The Friends of Kennedy Theatre, established in 1984, is a support group for the scholarly and  production activities at Kennedy Theatre at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

 

Executive Board 2009 Howard Asao Betty Burdick Stephanie Conching Michael Cowell Paul Cravath, Chair Cecilia Fordham Sylvia Hormann-Alper Mary Lewis MJ Matsushita Tony Pisculli Rick Romer Gertrude Tsutsumi Anna Viggiano Harry Wong, III Karen Wright Dennis Carroll, ex-officio

Executive Board 1984 Arlene Kim Ellis Cecilia Fordham June Gibson Ron Heller Lisa Inouye Terence Knapp Didi Leong Jakki Hutchens Leatrice Mirikitani Howard Noh Ann Simpson John Stringfellow Jane Tatibouet Evelyn Trapido Joel Trapido Donald Mair, ex-officio, Ed Langhans, ex-officio

Donate to the FKT Endowment Fund

Make your online donation at the University of Hawaii Foundation by clicking the link below
http://www.uhf.hawaii.edu/FKTEndowment

A campaign to establish an Endowment Fund to Celebrate & Perpetuate the Legacy begun in 1984 to fund

• scholarships
• extraordinary production expenses
• visiting scholars/theatre experts

GOAL: $50,000

September 20 – December 31, 2009

GOAL: $150,000

January 1 – December 31, 2010

GIVING LEVELS

Donor Circle

$25–$99
• FKT Membership
• Newsletter
• Invitation to events

Performer Circle

$100–$499
• Donor Gifts
• 2 Tix to 1 Production (2009–2010)

Gratitude Circle

$500–$999
• Donor Gifts
• 2 Tix / 2 Productions (2009–2010)

Celebration Circle

$1,000–$3,000
• Donor Gifts
• 2 Season Tix (2009–2010)
• Poster

Anniversary Circle

$5,000 & Above
• All of Celebration
• 2 Season Tix Thru 2012

All gifts over $3,000 will receive FKT Wall fo Honor recognition Plaque.

Donate to the FKT Endowment Fund

http://www.uhf.hawaii.edu/FKTEndowment

Contact us at info@friendsofkennedytheatrehi.org or simply fill out the contact form below.

1. Your Name(required)
2. Email(valid email required)
3. Website
4. Message

 

TESTIMONIALS

After graduating from UH, I have tried to stay active in Hawaii’s Theatrical community performing at Kumu Kahua and the Shakespeare Festival.  More recently though I’ve become a part of the improv troupe On The Spot. Our style of improv is very theatrical. …My education at Kennedy Theatre has been essential in the planning of these shows.  Without the wide spread knowledge in different styles of theatre, playwrights, and more, I don’t think that we could have come up with such successful formats. …I’m proud to have been a student at Kennedy Theatre, and On The Spot wouldn’t be the same without my… experiences there.

- Alissa Lee

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I received the Friends Scholarship 3 of the 4 years I attended UH. I couldn’t have done it without them and the experiences I had during my time at Kennedy Theater made a huge impression on me. It’s a program that’s unique in the world for it’s breadth and depth, and I had the opportunity to do things that I couldn’t have done anywhere but Kennedy. I truly cherish the relationships and memories I made during my time at University and with the Friends of Kennedy Theater.

- Josh Thigpen

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I am extremely grateful to have received help from the Friends of Kennedy Theatre. Studying, rehearsing, and performing does not leave much time for a job, and the scholarship allowed me to focus on my love of theatre without having to sacrifice time spent on it for financial reasons. At the University of Hawaii I was fortunate to have been able to learn and perform a wide variety of theatre styles, including Shakespeare, Brecht, Commedia dell’Arte, trapeze, Jingju, Kabuki, Indonesian Randai and Balinese Topeng. I was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree in Asian Theatre and then moved to New York City where I taught workshops in Jingju and performed Balinese Topeng. I would not have been able to do this without the wonderful training and experience that I received at Kennedy Theatre and without the help of the Friends of Kennedy Theatre. I am truly grateful and I thank you very much.
- Nicole Tessier

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For me, Late Night Theatre at Kennedy Theatre was the very best part of my experience there as an undergraduate in the Theatre program and as a graduate student in playwriting.  Late Night Theatre was one of the best avenues on the island for students and the public to experience a terrific range of experimental theatre and performance.  My first Kennedy Theatre production was as a freshman performing in a “Kabuki-burlesque” adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s “Ubu Roi,” which happened to be a Late Night Theatre production and a very formative experience for me as a student in Theatre.
- Julia Gilman

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“The time I spent in the UH Theatre Department were some of the best years of my life. The different areas of study were fascinating, the knowledge learned was inspiring, and the practical applications invaluable. But more so, it was the people and the personal bonds forged that affect me to this day. From the most wizened instructor to the most inexperienced freshmen, the knowledge that we were all in this together, striving to move forward in our studies and craft creating art for the ages, was a feeling so powerful nothing could stop us. It is a passion I still honor and advocate to this day. I would like to thank the Friends of Kennedy Theatre for supporting this drive in me though their actions and support. Thank you.”
- Troy Apostol

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“I began as an undergraduate student in the UH Manoa Department of Theatre and Dance in 1997. In 2005 I graduated with an MFA in Asian Performance, Directing. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study and work with the many remarkable faculty members that make this program so exceptional. I remember my first experience in an Asian theatre production. Dr. Brandon and Kikunobu Sensei cast me as Isonojo, the playboy in the kabuki  Summer Festival; A Mirror of Osaka. This production was a transformational experience that introduced my to multicultural performance, which quickly became my passion. I learned for the first time to build a character from the outside in, starting with movement vocabulary — a revolutionary experience for a performer accustomed to focusing on psychology and inner life.

Studying and performing Asian theatre was an extraordinary process that challenged the eurocentric perspectives I had been steeped by educational institutions growing up. Training with master teachers from China, Japan,
Indonesia, and South Korea, I was able to discover these cultures in an authentic and meaningful way, made possible by our shared love of the performing arts. My time as a student in the Department of Theatre and Dance has had a profound effect on me as a theatre artist. I was able to form lasting relationships with faculty and peers, which serve as a source of inspiration and support in my continued work as a director and educator.”
- Cassandra Wormser

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

• Ed Dyer
• Julia Gilman
• Dan Kelin
• Dallas McCurley
• Arnold Meister
• Eugene A. Huebley
• Corazon L. Dumlao
• Ta‘apeifale U. Silao
• Ac’Lynne Uesugi
• Kathleen M. Klabo
• Susan Edge
• Megan Khoury
• Jocelyn Markham
• Donna Stewart
• Nicole Valles

• Cassandra Wormser (4-yr. Romeo & Juliet Scholar)
• Troy M. Apostol
• Eric D. Burns
• Elizabeth Guttermuth
• Lisa Niemczura
• Nicole Tessier
• Josh Thigpen
• Shen Sugai
• Brian Gilhooley

• Alissa J. Lee
• Ashley Larson
• Claudia Elmore
• Sharon Wezelman

If you received scholarship aid between in 1984-2008, and your name does not appear on this list, please contact FKT by clicking the contact link above or emailing us at info@friendsofkennedytheatrehi.org.

• UHM Department of Theatre and Dance
• UH Foundation