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‘Hibiscus’ tackles
By John Berger
specter of racism
Special to the Star-BulletinRACISM and the ways people of different ethnic groups relate to each other here are popular topics for island playwrights. Few local writers explore these issues with more finesse than Maui-born Jon Shirota does with "Leilani's Hibiscus," the latest production in a strong year at Kumu Kahua.
Shirota's tale of a couple kept apart, first by ethnic prejudice and then by the outbreak of the Pacific War, touches the heart and evokes both tears and laughter. He addresses the issue of prejudice without resorting to crude jokes or four-letter words to get laughs or make his point.
The story begins and ends in 1960 at the Maui gravesite of Kama and Tsuyu Gusuda, but much of the action takes place in 1941. Keeping track of the sudden jumps in time and place is tricky at first, but director Keith K. Kashiwada and his cast make "Leilani's Hibiscus" an engaging and entertaining experience.
Jump back to 1941 and Okinawan-born Yasuichi Gusuda (Scot Izuka) is afraid to tell his brother, Kama (Darryl Tsutsui), about his kanaka girlfriend, Leilani Makaole (JanDee Abraham). Yasuichi suspects, with good reason, that his brother and the larger Okinawan community will ostracize him if he marries outside the Okinawan "race."
Family business requires Yasuichi to visit Okinawa. He promises the pregnant Leilani that he won't be gone long and will marry her when he returns. Come December 1941, Yasuichi is trapped in Okinawa for the duration of the Pacific War. He serves in the Imperial Japanese Army and remains in Okinawa when the war is over.
Jump forward to 1960. Yasuichi returns to Hawaii intending to move the ashes of his brother and his sister-in-law (Sue Shiroma Nada) to the refurbished family tomb in Okinawa. The couple's children, Ichiro (Stu Hirayama) and Kimiko (Monica Jade), aren't sure they agree with their uncle's plan. Leilani has long since married someone else and has three children.
Izuka gives an impressive debut performance. He is particularly good in contrasting Yasuichi's fluency in Okinawan with his lesser command of English. And, when Yasuichi finally meets Emma Yu (Roselani Pelayan), his daughter by Leilani, Izuka needs no dialogue to convey the emotional tumult Yasuichi experiences.
Tsutsui and Nada almost steal the show as the spirited and romantic ghosts. The ghostly couple's romantic interplay suggests a love stronger than death, and they serve as a traditional Greek chorus commenting on serious issues and light ones alike. By the time the living resolve their issues, Kama has decided that Yasuichi should have told him about Leilani in 1941.
Kumu Kahua doesn't include a glossary in its playbills so "Leilani's Hibiscus" will be most readily enjoyed by island residents familiar with Okinawan culture, and with common Hawaiian, Japanese and pidgin words and phrases. Some nuances can be deduced by context but malihini (newcomers) may miss some of the subtleties and shadings.
A little historical information helps as well. Okinawa was invaded by Japanese forces in 1879 and Okinawans became the first non-Japanese people to be forcibly incorporated into the Japanese empire. Okinawan independence was not restored after World War II. Scenes leave no doubt that naichi (ethnic Japanese from Japan proper) looked down on Okinawans and brought that attitude to Hawaii.
Kashiwada and Joseph D. Dodd (set design) stage the action at one end of the theater -- a welcome change from the usual in-the-round staging -- ensuring a good view for all. Dodd's stark black-and-white set neatly suggests the surreal nature of the story.
Leilani's Hibiscus
When: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through June11
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