Performing Arts Planning

Program Description

The goal of the Performing Arts is to plan and provide a facility for the practice and performance of the performing arts.

With the help of community and committee members, plans have been drawn and the dream of a new Ka Hua (Hula Platform) and restoration of the Boarder's Field stage is one step closer to reality. David Malo Day, 2008, will showcase the changes. A Lahainaluna Arts Center, on campus, with a theater is being envisioned, as well as additional venues off-campus. Watch for more information as it develops! Vision, Mission and Value Statements for this great and entire project are coming soon.

David Malo Day 2006 Performance by Lahainaluna High School Students

Darcel Gilbert is the Chairperson for the Performing Arts & Culture Committee, and the following individuals are committee members:

• George Kahumoku, Jr
• Macario Pascual
• Lori Gomez
• Louisa Shelton
• Mark LeDoux
• Nestor Ugale
• Diane Delos Reyes
• Penny Wakida
  

Ka Malu ‘Ulu

Vision: By honoring the work that came before and creating a place of shared discoveries through art, Ka Malu ‘Ulu advances lokahi (harmony).

Mission: Ka Malu ‘Ulu creates opportunities and places to explore and celebrate the academics, art and culture of Lahainaluna.

Values:

• Ho’omahua ‘ohana - Community
• Ike pono - Righteousness
• Malama - Preservation
• Ho’okumu ‘oihana - Creative Process
• Ho’ihi - Respect, reverence
• Lokahi - Harmony

What is Ka Malu ‘Ulu?—a place for “planting the seed”. Ka Malu ’Ulu, taken from Lahainaluna High School’s alma mater, represents this: a sheltering breadfruit tree.

The flagship of Ka Malu ‘Ulu—a facility to be so named on or near Lahainaluna’s campus—is anticipated to begin to fulfill the mission statement.

The dream thus far…
A small theater: A complex consisting of a small theater (and movie screen) of 300-350 person capacity, with storage rooms, for supplies, set/props/misc., costumes, make-up/dressing rooms, and "internal" bathrooms for performing artists, including loading/unloading ramp...

…. A visual arts gallery at the entrance to the theater to showcase and encourage students and artists with ties to Lahainaluna, plus secure shelves for displaying and publicizing awards.

Art /Music/Culture Classrooms immediately adjacent to the theater

• Certified kitchen for Culinary Arts and preparing cultural foods such as laulau, mamake tea, etc.
• Multi-purpose rooms (uses to include classes, live meetings, presentations and teleconferences) with small kitchen (maybe larger kitchen elsewhere and in this room just a holding/serving area), viewing screens
• Practice studios for both dance and music
• Digital media classrooms wired for future technology
• Sound/recording studios
• Hawaiian gardens and multipurpose outdoor spaces
• Sinks and showers for cleaning up
• Creative art library/lounge "quiet room"

Curriculum opportunities envisioned for the various curriculum pathways currently at Lahainaluna would include:

• Theatre/Business Management
• Set Design
• Graphic Arts
• Sound/Recording Technology
• Videography
• Visual Arts
• Music
• Dance
• Still photography
• Collections and Exhibits Management (this could include recordation/archiving, signage, interpretive plaques, guides (docents)
  
• Marketing: Public Relations -Advertising, Event Programming for front of the house as well as back of the house
• Communications/ Media: broadcast, journalism, pre and post event...
• Event Management-- to include the business and technical aspect
• Financial Management to include budgeting, analysis, funding sources/development, grants (get those student writers involved!)
• Facility Management- building operations systems maintenance and management...(tech, maintenance to include preventive maintenance, maybe security systems and operations, etc)

Hawaiian Culture—

• Agriculture--indigenous plants, herbs, alternative medicine
• Canoe Construction/Voyaging/Astronomy
• Arts & Artisans related to Hawaiian culture
• I.e. ukulele construction, carving, Hawaiian traditions
• Oral Histories/Storytelling

Other collaborative sites and venues within the community for classrooms, displays, and studios are also being explored.

Possible Links with Community: UH (i.e. set design, Hawaiian Studies, drama), MCC, Theatre Theatre, Na Kupuna, Lahaina Art Society, Lahaina Town Action Committee (hopefully including Festival of Canoes and other events) Friends of Moku'ula, Hui O Wa'a Kaulua, Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

Businesses: Radio, Video & Print media/orgs (i.e., Media Systems, Paradise TV, Akaku, Lahaina & Maui News, etc for marketing) Hotels/Restaurants... (event programming and support)

Visiting artists/elders from the community, supporting traveling artists exchange program (students/teachers from school to other schools, etc) would provide additional opportunities for introduction and discovery. Ka Malu’Ulu could then provide consistent opportunities needed for growth—for finding and encouraging “their passion.”

Internships: for high school and college students, in their area of pre and postgraduate course studies.

The first seed of the Ka Malu ‘Ulu project has been planted:

Boarder’s Field/Ka Hua Project

Built in the early 50’s by Earle Kukahiko and boarding students, The Boarders’ Field stage was actually constructed for annual May Day Programs. When the back seating was added in 1957, graduations began to take place there. Now a cultural and historical treasure, it is now utilized annually for David Malo Day, Lahainaluna’s signature Hawaiian cultural program; and is the only stage in existance at Lahainaluna. A project is proceeding to add an earthen and rock stage in front of the existing one—Ka Hua—a hula platform. This added platform will be used for David Malo Day hula performances, and can also be used for many other outdoor performances. When a new cafeteria becomes a reality at the Olowalu end of Boarder’s Field, this will become a well utilized area for special school events.

Plans have been drawn up, if all goes well with budgets, funding, coordination of labor, and donations, David Malo Day 2008 will mark the first fruits of Ka Malu ‘Ulu.