Stuffs
"John Manjiro: The Dawning of Modern Japan" depicts the life of the first Japanese person to set foot on American soil before Japan opened its doors to foreign trade and commerce in the mid-1800s.
Manjiro's life on stage
The life of John Manjiro -- first Japanese person to set foot on American soil -- will be examined in a production presented by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii and Gekidan Haisho at Mamiya Theatre at 7:30 p.m. today and tomorrow.Shipwrecked on a Pacific atoll at age 14, Nakahama Manjiro was rescued by a New Bedford whaling ship and taken to Hawaii in 1841. Eventually brought by Capt. William Whitfield to his hometown of Fairhaven, Mass., John Manjiro -- the name he adopted -- became the first Japanese national to complete an American high school education. He traveled around the world and took his chances in California's Gold Rush to earn money for his voyage home.
In 1853, when Commodore Perry arrived in Tokyo Bay demanding the opening of Japan, the government sought Manjiro's help because of his knowledge of American ways. Though he played a behind-the-scenes role, he helped educate those who would lead the way to a new era for Japan.
The play will be performed in Japanese with English subtitles. Tickets are $15; $12 for JCCH members, students, and ages 60 and up. Call the JCCH at 945-7633, ext. 45, or e-mail info@jcch.com.
Gekidan Haisho is a Tokyo-based theater company that has focused on both historical and modern pieces.
'Footholds II' staged
The University of Hawaii at Manoa's Department of Theatre and Dance presents "Fall Footholds II: You are the Mirror," at 8 p.m. today through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Kennedy Theatre Earle Ernst Lab Theatre."You are the Mirror" is a concert of choreography created by Wayles E. S. Haynes, a candidate for a master's degree in fine arts. It is a reflection of Haynes' Hawaii experiences, as well as her lifelong love of dance, and is expressed in tap, contemporary ballet and modern dance. A post-show rap follows the Friday performance.
In a representative piece from the concert, "The Mirror," choreography by Haynes is influenced by tumultuous world events of 2004. The piece examines the tension in relationships and asks the question, "How much stress can a system take before it breaks?" An ensemble of eight dancers will perform "The Mirror," investigating these ideas and "pushing the boundaries of trust."
Other featured works are "Audience Sit-study," inspired by the idea of being an audience member during a performance, plus solo works, "The Blame Game" and "Fiesta Mo-jo," a tap-dancing piece set to the music of Dizzy Gillespie.
Tickets are $10; $8 seniors, military, UH faculty and staff, and non-UH students; $3 for UH students. Tickets may be charged ($2 service charge) at 956-7655 or purchased at the Kennedy Theatre box office, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday.
Healing Kahoolawe
'Ahahui Malama i ka Lokahi (Hawaiians for the Conservation of Native Ecosystems), is hosting a general membership meeting from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Queen Emma Summer Palace, to focus on the "Healing of Kaho'olawe Island," and its efforts to restore the natural and cultural sites of the island.The program will also include a tour of the palace, a performance by Na Hula Ola i ke Ao, and a report on ecological restoration activities in Kawai Nui Marsh.
Admission is free. Call Rick Ka'imi Scudder at 597-8556 or e-mail him at blue-greendelta@hits.net.
Check it out
It's time to give, and your neighborhood market is making it easy.The Check-Out Hunger campaign, a benefit for the Hawaii FoodBank sponsored annually by Kraft Foods, begins Friday and runs through Jan. 16.
Here's how it works: Look for the green coupons in the check-out line while buying groceries. Choose a donation of $2.74 (to feed a family of four for a day) or $19.18 (food for a week). Your donation will be added to your grocery bill.
Participating stores are Times Super Markets on Oahu; Safeway Food & Drug Stores on Oahu, Hawaii, Maui and Kauai; Tamura markets in Waianae and Wahiawa, Tamura's Fine Wine & Liquors in Kaimuki and Kokua Market Natural Foods.
Cool idea
Also for the Foodbank, Maui Yogurt & Ice Cream in the Queen Kaahumanu Center is offering a free scoop of Maui's Own Roselani Ice Cream to all those who bring in a donation of canned goods or cash next Wednesday from 2 to 7 p.m.The shop, which is closing at the end of the month after 27 years, was the top seller of Roselani, so ice cream maker Cathy Nobriga Kim is donating the ice cream for the give-away.
Maui market
Stock up on fresh produce and flowers for Thanksgiving while enjoying entertainment, games and a silent auction when Kula Elementary School hosts its 17th annual Harvest Festival, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.Locally grown produce will be featured, along with tropical flowers. You'll also find homemade baked goods.
Admission is free. Call 808-876-7610.
Cooking lessons
Ono on the Mall: Chef Kate Wagner of the soon-to-be-opened StarPoint Cafe hosts weekly demonstrations on simple prepararations for fruits and vegetables at noon Fridays beginning this week at the Fort Street Mall Open Market. Call 538-8005.Saturday Farmer's Market: Chef Martin Wyss will present a cooking demonstration using island fish and sweet potatoes, 9 a.m. Saturday at the Kapiolani Community College market. The market is open 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Diamond Head parking lot. Call 848-2074.
Thai Cuisine II: Chef/instructor Grant Sato teaches Thai cooking and how to make vegetable and fruit carvings, 8 a.m. to noon Dec 4 at Kapiolani Community College. Cost is $45. Registration runs three weeks in advance. Call 734-9211.
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