MĀNOA VALLEY THEATRE PRESENTS
MAY 14 - 24
BY DAVID HENRY HWANG
DIRECTED BY REIKO HO
ABOUT THE SHOW
The lines between truth and fiction blur with hilarious and moving results in David Henry Hwang's unreliable memoir, recently on Broadway starring Daniel Dae Kim. Asian American playwright DHH, fresh off his Tony Award win for M. Butterfly, leads a protest against the casting of Jonathan Pryce as the Eurasian pimp in the original Broadway production of Miss Saigon, condemning the practice as "yellowface." His position soon comes back to haunt him when he mistakes a Caucasian actor, Marcus G. Dahlman, for mixed race, and casts him in the lead Asian role of his own Broadway-bound comedy, Face Value. When DHH discovers the truth of Marcus' ethnicity, he tries to conceal his blunder to protect his reputation as an Asian American role model, by passing the actor off as a "Siberian Jew." Meanwhile, DHH's father, Henry Y. Hwang, an immigrant who loves the American Dream and Frank Sinatra, finds himself ensnared in the same web of late-1990's anti-Chinese paranoia that also leads to the "Donorgate" scandal and the arrest of Los Alamos nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee. As he clings to his old multicultural rhetoric, this new racist witch hunt forces DHH to confront the complex and ever-changing role that "face" plays in American life today.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
ARRILLAGA FOUNDATION
SHOW SPONSOR RAMONA SAYRE
IMPORTANT TICKETING INFORMATION
To book tickets, please use MVT's official ticketing site, AudienceView also known as Ovationtix. We do not authorize other third-party sites, like tickets-center.com, to resell MVT tickets. For a secure and reliable booking experience, always purchase through our official platform here or contact the box office at 808.988.6131.
OPEN MIC
NIGHT
HOSTED BY KYLA BLASE
TUESDAY, MAY 26 AT 7 PM
A welcoming space to gather, share, and experience live art together. Whether you’re performing or simply in the audience, the night is built on connection, creativity, and supporting one another.
Expect a range of voices and styles—music, comedy, poetry, and more!
$ 5 TO PERFORM OR WATCH
PERFORMER SPOTS ARE LIMITED
WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT,
BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING!
CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF BLACK JOY
JUNE 15TH - 20TH
Welcome to Manoa Valley Theatre's Juneteenth Celebration, commemorating 250 years of Black Joy! Manoa Valley Theatre is proud to celebrate and honor the many contributions African Americans have made in Hawaii and beyond. In every facet of life, African Americans have had a profound impact, none more evident than the joy that permeates African American culture and radiates brightly into the world! From lively theatre, joyful dance,to soul-stirring song and music of every genre, each art form serves as a conduit for learning and sharing the many facets of African American life.The common thread that binds it all together is joy!. Through singing and dancing, enslaved people remained connected to their African heritage. Through theater and literature, African Americans preserved ancestral stories while creating new narratives across the diaspora. Joy empowered African American women to reshape symbols once meant to diminish them, e.g., transforming head wraps into crowns and reclaiming them as bold declarations of beauty, identity and Black excellence. The promise of freedom of full citizenship in a country that once enslaved them resounds in the powerful words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Free at last, free at last! Thank God, almighty, we are free at last!” As we mark 250 years of America’s founding, we are reminded that even in challenging times, when the nation feels uncertain, Black joy persists! It dances in the streets, echoes through hallways and hearts and rises from the mountaintops, proclaiming: "Weeping may endure for the night but joy comes in the morning!"
EVENTS MARKED “OPEN TO THE PUBLIC” ARE FREE AND TAKE PLACE ON JUNE 15, 16, 17, AND 20. TICKETED EVENTS ARE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 18 AND 19.
CLYDE'S
BY LYNN NOTTAGE
DIRECTED BY JEANNÉ WYNNE HERRING
JULY 16 - 26
In Clyde's, a truck stop sandwich shop offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at redemption. Even as the shop’s callous owner tries to keep them down, the staff members learn to reclaim their lives, find purpose, and become inspired to dream by their shared quest to create the perfect sandwich. A stirring, new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, Clyde's was nominated for four Tony Awards in 2022 (including Best New Play).
TICKETS START AT $25
INTERESTED IN AUDITIONING FOR CLYDE'S? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
HOLY SHIITAKE!
A WOK STAR IS BORN
JUNE 3 AT 7:30 PM
Join us for Holy Shiitake! A Wok Star is Born, a unique solo performance by celebrity chef Katie Chin.
Holy Shiitake! A Wok Star is Born chronicles Chef Katie Chin’s journey as a Chinese American girl growing up in Minneapolis in the 1970s where she was raised by her remarkable mother, seamstress turned restaurateur, Leeann Chin. You will be captivated by her unique blend of humor, storytelling, and culinary expertise. Prepare to be entertained as she shares her personal journey of becoming a Wok Star and conquering the culinary world.
Filled with pathos and humor, Holy Shiitake! A Wok Star is Born is written and performed by Katie with technical production by Paul Hemstreet.
TICKETS START AT $25
SUMMER ADD-ON!
SHREK
THE MUSICAL
JUNE 25 - JULY 12
PERFORMING AT KAIMUKI PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori and a side-splitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears. Irreverently fun for the whole family, Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre.
TICKETS START AT $25
MĀNOA VALLEY THEATRE
SUPPORT THE THEATRE YOU LOVE!
Your support is important to our work at Manoa Valley Theatre. There are many ways you can contribute towards our causes, and every little bit that you commit goes a long way in helping us fulfill our mission. Learn more about how you can get involved and take advantage of the opportunity to do some good.
