience before and after shows or talking to their fans and being personable over Facebook, they always make that extra effort to let their following know that they’re more than just their supporters, they’re their friends. As Kasi said on Facebook, “We play for PEOPLE. The energy back from the crowd is the other half of our music. … We like to be friends with our supporters too, so really our friends come… not ‘fans’.”

With the appreciation they show their devotees, and the talent and style with which they grace the stage, it is clear to see why Hawaii is losing its hearts to the Kings of Spade.

To wait or not to wait

by Chris Mikesell

courtesy KENNEDY THEATRE

Dan D. Randerson stars as Vladamir in “Waiting for Godot” 

and Ryan Wuestewald plays the lead role in Shakespeare’s
Hamlet this month on the Kennedy Theater Mainstage. 

Looking to see a play at the Kennedy Theatre Mainstage? This month, we’ve got two.

Paul Mitri’s production of the Shakespeare classic, "Hamlet," will hit the Kennedy Theatre Mainstage this month, and the same actors appearing in that play will be appearing in Markus Wessendorf’s production of "Waiting For Godot."

Everyone should know what "Hamlet" is about by now (SPOILER ALERT: It’s a revenge story with a guy talking to his dead father’s ghost.) Director Paul Mitri says that he’s lucky to have a cast that can handle the demands of Shakespeare’s work.

“Part of choosing to do Hamlet is making sure you’ve got someone or a few people who can handle the demands of the roles,” Mitri says.  “At UHM, I am very lucky that the current crop of actors is very talented and, even better, eager to be challenged.”

But what’s Waiting For Godot all about? Wessendorf says to think of it as sort of an existential version of “The Odd Couple.”

“It’s a play about two homeless guys waiting for an appointment next to a tree on a dusty road, but the person they want to meet never shows up,” says Wessendorf. “It’s a really minimalist play because the only set piece that’s specified is a tree.”

Tickets: www.etickethawaii.com
For more info: 956-7655