THEATRE REVIEW: The Super Executive Aunties of the Malama Caregivers Collective

by Rose Cruz Churma

On the eve of Thanksgiving, I attended a thought-provoking play at The Actors Group (TAG) playhouse at Iwilei.

It was fitting to spend that evening watching this play since November is National Family Caregivers Month, an observance dedicated to recognizing and honoring the selfless individuals who provide essential care and support to their loved ones who are ill, disabled, or elderly.

It shines a spotlight on the crucial role of family caregivers in our society. It acknowledges the physical, emotional, and financial sacrifices made by caregivers who provide care to family members or close friends with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or age-related conditions.

This theatrical experience is timely since it seeks to raise awareness about the challenges faced by family caregivers. It spotlights their dedication, and the play’s hand-outs and parts of the script provide resources and support to help them in their caregiving roles. 

This play encourages communities and organizations to get involved and assist caregivers in various ways.

As Terri Madden, founder and executive director of Playbuilders Hawai’i Theater Company, notes in the program “This type of theater is called ‘community-based theater. And is truly a team effort.”

And she further adds that “it is comprised of true stories told by the community for community for the betterment of the community. Come as you are.”

Also called a “devised theater” the play was written by a collective of artists, most of whom have experienced being a family caregiver.

Throughout the process, the ensemble members are asked to contribute to all the aspects of making a play. A cast member could be a writer, director, performer, and designer on various parts of the play. 

PlayBuilders of Hawaii Theater Company which Madden founded in 2011, is a community-based theater company located in Honolulu. It has been producing plays with, for, and about the multi-culturally rich communities of Hawai’i.

Its mission is to gather and share real stories that resonate with, empower, and connect the diverse communities of Hawaii. It uses theatrical exploration of topics that spark thought-provoking conversations that benefit the community. 

This play was the result of the Malama Caregivers Project which was organized in 2022. Local family caregivers shared their stories in a series of interviews, story circles and workshops from September 2022 to April 2023.

A group of theater experts led by Catherine Ann Restivo and assisted by Terri Madden, Elizabeth Wichman-Walzack, Jiaxing Dean Mo and Ashley Zednick led the creation of this play based on real stories shared by the caregivers.

The setting of the play is the fictional Georgette Beauty Emporium in Nanakuli operated by a mother-daughter team (Georgette Stevens as Georgette and Kealailiahi Ford as Ke’ala) who also sang the opening songs and served as hosts to the diverse group of caregivers who shared their stories with the audience. 

Georgette Stevens makes her inaugural debut in this play. She has been part of PlayBuilders Hawai’i for the past two years—taking acting classes and participating in the caregiver story-gathering workshops. Her love and talent for singing is evident in the play.

Kealailliahi Ford who played the role of Georgette’s daughter Ke’ala has also been with this theater group for the last two years and currently serves on its board as a youth representative.

Aside from the two, the ensemble cast consists of actual caregivers with minimal acting experience.

Liz Dixon (Aunty Liz) has no acting experience but heard of this project from friends and agreed to participate. Sharon Garcia-Doyle (Aunty Emilia) on the other hand is a seasoned theater artist who’s participated both onstage and offstage in many capacities.

Deanna Espinas (Aunty Deanna) a retired librarian with Hawaii’s correctional system has been active in community theater even before her retirement. She has been involved “with community activities celebrating the stories of those who struggled to make a new home for themselves here in Hawai’i.”

She shared her experiences with her grandmother who had immigrated from the Philippines.

Allan Okubo, who played multiple roles as Ken, George and Allan, was an original board member of PlayBuilders. He started acting in the ‘70s with Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum PI, and his stage career in 1991 and lately with TAG in 2023. 

The play had a huge cast and included Kathy Byrne, Patrick Chee, James LaBrie, Jamie McOuat, Francine Less, Shannon Patalano, Shawn Comilang-Quapaw, Steve Royal, Peggy Anne Siegmund and Justin Kawamura.

The other crew members behind the scenes are Jeffery Terry Sousa, Charles Wade, Evern Williams, Marty Wong and Fletcher Young.

The play was funded by grants from The Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities through support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Atherton Family Foundation. It has also received in-kind donations from various community groups and individuals.

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ROSE CRUZ CHURMA established Kalamansi Books & Things three decades ago. It has evolved from a mail-order bookstore into an online advocacy with the intent of helping global Pinoys discover their heritage by promoting books of value from the Philippines and those written by Filipinos in the Diaspora. We can be reached at kalamansibooks@gmail.com.