Bravo! Po‘okela
more selective

By John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin

The 15th annual Po'okela Awards were dramatically different last night.

Most of the nominees did not receive awards during ceremonies at the Prince Kuhio Hotel by the Hawaii State Theatre Council (HSTC) for best stage performances and productions.

It hasn't been unusual in recent years for the seven HSTC adjudicators to award Po'okela - Pokeys for short - to all nominees in a category, or sometimes to all but one nominee in a category. But last night, only a single nominee survived in several categories. To paraphrase Dylan, the Pokeys they are a-changing!

Diamond Head Theatre's productions of "The Will Rogers Follies" and "Nine" proved most popular with the adjudicators and won most of DHT's 15 Pokeys. Manoa Valley Theatre received six, ASATAD five, Army Community Theatre and Hawaii Pacific University four each, and Honolulu Theatre for Youth two. The nontraditional University of Hawaii-Manoa and Leeward Community College theater programs received one Pokey each. Oh well.

A comic high point came when Mark Gilbert accepted a Pokey for his work in ASATAD's excellent production of "Love! Valour! Compassion!" He thanked DHT artistic director John Rampage. Gilbert said he didn't know Rampage, but since everybody seemed to be thanking Rampage, he'd thank him too. Rampage returned the compliment with equal wit on his next trip to the podium.

Audience response designated the show's nadir as the lengthy acceptance speech read on behalf of ASATAD's Gary L. Anderson. It started off funny but deteriorated into a long and inappropriate appeal for bail money. (The talented Anderson is awaiting trial on felony charges.) The crowd was not amused.

Po'okela nominees and winners are selected from Oahu productions by HSTC members, which do not include Kumu Kahua.

‘Pokeys’

Leading male in a play:
Gary L. Anderson, "Clarence Darrow" (ASATAD)
Mark Gilbert, "Love! Valour! Compassion!" (ASATAD)
Frank Kuhl, "Inherit the Wind" (HPU)

Leading female in a play:
Kristine Altwies, "Sylvia" (MVT)
Sylvia Hormann-Alper, "Master Class" (DHT)

Leading male in a musical:
Laurence Paxton, "Nine" (DHT)
Scott Wakefield, "The Will Rogers Follies" (DHT)

Leading female in a musical:
Yvonne Filius, "Nine" (DHT)
Tara Hunt, "Kismet" (ACT)
Linda Ryan, "Blood Brothers" (MVT)

Featured male in a play:
John Perry, "Inherit the Wind" (HPU)

Featured female in a play:
Robin E. Craver, "Master Class" (DHT)
Karen Valasek, "It's Only a Play" (ASATAD)

Featured male in a musical:
David Starr, "Anything Goes" (ACT)

Featured female in a musical:
Suzanne Boyd, "Nine" (DHT)

Director of a play:
Clarke Evans, "Love! Valour! Compassion!" (ASATAD)
Clarke Evans, "Master Class" (DHT)
Joyce Maltby, "Inherit the Wind" (HPU)

Director of a musical:
John Rampage, "The Will Rogers Follies" (DHT)

Overall play:
"Love! Valour! Compassion!" (ASATAD)
"Sylvia" (MVT)

Overall musical:
"Nine" (DHT)
"The Will Rogers Follies" (DHT)

Pierre Bowman Award: Joyce Maltby

Adjudicators' Special Excellence Award:
Norm Boroughs, original music, "A Night at Rosie's" (HPU)

Ensemble performance:
"Bye Bye Hana Buttah Days" (UH)
"Eddie Would Go" (HTY)
"Forbidden Broadway Strikes Back" (MVT)

Original script:
Bryan Hiroshi Wake, "Eddie Would Go" (HTY)

Musical director:
Emmett G. Yoshioka, "The Will Rogers Follies" (DHT)

Choreography:
Mathew Marcelo Pacleb, "Grease" (ACT)
John Rampage, "Nine" (DHT)

Sound design:
Ronald Perry, "A Tuna Christmas" (Manoa Valley Theatre)
Ronald Perry, "Shear Madness" (MVT)

Lighting design:
Stephen Clear, "The Will Rogers Follies" (Diamond Head Theatre)
Costume design:
Sukey Dickinson, "Nine" (DHT)
Ginette Pitre, "The Epic of Gilgamesh" (LCC)

Set design:
Tom Giza. "Kismet" (ACT)
Paul Guncheon, "The Will Rogers Follies" (DHT)

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