Hawaii Tribune-Herald Island Beat Thursday, October 13, 2016 9 activists — we let them be the content creators. They told us what was really important in these conversations about water. It was our job to make it a really compelling story.” Alvin Chan, HTY actor and project co-creator, says “H20” showcases a wide range of musical styles — everything from hip-hop and puppet musical theater to Hawaiian chant — to get the message across. “We’ve got sea animals that talk about marine debris in the ocean in the song, ‘Get Out of My House,’ and a song where we are rapping about water facts,” Chan says. “We also have a fish singing, ‘I could swim and get stuck in a net or a bag. I could even eat it up and it would make me gag.’ We put it in that perspective of a fish talking to a kid because it’s more personal that way.” There’s even a talking toilet, sink and shower that give tips on how to save water. The neighbor island touring production is directed by Nathaniel Niemi and the cast includes Chan, Sean Joseph Choo, Moses Goods and Tina Uyeno. Kooky and fun costumes, designed by Cheryl Flaharty, were created with tubes and other things that allow them to hold water. The intent, of course, is to captivate audiences and deliver the “H20” message. Chan is hoping that guests of all ages will walk away from the show truly understanding just how precious water is. At the close of each performance, different “water heroes” from the surrounding community are invited to come and share their knowledge on an aspect of water in the islands. “In ‘H20,’ we are working with the most partners we’ve ever had working on a project before,” Johnson says. “It’s not just a piece that we created outside of the community. We really got into the community to create it. It was a huge thing for us to pull off but we’re really pleased about how it came together.” Some of the tour sponsors include the state Department of Health’s Healthy Hawaii Initiative and Safe Drinking Water Branch, Fresh Water Initiative of the Hawaii Community Foundation, Ulupono Initiative, NOAA, state Department of Land and Natural Resources, HMSA and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation. “I think there are a lot of people who are working really hard on behalf of water here in Hawaii,” Johnson says. “Water is a really positive story here. So many people were interested in this topic. This is their life and they’re already doing it but there is so much (about the subject of water) going on in larger conversations. “What is unique about HTY is we were offering to bring those ideas to young people. It’s a nice partnership.” HTY has long been known as Hawaii’s nonprofit professional theater company providing theater and drama education programs for Hawaii’s young people and families. “Having worked with HTY in the 1990s, designing and touring several shows, I know the joy their productions bring to the youth in our communities,” says Lee Dombroski, UH-Hilo PAC manager. “The kids leave the theater singing the songs or re-enacting portions of the play they’ve seen. They absorb the material while having a fantastic time. Education through the arts is a lasting education.” WATER From page 7 Making a splash What: Honolulu Theatre for Youth presents “H20, The Story of Water and Hawaii” When: 4 p.m. Sunday, Kahilu Theatre in Waimea; 7 p.m. Oct. 21, UH-Hilo Performing Arts Center Tickets: $10 to $25 for Kahilu Theatre performance, available at www.kahilutheatre.org/ tickets or by calling 885-6868; $10 (all ages) for UH-Hilo PAC show, available at www.htyweb. org, by calling 839-9885, ext. 720, or at the door. Two “H2O” performances are set for 4 p.m. Sunday at the Kahilu Theatre in Waimea, and at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at UH-Hilo Performing Arts Center. Photo: BRAD GODA
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