The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is preparing to premiere a new play that weaves ancestral Hawaiian traditions into a contemporary family drama. The Storyteller, a production written by Native Hawaiian writer Sheila Miles, will make its world debut at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre within the Kennedy Theatre from November 18 through November 22.
This production serves as a central piece of the Kennedy Theatre’s 2026–2027 Primetime Series, focusing on the intersection of ancient oral traditions and modern identity. The play uses a blend of ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), Hawaiʻi Creole English (Pidgin), and English to tell the story of a family dealing with grief, love, and change.
Language serves as the thread of the Kumulipo
At the heart of the narrative is the Kumulipo, a sacred Hawaiian origin chant that provides a structural and spiritual connection between generations. The plot follows a character named Haumea, who receives a hōʻailona—an omen—that she attempts to prevent, setting off a chain of events that explores how moʻolelo, or stories, function as active participants in daily life rather than mere relics of the past.
The production is directed by Ed Refuerzo, an MFA candidate in directing, and is being presented by the UH Mānoa Department of Theatre and Dance. The play’s focus on how language and ancestry define “home” aligns with the theatre’s broader seasonal theme, “Finding Home in the Extraordinary.”
“The Storyteller asks us to remember that stories are not simply told—they are lived. They carry our histories, shape our futures, and help us understand who we are in relation to one another and to the world around us,” said Refuerzo.
Tickets cost $9 to $18 for the five-day run
Tickets are priced at $9 for UH Mānoa students and $18 for general admission. The production is limited to its five-day run in late November.
The play explores how these inherited stories guide individuals through periods of loss and serve as tools for resilience.
