COURTESY OF KUMU KAHUA THEATRE From left, Moani Miller, Dorothy Stamp and Nyla Fujii-Babb.

Inside a queen’s mind

Drama pictures her as a strong
woman in a difficult situation

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By John Berger
jberger@starbulletin.com

History is generally written and defined by the winners, and generations sometimes pass before the losers are able to present their side of the story. Anyone growing up here in the 1960s-70s remembers when Kalakaua was still being dismissed as an ineffectual "merrie monarch," and how the criminal overthrow of the Hawaiian government was portrayed as something that just kind of happened and was probably all for the best. Those misconceptions have since been rectified, but other historical questions remain to be considered.

Fit for a queen Kumu Kahua presents "The Conversion of Ka'ahumanu" Where: Kumu Kahua Theatre, 46 Merchant St. When: 8 p.m. today through Saturday (except Thursday, Nov. 28) and 2 p.m. Sunday, through Dec. 8 Tickets: $13 general admission (on Thursdays only, with discounts for seniors, students and the unemployed); $16 for all other performances (with discounts for seniors, students and group sales of 10 or more) Call: 536-4441

Most island residents probably see Kamehameha's unification of the Hawaiian islands as a good thing, but the descendants of the ali'i he conquered and killed may not see it that way. And what do we make of Ka'ahumanu, popularly known as the favorite wife of Kamehameha, who created for herself the post of kuhina nui (roughly translated, regent) after his death? Do we honor her as a great Christian who supported the early missionaries and encouraged the Hawaiian people to follow her example? Or do we view her as a opportunist who used Christianity as another weapon to her successful scheme to maintain her personal position of power over Liholiho (Kamehameha II) and Kauikeaouli (Kamehameha III) -- Kamehameha's sons by other women -- and in doing so selfishly, if unwittingly, contributing to the eventual destruction of Hawaii as a free nation?

Kelly Williams, who is directing Kumu Kahua's revival production of "The Conversion Of Ka'ahumanu," sees her as a strong woman caught up "in a bummer of a situation."

"It's an awful way of putting it, but I think history in general has a tendency of either loving her or hating her," Williams said, explaining that Ka'ahumanu was already in a "horrible position" when she formally converted to Christianity.

"Her people were dying ... and she's forced to make this decision that she thinks will help her people. I see it as something of a sacrifice in some ways because the legacy afterwards is that Christianity really has a foothold in the islands, and a lot of the culture seems to die away at the time.

"Who could possibly ever guess what was going to happen," Williams said, "but the thing that I really like is the fact that she just took a chance and did what she thought was the most strategic move for her people at the time."

COURTESY OF KUMU KAHUA THEATRE "The Conversion of Ka'ahumanu" begins today. Anne Marie MacPherson, left, and Mary Stringer.

There is another factor to consider when people assess the legacy of her reign as kuhina nui. Since Ka'ahumanu persuaded (or tricked) Liholiho into revoking the ancient kapu system that relegated even ali'i women to a subordinate position, she can be seen as an early Hawaiian feminist.

And, Williams notes, unlike some contemporary island plays and playwrights, Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl didn't write this particular play as a simple exercise in knee-jerk missionary-bashing.

"One of the things I like about this play is that it puts a really human face on all the characters -- even the missionaries -- because it's really easy to put people into categories and label them as 'good' or 'bad' ... but at the time, they were (all) trying to make the best decisions at the time.

"Ka'ahumanu wasn't stupid; she's a smart lady. It's almost like a game of chess in some ways. So I think she was an amazing strategist in an incredible time of change, asking herself, 'What move can I make that will be the best for the most people and maybe preserve us?'"

First performed in 1988, "The Conversion of Ka'ahumanu" is intended to explore the circumstances surrounding the ambitious kuhina nui's decision to embrace Christianity from both political and emotional perspectives, while also presenting a thoughtful look at a pivotal era in the history of Hawaii. Kumu Kahua had previously presented the play in American Samoa, Scotland, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.

Williams didn't see the original production, but says she and her cast have been doing their own research on the historical figures, particularly the missionary women Lucy Thurston and Sybil Bingham. At the same time, she says, this is theater and not a history lesson.

"A lot (of the script) is taken from journals, but I also keep telling my actors that the time comes when you have to let go of the history and just tell the story. If you try to include all of that (history) in you, you could potentially do the story harm."

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