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COURTESY STEPHEN TANG Stephen Tang will speak on his system of using tai chi to help ease medical problems on Thursday.

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Martial arts for health

Stephen Tang, a martial artist focusing on health enhancement, will give a free introductory talk on "The Health Enchancement Triad" from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday at One Kalakaua Senior Living.

Tang, chairman of the Southern California Tai Chi Association and a consultant on the advisory board of the United States Chen Tai Chi Federation, has studied Tai Chi (Yang, Chen, Hunyuan and Zhaobao styles), Baqua, Neigong and meditation.

Based on research and practice, Tang has created internal martial art programs to work on the digestive, kidney and central nervous systems and other parts of the body. Using the Consolidated Internal System as a routine for competition, his top students captured five gold medals and many silvers in domestic and international tournaments from 1999 to 2003.

The talk is in advance of two Saturday workshops, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5 p.m. at One Kalakaua, 1314 Kalakaua Ave. Registration starts at 9 a.m. Cost is $60.

Thursday's free talk will take place in the John H. Norris MPR Room. Call 728-8286.

Like act?

Acting coach/director Wayne Ward and actor/producer Joji Yoshida will host an acting and casting workshop for film and television from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at La Pietra -- Hawaii School for Girls, 2933 Poni Moi Road.

The class will consist of on-camera cold readings and playbacks, audition preparation techniques, and talent agency and casting director referrals.

The fee is $52 and space is limited. Register by calling Ward at 395-5927 or e-mailing foreverjimmie@hotmail.com.

'Twelf Nite' auditions

Auditions for "Twelf Nite O' Wateva!" -- the pidgin retelling of Shakespeare's comedy set in the kingdom of Hawaii -- will take place form 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, open to University of Hawaii students past and present.

Auditions for the comedy, written by James Grant Benton and directed by Terence Knapp, will take place in UH Kennedy Theatre Room 101, with callbacks from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday.

A sign-up sheet is posted in Kennedy Theatre for five-minute appointments with Knapp. No monologues are needed, but pidgin will be required. Auditioners should also bring "any old mug shot" of themselves with name and telephone number and/or e-mail address on the back.

Scripts will be available for study in the Kennedy Theatre office for a $3 deposit.

The production will run from April 22 through May 1. Call 956-7677.

Caring for elders

How valid is the perception that Japanese Americans and other Asian families take care of their elders without relying on public assistance? This question and others will be discussed at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii in the free forum, "Okage Sama De: Challenges, Sacrifice and Satisfaction in Elder Care in the Japanese American Community in Hawaii."

The forum will be presented from 9:30 a.m. to noon Sunday on the fifth floor of the cultural center.

Panelists include social gerontologist Cullen Hayashida, Diane Terada of Catholic Charities, state Rep. Marilyn Lee and Karen Miyake of the county Elderly Affairs Division.

Moderated by Joyce Chinen, professor of sociology at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu, this is the second forum in the cultural center's program, "Japanese American Social Issues Series in Hawaii," which debuted last year.

In addition to generational issues, panelists will discuss how gender roles, labor markets and demographics affect care arrangements.

Call 945-7633.

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